"PAO SHOUT OUT!!! If you're a PAO" or "RECRUITING OFFICER lets it be known!!!"

[Eeyore]

PAO here, although in the last few months I've started to slowly drift toward just doing Cadet Program stuff. I work in PA for my day job and was starting to get burnt out on the stuff.

[Major Carrales]

PAO here, although in the last few months I've started to slowly drift toward just doing Cadet Program stuff. I work in PA for my day job and was starting to get burnt out on the stuff.

No shame it that whatsoever, I've been a bit of a CAP "GENERALIST" since about 16 October 2006.  It is the embodiment of the WHOLE CAP IDEA, where we don;t just serve the master of one aspect of CAP, but rather the concept of a GREATER CAP.

Commanders, CP and ES people should understand that the PAO is their friend and greatest ally.

Lastly, burnout has been big in CAP while I have been around to observe.  Changing the pace is a good thing.  Once a person feels "drained" they aren't getting out of CAP those things that drive them; a change of scenery can allow a person to really take the needed break.  Plus, if you work it out properly, you can have a great time and rewarding experience with Cadets.

[BuckeyeDEJ]

PA here, but not an active one these days, since I'm a squadron commander.

In real life, I edit a newspaper in St. Petersburg, Fla., but before that, I was a visual editor/designer at The Detroit News (1A, second-string sports), the Sarasota (Fla.) Herald-Tribune (1a, metro), the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (assistant graphics editor) and a few smaller newspapers.

Yip, I'm a journalist in real life. That makes being a PA a little more difficult, but in ways better, since I see both sides of the fence. (It also makes a cynic of me sometimes, since I know what a newspaper does with many news releases....)

[Major Carrales]

PA here, but not an active one these days, since I'm a squadron commander.

In real life, I edit a newspaper in St. Petersburg, Fla., but before that, I was a visual editor/designer at The Detroit News (1A, second-string sports), the Sarasota (Fla.) Herald-Tribune (1a, metro), the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (assistant graphics editor) and a few smaller newspapers.

Yip, I'm a journalist in real life. That makes being a PA a little more difficult, but in ways better, since I see both sides of the fence. (It also makes a cynic of me sometimes, since I know what a newspaper does with many news releases....)

I see the same thing happened to you. I am a teacher in my day job, but a CAP PAO for CAP.   I took command of my unit and actually had lots of success as a PAO mined commander.  It has really helped that I could use the Command position to further the work of CAP to the media and general public.

[Eeyore]

^ That would be super handy.

[BuckeyeDEJ]

PA here, but not an active one these days, since I'm a squadron commander.

In real life, I edit a newspaper in St. Petersburg, Fla., but before that, I was a visual editor/designer at The Detroit News (1A, second-string sports), the Sarasota (Fla.) Herald-Tribune (1a, metro), the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review (assistant graphics editor) and a few smaller newspapers.

Yip, I'm a journalist in real life. That makes being a PA a little more difficult, but in ways better, since I see both sides of the fence. (It also makes a cynic of me sometimes, since I know what a newspaper does with many news releases....)

I see the same thing happened to you. I am a teacher in my day job, but a CAP PAO for CAP.   I took command of my unit and actually had lots of success as a PAO mined commander.  It has really helped that I could use the Command position to further the work of CAP to the media and general public.

Yeah, I was a PA before I was a squadron commander. I was the group PA for groups 5 and 3 in Ohio and for groups 5 and 8 in Florida. But since my boss believes being an old man is a full-time gig in CAP, I'm no longer a PA. It's better this way, because it removes any conflicts I'd have as an editor who would consume any news CAP might generate.

That said, it's unfortunate that many times, squadron PAs are the least-equipped staffers in a local unit. And many times, the position is thrown to someone who has no business holding it -- whether because the commander sees it as an extraneous position, or because the person is good with scrapbooking, or because the person knows someone.... CAP needs crack PAs -- salespeople who can work with media! -- at the local level to market the organization, not some old fogey who stands in front of a recruiting booth shoving hot pretzels down his gullet.

[majdomke]

Greetings fellow PAO's,

I'm the current PAO for our composite squadron. In my past life as a cadet, 20+ years ago, I was also the squadron PAO as a cadet and the assistant Michigan Wing PAO prior to enlisting in the AF. It was kind of unusual to have a cadet fulfilling a SM role, but the spot was vacant, I applied and was accepted. As part of being a PAO, you are in some ways also the Recruiting Officer since you tend to be the face of CAP. :clap:

[Eeyore]

I do dislike when it is assumed that you should do the Recruiting Officer duties, or that your primary function is recruiting. I've run across quite a few people that seem to be confused over the duties of a PAO versus a Recruiting Officer. As a PAO my job is not necessarily to organize the open houses and put together recruiting packets, I am happy to help, but the Recruiting Officer should be taking point on those types of events.

I've also found a few commanders that have no experience with public affairs who believe that every press release should be published in every newspaper in the area and want press releases for every little thing and get a little cranky when they aren't published. I've had a few tongue lashings for not being able to get articles published, when frankly they weren't all that news worthy.

[flyerthom]

a  somewhat new and learning squadron PAO

[BuckeyeDEJ]

I've also found a few commanders that have no experience with public affairs who believe that every press release should be published in every newspaper in the area and want press releases for every little thing and get a little cranky when they aren't published. I've had a few tongue lashings for not being able to get articles published, when frankly they weren't all that news worthy.

There needs to be some common sense exercised on when to and who to send news releases.

Kid joins as a new cadet? Zzzzzzzz. Someone has a radio-operator class? Happens all the time.

Cadet earns staff sergeant? Blah.

Mitchell Award? Earhart, Eaker or Spaatz? Major-metro papers don't care, because their audiences are much larger.

But community dailies and weeklies do.

Sometimes fly days and practice exercises are good visual stories for TV stations. But PAs must ensure they package and present a deeper story as to why the flights are ensuing and why ground and air crews are practicing tactics.

When do the "big" papers and broadcast networks care? When there's a high-profile search mission, for one....

How about for CAP Web sites? I've seen the most mundane "news" posted -- and occasionally, non-CAP news involving CAP members! -- and it's stuff that is better posted in a squadron newsletter. The audience is much broader and more general.

What it boils down to is that the squadron PA needs to advise a commander, but the PA also needs to know how to "feed the beast." Commanders can't expect every sneeze at a weekly unit meeting to produce a news release. And not everything that works for a newspaper works for TV, and vice versa... it's all targeting and perspective.

[Capflyer]

Michigan Wing PAO here...:-)
Not very active on posting here but monitor these forums regularly.

Work in Marketing/PR and got my first PAO training in Air Force.

Mike Sandstrom, Capt.
Director of Public Affairs
Michigan Wing

[usafcap1]

C/A1C R. A. Smith - Cadet Recruiter
Paine Field Composite Squadron - CAP
United States Air Force Auxiliary

[RogueLeader]

Holy zombie resurrection Batman. A 3.5 year necro.

[usafcap1]

Holy zombie resurrection Batman. A 3.5 year necro.

Ya I know

[SarDragon]

C/A1C R. A. Smith - Cadet Recruiter
PAE Composite Squadron - CAP
United States Air Force Auxiliary

FTFY. There are no [SM] A1Cs in CAP.

[whatevah]

A1C R. A. Smith - Cadet Recruiter
PAE Composite Squadron - CAP
United States Air Force Auxiliary

Who is R. A. Smith?  We don't mind if people on here are anonymous, but using fake names is a no-no. Also, and there is no "PAE Composite Squadron" in WAWG.  Your squadron is the Paine Field Composite Squadron, that meets at an airport with the identifier of PAE/KPAE. There is a difference.

[usafcap1]

A1C R. A. Smith - Cadet Recruiter
PAE Composite Squadron - CAP
United States Air Force Auxiliary

Who is R. A. Smith?  We don't mind if people on here are anonymous, but using fake names is a no-no. Also, and there is no "PAE Composite Squadron" in WAWG.  Your squadron is the Paine Field Composite Squadron, that meets at an airport with the identifier of PAE/KPAE. There is a difference.

R. A. Smith is my name

[usafcap1]

C/A1C R. A. Smith - Cadet Recruiter
PAE Composite Squadron - CAP
United States Air Force Auxiliary

FTFY. There are no [SM] A1Cs in CAP.

It should be known that I am talking about a cadet grade/rank. Of course A1C is not a SM grade/rank everyone should know that.

[SarDragon]

C/A1C R. A. Smith - Cadet Recruiter
PAE Composite Squadron - CAP
United States Air Force Auxiliary

FTFY. There are no [SM] A1Cs in CAP.

It should be known that I am talking about a cadet grade/rank. Of course A1C is not a SM grade/rank everyone should know that.

Then you should use the proper grade abbreviation. And everyone doesn't "know that".

[Walkman]

I was unit PAO in RMR-UT-049 for about 3 years. I'm Recruiting & Retention now (and ESO).