NEWPORT, R.I. – A stranger adjusts a microphone. The studio lights overhead are distractingly bright and surprisingly hot. What in the world do those blinking lights mean?
An on-camera interview or press conference can be an intimidating experience for students at the Naval War College (NWC), who come from a range of backgrounds, from State Department civilians to SEALS, aviators, infantrymen, logisticians, submariners, surface warfare officers and international navies.
Each year NWC students participate in a Joint Military Operations (JMO) capstone exercise built on a fictional yet realistic scenario, in which a joint task force is organized in response to regional instability created by a rebel group of separatists. For many students, the two-week exercise is their first exposure to media training.
The NWC Public Affairs Reserve Unit helps to ensure that this experience is as thorough and authentic as possible.
“The reserve public affairs team plays a significant role in the JMO exercise in that we plan and execute 100 percent of the media training component, including recruiting Navy public affairs personnel from around the country to provide a valuable and realistic experience for the students,” said Cmdr. Tom Porter, the NWC Public Affairs Reserve Unit commanding officer. “Our small team of six begins planning at least six to seven months in advance in order to find and recruit the best personnel possible in the PA (public affairs) reserve community.”
The NWC is unique in that it is one of a few navy installations throughout the country to have access to a dedicated full television studio. This capability adds to the authenticity of the exercise, and if students find the training alarmingly realistic, it is because the reservists playing the role of journalists are in fact media professionals – news anchors, cameramen, reporters, political consultants and public relations specialists who don’t shy away from confronting students with tough questions and then providing constructive critiques for improvement.
In end-of-course surveys, the students consistently rank the media training provided by the reservists as being one of their most worthwhile parts of the exercise, and many students often express surprise at how difficult it is to appear natural and comfortable in front of a camera.
“The on-camera exercise was excellent as it provided us with the opportunity to experience the pressure of being interviewed while in a safe environment,” said Lt. Cmdr. Hendrik Nova, who said he appreciated the candid feedback provided by the public affairs team post-interview as they evaluated everything from his message delivery to his nonverbal communication.
For Cmdr. David Caldwell, JMO moderator for the Intermediate Level Course capstone exercise and a surface warfare officer who has served in exercises and operations around the globe, the media training provided is important for the students’ development as leaders. As a result of the training, students are better able to appreciate how public affairs should be integrated into plans and policy in order to help them achieve their operational goals.
“It is too late to have the training by the time they are a commander or captain,” said Caldwell. “With the impact of social media it’s more important than ever that we be able to clearly communicate what it is we’re doing and why. The more the students can practice this skill in a training environment, the better.”
The team also provides strong support to the college during high-visibility events such as the biennial International Sea Symposium (ISS), at which the world’s top leaders and chiefs of naval operations meet to discuss global solutions to common maritime challenges. From media escorting to facilitating press conferences to photo and feature releases, the reserve team plays a key role in the development and execution of the ISS public affairs plan.
In addition, the public affairs reserve team also stands ready to fill the seats of its active duty counterparts. In fact, the unit’s executive officer (XO), Lt. Cmdr. Douglas High, is currently serving as the college’s interim PAO and staff officer to the NWC president, Rear Admiral P. Gardner Howe III.
As a civilian, High is the morning and noon news co-anchor for the ABC network affiliate TV station, WTVQ-TV, in Lexington, Ky., as well as an Emmy-nominated documentary film producer.
“Doug’s knowledge of the campus, faculty and our mission in his capacity as XO of our NWC PA unit makes him the ideal interim PAO,” stated Capt. Francis Molinari, NWC chief of staff. “With his extensive broadcasting and media background combined with the strong public affairs plan that he is executing, our PA outreach and visibility has increased significantly on his watch … a perfect example of active -reserve integration at its very best.
“We simply just couldn’t get it done without our NWC PA Reserve Unit.”