CAP Aircraft Searching for Steve Fossett

[Lancer]

I disagree.  Mission PR is an important part of the overall mission.  Leads can come in from the public when they know that there is a search or an operation underway.  That's why there is a separate qualification for Mission IO separate from the standard Public Affairs track.

I think there is some 'disconnect' from my original post.

It was aimed at all the people who are getting excited about how this mission is generating exposure for CAP, and the 'who, what, where and how' of where this exposure is coming from.

As a PAO I love hearing CAP talked about in the news in a positive light, but discussing publicly, how this exposure will be a 'real shot in the arm' for us before the mission is even closed in bad taste, IMHO.

Please talk about how our MIO is functioning within the realm of the mission at hand, but let's leave the 'Wow, everyone knows about CAP now!!' talk for after the mission, that's all.

[0]

I will say that while I am not really involved in ES I have a strong interest in it

Well once you go through our ES training you'll know we do stuff a certain way.  And part of that is to not give out information like this to the general public.  At least not while the operation is underway.  Mainly so we don't have to then go and search for someone who's trying to help when they don't know what they're doing.  That's part of the reason for the new frequencies we'll be getting so that no one can listen into our radios to prevent the same thing.

[ricecakecm]

They're on now talking about using ARCHER in the search.

[BillB]

So what if a member of the media reads what's on CAPTalk?  The media probably has the information they gathered on-scene. The media has more resources that a CAP Mission IC to start with. And should the PAO stop asking for public reports of hearing a plane in distress along a specific routing. The idea that CAP has that everyuthing they do is secret and the public doesn't need to know is laughable when a sherrifs deputy gives out the information, or in the case under discussion, the State Public Safety representative. CAP wants good media relations, but doesn't want to deal with the media. Does that make sense? 
And the new radio frequencies are already out there in Scanners web sites. And the media already has P25 capable monitors, but why monitor CAP frequencies if the information the media seeks is available from other sources? As a Mission Commander for several years (I just dated myself) I often found the media had more information that AFRCC provided to me.

[davedove]

All the discussion about what they should or should not give out is really just an academic exercise unless you're part of the team involved.  Maybe it was decided that giving out the search area would be useful.  Yeah, there are valid reasons for not giving out that info, but we don't know what went into their decisions.

[JohnKachenmeister]

So what if a member of the media reads what's on CAPTalk?  The media probably has the information they gathered on-scene. The media has more resources that a CAP Mission IC to start with. And should the PAO stop asking for public reports of hearing a plane in distress along a specific routing. The idea that CAP has that everyuthing they do is secret and the public doesn't need to know is laughable when a sherrifs deputy gives out the information, or in the case under discussion, the State Public Safety representative. CAP wants good media relations, but doesn't want to deal with the media. Does that make sense? 
And the new radio frequencies are already out there in Scanners web sites. And the media already has P25 capable monitors, but why monitor CAP frequencies if the information the media seeks is available from other sources? As a Mission Commander for several years (I just dated myself) I often found the media had more information that AFRCC provided to me.

What you say is true, Bill, but we still should not be the source of "Leaks."  Some of what I asked has already been released in some form or another.  But if it wasn't released by the IO, then we shouldn't be putting it on "Front Street."  Such conduct undercuts the mission staff.  That's what PM's are for.

[IceNine]

Agreed, 

  Running a press conference, or just dealing with the press at all is delicate enough.  Having information leaked through some other "credible" source and being confronted with it throws even the BEST IO's off balance.  This stuff is going to be talked about, but why make it harder for people to do their jobs? 

If the media comes at me with I heard this from CAPTALK.net, which is a Large group of CAP members that.... (insert stuff here) I would freeze.  One of the things I do before I go before the press is sit with planning, IC, OPS, and chaplain.  Get as much information as I can about what has been released, and then try to come up with a list of questions I am going to answer, and a list of how I will handle delicate information.    If they already know the stuff I was going to avoid there is no reason for all this extra work.

[Nomex Maximus]

Would this be the first real use of Archer???

As to frequencies - I got a kick out of a CAP official on the search in Michigan last week saying that we should not talk about stuff on the aviation radios "because they are not secure. Use the CAP radios instead."  Yeah, right.

[floridacyclist]

They might be if they have P25. Most of our radios here do.

[bosshawk]

No, it is not the first "real" use of ARCHER.  Enough said.

[mikeylikey]

I like how yesterday a reporter questioned the AF Captain, "Captain has the AF taken over operations, and are you putting all of the AF assets into the air?".  The Captain responded "Your Civil Air Patrol, the Air Force Auxiliary, Responsible for almost all of the inland Search and Rescue in the United States, has taken command of the operation, the military has full confidence in CAP, and other agencies are cooperting with CAP's lead".  Reporter then says "is CAP a new Air Force project..........

[JohnKachenmeister]

I like how yesterday a reporter questioned the AF Captain, "Captain has the AF taken over operations, and are you putting all of the AF assets into the air?".  The Captain responded "Your Civil Air Patrol, the Air Force Auxiliary, Responsible for almost all of the inland Search and Rescue in the United States, has taken command of the operation, the military has full confidence in CAP, and other agencies are cooperting with CAP's lead".  Reporter then says "is CAP a new Air Force project..........

Nobody wanted to believe me when I told you how stupid reporters are.

In Honduras, one was having breakfast with me, and I gave some orders to my NCO.  After the NCO left, the reporter asked me how I could "Push a sergeant around like that."  I asked what he meant, since all I did was tell him what I wanted him to do that day.  He said:  "But you're only a captain.  Sergeants are higher than captains."

[dhon27]

Article from the AP on Yahoo, with a picture of the Gippsland and blurb about ARCHER.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070905/ap_on_re_us/steve_fossett_45

[CadetProgramGuy]

This probably has already been thought of, but when Fossett went around the world with the support of Branson, Branson gave him his Brietling ELT Watch.

Does he still have it?

[pixelwonk]

Branson indicated he does still have it.

[CadetProgramGuy]

Branson indicated he does still have it.

I am inexperienced in SAR's but that tells me a few things...

[RiverAux]

The reason I said that specific facts relating to this specific search should not be given here is that CAP regulations require that the IC approve all release of information to the media in ES situations.  They have a specific public affairs strategy that they're using and we don't need to have it messed up by somebody who heard something (that may or may not be correct) while sitting around the mission base. 

Now, if we want to talk general strategy and we can even talk about this particular search, but anyone with any real facts that they obtained while working the mission, should not give them out here unless they've already gone out in a mission press release or otherwise been made public.

[JohnKachenmeister]

The 24 hour news networks are already engaged in wild and random speculation.  I don't want to feed that.

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http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123066968

[mikeylikey]

^ Nice article from the AF.  However they could have said " Civil Air Patrol, the Air Force Auxiliary".....instead of "an air force auxiliary".  I guess there are other Air Force Auxiliaries??