SECTION
IV
DOCTRINE
TOPIC: Media Access to Enemy Prisoners of War (EPWs).
DISCUSSION: Military Police (MP) and other soldiers had legal questions about allowing media access to EPW processing centers. Most OPLANs do not address the question, as it relates to the Geneva Conventions and AR 360-50. Essentially, the Geneva Conventions prohibit photos and videotapes of EPWs that could be construed as propaganda. In light of instant global communications, almost any coverage of EPWs could be used as propaganda.
Initially,
on 12 January, we were told no photographs of EPWs. Then you had the battle
at Khafji, and they started showing pictures of EPWs. Once the other media
sees that, hell, they're going to do the same thing. The ground rule was clear
to begin with, but it went downhill after that. It was a tough one -- a hard
nut to crack.
Corps
PAO
LESSON(S): Determine guidance in coordination with the MP School and DOD JAG for incorporation into all appropriate doctrine and training. Ensure public affairs guidance on the subject is clear in future exercises and operations and ensure media ground rules clearly establish guidelines. PAOs should stand ready to revoke credentials when ground rules are violated.
TOPIC: Planning for Public Affairs during the Operation.
DISCUSSION: The after-action reports of several units included a lesson-learned bullet calling for better PA planning. Commanders said the lack of planning led to: imbalanced coverage, which hurt soldier morale, and CI failing to keep pace with civilian news reports, which helped foster rumors and detracted from leader credibility. Rear detachment leaders said divisions and installations were ill-equipped to handle the media assault at home station, especially after most PA assets had deployed.
We
need to have a plan; we need to be ready to do it tomorrow. Just like you have
a war plan, you have to have a public affairs plan.
Battalion
Commander
You
may have noticed in [the unit's G-3] after-action critique, one of the things
we need to do a better job of is planning for PAO coverage. I'll tell you,
it's one of those things that we never thought about.
Division
Rear Detachment Commander
Each
unit should have a command information plan. Let's face it, the rear detachment
commander is not a recognized position. So it's going to be somebody else who'll
come winging in at the last minute, they're going to hang this mantle on him
and say, "You're responsible for it." And there ought to be something he can
go to that says "Command Information Program;" these are the things you should
do.
Rear
Detachment Commander
LESSON(S): Provide guidance to commanders and PAOs on the need for planning, with specific recommendations on what to include in the plans and how to develop them. Incorporate PA play into command and field exercises (CPXs and FTXs) at all levels, and re-energize plans training for PAOs at the Defense Information School.
TOPIC: Media Training for Leaders
DISCUSSION: Some Officer Basic and Advanced courses now offer media training, and FY 92 CGSC curriculum provides students media training. CGSC graduates from 1991 and earlier received little, if any, such instruction. It is not offered in NCOES.
LESSON(S): Real-life media support and encounter training should be incorporated into battalion, brigade, division and corps field training and command post exercises (FTXs and CPXs). Also, battlefield media play should become a routine part of the scenarios at the combat training centers.
We
need our battalion and brigade commanders, executive officers and command sergeants
major to gain experience in answering questions from the media about combat
operations. Let's set up media training. . . to be integrated into scenarios
at our combat training centers.
GEN
Carl E. Vuono, Former Army Chief of Staff, 1990
Table
of Contents
Section
III - Community Relations
Appendix
A - References
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