Military Review English Edition January-February 2015 | Page 122

after Murphy’s article, Operation Atlantic Resolve
When we got there to meet up with the 173rd
offered Nielson-Green a chance to showcase her
team, we had less than 72 hours until our paravision for effective communication strategy as the
troopers walked off the plane onto Polish soil,”
head of USAREUR public affairs. More broadly, it
Daugherty recalled.22 The team would need every
was an opportunity to
minute in between
demonstrate that the
to coordinate with
principle of pairing
host nation defense
military and informaofficials, U.S. embassy
tion end-states in opercountry teams, and
ational planning could
international media;
work in practice.
facilitate coverage
As shown in figure
of the impending
1, when the USAREUR
disembarkation
order was published on
events; arrange senior
April 18, the end state
leader engagements
of the commander’s
with the media; and
intent paragraph inensure timely release
cluded the phrase, “key
of official imagery
audiences are informed
that would assure the
of U.S. commitment
American public of
to our allies.” 20 One of
the transparency of
the four key tasks listed
Defense Department
to reach that end state
activities. Moreover,
was “conduct public
due to the emphaaffairs activities.”21
sis on public affairs
Subsequently, the
activities in the
USAREUR command
operation order, the
and staff mobilized
public affairs teams,
Figure 2. Social Media Post from
around maximizing
forward-deployed and
Operation Atlantic Resolve
media coverage and
at the main command
enabling public affairs
post in Wiesbaden,
operations to get the message out.
Germany, helped shape the execution of the plan
on the ground.
Implementing a Communication
“Originally, the plan was for our guys to jump
Plan of Action
in at night. We had to go back to them and tell
Within 48 hours of the order being issued,
them, ‘That’s not going to work. Media can’t
USAREUR deployed a team of public affairs
cover something they can’t see,’” according to Maj.
personnel to Poland before the arrival of the
Mike Weisman, public affairs officer for the 173rd
first deploying U.S. forces. The team of six from
Airborne Brigade.23 The plan changed from night
USAREUR would augment the three public affairs
airborne jumps to daytime aircraft landings and
personnel of the 173rd Airborne Brigade. Sgt. Maj.
ceremonies, to create conditions that would maxCarmen Daugherty, the senior enlisted public
imize opportunities for the media to get imagery
affairs soldier for the European Theater at the time, that reinforced the message: U.S. and host-nation
led the USAREUR team.
forces standing shoulder to shoulder.
“We left out on Easter Sunday, packed into a
When the plan called for four simultaneous
rental car and drove about 1,000 kilometers to
arrival ceremonies in four different countries,
Drawsko Pomorskie Training Area in Poland.
to mark the U.S. paratroopers’ arrival in Poland,
120

January-February 2015  MILITARY REVIEW