"Strategic Communication and the Trees"

At first Strategic Communication requirements sounded like just another good idea from the list of many assignments due throughout our time at the Command and General Staff College (CGSC) here at FT Leavenworth. But after allowing some time for the concept to sink in, it is clearly present in ways that I had not previously considered. Strategic communication is inherent in every activity we undertake whether it be in our military function or in service to the community. I will examine two examples of how media communication or more precisely the management of information is critical to the outcomes we expect after mission or project is accomplished. The critical aspect of information management is the ability to control your messages while minimizing the negative impact of those seeking to distort, disrupt or manipulate for their own advantage your information. This is especially critical today since most of us get our information from maybe one or two sources, this because most of the time we are overloaded with other issues so we tend to form our opinions based on the limited amount of available filtering time, understanding of the sources, their bias, and ultimately how that makes us susceptible to potential misinformation.
Current media and military relations doctrine involve the process of developing field grade officers into strategic communicators for their organizations. After completing this training I now agree that effective media communication skills are essential in the performance of my duties as a field grade officer. The ability to present clear and concise information and messages in conjunction with the Public Affairs Office is critical in supporting current and future operations of the Army. My first example cites the supporting role of today’s field grade officer as one of the principle organizational communicators for information and command messages to the media.
Effective media communication is the ability of leaders to successfully transmit command messages in order to gain and/or maintain control over circumstances which if not managed correctly could have negative consequences on overall operations and public opinion. A field grade officers understanding of this operational challenge is absolutely essential to the attainment of mission objectives within an Area of Operations (AO). Leaders when given the opportunity to present information must be able to exercise control through their messages to shape and clarify a mission’s task and purpose. Field grade officers have the greatest control over message output since they assist in the planning and development mission objectives for the organization. Therefore, a good leader must be able to unambiguously transmit organizational goals when operations are proceeding according to a plan and more significantly when operations could be perceived as negative.
My first example recounts a case study used in class describing the actions of a support battalion conducting humanitarian operations in Azerbaijan, as students we assumed the role of the Battalion Commander and were required to effectively communicate a series of command messages during a press conference after a civil disturbance occurred at one of our logistical bases. We learned that one of the essential functions of the Commander is to foresee what type of information may be asked before a negative incident occurs. The Commander should ask himself this question. What are my command messages? [1] The practice of determining command messages must be considered part of the daily briefing process and incorporated into all staff planning through the Military Decision Making Process (MDMP). The development of the Public Affairs Estimate and Annex in support of the operations order is critical to the unit’s overall mission. [2] The annex must contain at a minimum the command messages and specific Rules of Engagement (ROE) for conducting media operations. The Public Affairs Annex then acts as a guide for subordinate leaders to pass on the Media ROE and command messages to their soldiers. The higher level Commander’s guidance assists us in formulating a series of command messages in support of our unit’s mission. In the Azerbaijan situation I learned that as the Commander one of my roles is to act as the effective communicator who attempts to maintain control over situations which could have potential negative effects on our operations and public opinion. All the CGSC students had the opportunity to conduct a live press conference complete with cameras and classmates acting as reporters. One key aspect of this event was the Commander’s ability to maintain a calm and confident demeanor during the delivery of an opening statement. Two other important aspects are the need to reemphasize command messages and deliver a clear and concise closing statement prior to taking questions; all these actions when taken together tended to set the tone for a successful press conference. Through this exercise I was able to successfully exhibit the aspects of effective communication by managing the output of information after the civil disturbance. The transmission of information in this case resulted in the decrease in tensions and the prevention of serious damage to public opinion potentially resulting in major changes to the support battalion’s role during our humanitarian aide operation.
My second example references the removal and replacement of the trees at Hasting House on FT Leavenworth for the Girl Scouts as a community service project undertaken by our staff group. This particular project was not military related but as my classmate stated in his blog titled "Tree Camaraderie" we can relate it directly to any potential military project much like the ones being carried out over in Iraq and Afghanistan at this very moment. It requires prior coordination and planning using the MDMP process to ensure a successful outcome for the organization which the activity was originally undertaken. Success is dependent upon meeting the needs of in this case the Girl Scouts, however this could be any public service project carried out overseas. The key ingredient in this is the implied support of the larger community. For instance is the removal and replacement of these trees conducive to the policies of FT Leavenworth and do we have their concurrence. We must be aware of any negative public perception due to other groups or individuals who could be working against us to distort our intention or manipulate public opinion against our proposed actions. In some cases if the project is large enough the town or community will form a committee and hold hearings to allow for public comment before beginning the project. In many cases the project will be put to a vote since it may involve a large sum of money or have an impact life in the community. We have had to learn these lessons the over in Iraq and Afghanistan, and over time we have improved in the ability to strategically communicate our intentions and prevent misinformation. Even though the tree project is relatively simple it carries with it potential ripple effects in the larger community, we could call these 2nd and 3rd order effects. This is where being a critical thinking organizational leader is necessary. I as a field grade officer must understand these subtle interrelationships and be able to for see their effects on my unit, and the community in order to achieve the desired outcome.
As a field grade officer I am the key, on one hand I may act as the spokesman for the organization, for example during an operation or mission, on the other hand I will be the one working with the Public Affairs Office to develop media information and policy for senior level officers. In both of these situations I am acting as the liaison for the organization transmitting messages to the media in order to gain and maintain control over a particular set of circumstances. In our country we are fortunate that our Constitution includes the Freedom of the Press, others are not, this tells us as military leaders that the media has the power to shape and change public opinion. Shifts in public opinion can result in policy changes to military operations. Some policy changes are not always beneficial to our organization. Therefore, in order to assist in the direction and implementation of Army policies is absolutely critical that I continue to develop and improve my media communication skills to become a more effective organizational communicator.

1. 276, “Public Affairs Scenario: Azerbaijan (SASO)”, U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, reprint and publication as part of CGSC 2006, C100, Foundations Advance Sheets and Readings, (FT Leavenworth, Kansas, 2008).

2. Kenneth Payne, “The Media as an Instrument of War”, Parameters, US Army War College Quarterly, Volume XXXV, No. 1, (Spring 2005), 85, http://www.carlise.mil/usawc/Parameters/05spring/payne/pdf (accessed 13 August 2008).

MAJ JAMES H. MCLEAN

STUDENT, COMMAND AND GENERAL STAFF COLLEGE, U.S. ARMY COMBINED ARMS CENTER, FORT LEAVENWORTH, KANSAS.

See Command Policy #19-08, Combined Arms Center (CAC) Interactive Internet Activities for additional guidance.

The views expressed in this blog are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Department of the Army, Department of Defense, or the U.S. Government.