The news stories and accompanying imagery made the front pages of The Wall Street Journal , International New York Times , and USA Today weekend edition , and ceremonies were broadcast live by CNN and by host nation television stations . An initial report to higher headquarters from the USAREUR Public Affairs Officer read , “[ Ministry of Defense ] and Embassy media experts assess that the coverage is positive and message of assurance and U . S . commitment are well received by public .” According to Sean Gallup , Germany News for Getty Images , “ I would say the visual impression the events created was that the U . S . had sent a serious military unit but was not pursuing a confrontation [ with Russia ].” Of note , one of Lithuania ’ s largest daily publications , Lietuvos rytas , reported : “ About the arrival of the U . S . troops , we celebrate one small victory today . The trample of American boots on Lithuanian ground is the most beautiful music , as is the rumble of NATO fighter jets flying over Vilnius . This is how our freedom sounds .” Indeed , USAREUR and its public affairs team had achieved the desired end-state of ensuring “ key audiences are informed of U . S . commitment to our allies and partner nations without provoking undesired Russian response .”
Recommendation .
The USAREUR Public Affairs Officer serving in Operation Atlantic Resolve offers the following recommendations :
1 . Public affairs personnel should be an integral part of the staff estimate . During the staff estimate process for USAREUR Operation Atlantic Resolve , identifying the decisive nature of public affairs activities , and alerting the commander to that fact , laid the foundation for mission accomplishment . Endstates for information operations should be developed – tied to other desired end-states .
2 . Public affairs personnel need to conduct thorough planning of public affairs activities . Meticulous planning by the USAREUR public affairs team allowed forward-deployed personnel to execute without hesitation . This included early and regular engagement with U . S . Embassy and U . S . EUCOM personnel to ensure interagency accord and sharing of information and resources .
3 . “ Public affairs ” should be no different than any other operational capability that the commander has at his disposal – continuously a part of the evolving planning process . During Operation Atlantic Resolve , the integration of public affairs with the staff allowed for last-minute planning adjustments that avoided costly mistakes .
4 . Public affairs personnel should work to ensure “ a seat at the table ” for missions . It is critical that public affairs leaders demonstrate they can be trusted to accomplish the mission . They , and their people , must train and practice their
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