AMC public affairs professionals tell Army story

Trainees assigned to 1st Battalion, 34th Infantry Regiment, Fort Jackson, S.C., load a mock injured Soldier into a Black Hawk helicopter Oct. 18, 2021, as part of Tactical Combat Casualty Care, also known as TCCC. The trainee’s skills to provide care and transport casualties in the field are tested during the Forge. Two helicopters and flight crews assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 3rd General Support Aviation Battalion “Dust-off,” from Hunter Army Airfield located in Savannah, Ga., flew to the installation to help teach the trainees to load and unload a patient from the aircraft. Each team of trainees practiced their skills as the helicopters took off and returned to the landing zone marked by white smoke and orange flags staked into the ground to provide real-world experience during the training event.

A Fort McCoy Cold-Weather Operations Course (CWOC) Class 21-04 student participates in cold-water immersion training Feb. 26, 2021, at Big Sandy Lake on South Post at Fort McCoy, Wis. CWOC students are trained on a variety of cold-weather subjects, including snowshoe training and skiing as well as how to use ahkio sleds and other gear. Training also focuses on terrain and weather analysis, risk management, cold-weather clothing, developing winter fighting positions in the field, camouflage and concealment, and numerous other areas that are important to know in order to survive and operate in a cold-weather environment. The training is coordinated through the Directorate of Plans, Training, Mobilization and Security at Fort McCoy. (U.S. Army Photo by Scott T. Sturkol, Public Affairs Office, Fort McCoy, Wis.)

Sgt. Jonathen Reuben (left) and Sgt. Dylan Labbie, verify piece count on the USNS Mendonca in support of phase II of a sea emergency deployment readiness exercise August 23, 2021 at Naval Weapons Station, Joint Base Charleston, South Carolina. The two Soldiers are Deployment Support Command cargo specialists augmenting the 841st Transportation Battalion. (U.S. Army photo by Kimberly Spinner)

The Army has diverse mission sets, with one of its most critical being its duty to keep the public informed.

The Army public affairs community takes on this challenge, providing updates and sharing stories through a variety of mediums. In the age of misinformation and disinformation, and in the wake of challenges including a global pandemic, this mission is critical.

“Our public affairs professionals have a responsibility to not only keep the Army informed, but also the American public, in times of peace and conflict,” said Col. Scott Rawlinson, Army Materiel Command’s director of public and congressional affairs. “What makes me proud of our public affairs community is the depth, originality and professionalism we take in upholding this responsibility.”

In recognition of this important work, AMC recently held its David G. Harris Public Affairs Competition, recognizing accomplishments in print, multimedia and community relations. This year, the competition included 30 categories, 28 of which feed into the Department of the Army’s Maj. Gen. Keith L. Ware Communications Awards Competition. More than 50 entries from across AMC moved forward to the Army-level competition.

“While the competition was extraordinarily close in many areas, everyone who contributed is sending the message that they take the professionalization of our craft seriously; and we are listening,” Rawlinson said. “Our field demonstrated the criticality of communications to our Army and to their organizations, and we should all be proud of that.”

The Army is expected to announce the winners of its competition at the end of April.

AMC recognitions include the following: