thedrifter
09-16-06, 08:16 AM
Luke officer fights war with words
Charles Kelly
The Arizona Republic
Sept. 16, 2006 12:00 AM
Air Force Lt. Col. John Paradis knows wars are fought with words as well as guns and bombs.
That's why Paradis, chief of public affairs for Luke Air Force Base, is hard at work on his current deployment at Camp Eggers in Kabul, Afghanistan.
Paradis, 42, is deputy director for public affairs for the U.S.-led coalition in charge of the northeast quadrant of the country; the rest of the country is under NATO control.
He works for an Army colonel who is the chief spokesman for Combined Forces Command, Afghanistan.
Paradis arranges interviews for reporters with forward operating units, sometimes accompanying reporters into the field; schedules several press updates and one press conference each week; and advises visiting journalists about sources and security issues.
"I kind of see myself as a booking agent. . . . I'm kind of like the guy who links up people," Paradis said.
The days leading up to the anniversary of 9/11 on Monday were particularly hectic for Paradis. Among other things, he put a USA Today reporter in touch with troops at Bagram Air Base who had been in New York City when terrorists destroyed the World Trade Center and damaged the Pentagon on Sept. 11, 2001, or who had relatives in New York at the time or who had been working in the Pentagon.
Paradis also arranged coverage for NBC's Today show, ABC's Nightline and CNN journalists Anderson Cooper and Nic Robertson, among others.
The public affairs operation in Kabul is never routine, Paradis said. It's necessary to stay on top of events all the time, because it's necessary to get the jump on Taliban propagandists busy spreading false information about coalition casualties and civilian deaths.
"Every day, they are putting out lies," Paradis said. "Our job is to get out front as hard as we can. It is a challenge."
It's necessary to counter the Islamic extremists' misinformation by being honest about mishaps and setbacks but also by spreading the word that the coalition is fighting terrorists, building schools, supplying medical treatment and clean water, and trying to help the people of Afghanistan improve their lives, he said.
In a country where the literacy rate is 43 percent for men and 14 percent for women, the coalition force's effort to get the word out via written material can be difficult, Paradis said. Therefore, much of the effort is directed toward spreading the word to radio broadcasters via phone calls from coalition staffers fluent in the local languages.
Public affairs staffers also have to deal with negative rumors. Recently, someone in upstate New York heard a false story that a base in Afghanistan was under attack. The word jumped from the local CBS affiliate to New York, then to London and to Afghanistan, where Paradis had to correct the report.
Although much media attention focuses on Iraq, Paradis said he doesn't believe the conflict in Afghanistan is becoming a "forgotten war."
"The American public remembers that Afghanistan is where the war on terror began and still continues today," he said.
"We'd all like to think, those of us who are serving here, that this campaign will always hold a special place in the minds of the American people. We have about 25,000 soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines who I believe are making a big difference here."
Ellie
Charles Kelly
The Arizona Republic
Sept. 16, 2006 12:00 AM
Air Force Lt. Col. John Paradis knows wars are fought with words as well as guns and bombs.
That's why Paradis, chief of public affairs for Luke Air Force Base, is hard at work on his current deployment at Camp Eggers in Kabul, Afghanistan.
Paradis, 42, is deputy director for public affairs for the U.S.-led coalition in charge of the northeast quadrant of the country; the rest of the country is under NATO control.
He works for an Army colonel who is the chief spokesman for Combined Forces Command, Afghanistan.
Paradis arranges interviews for reporters with forward operating units, sometimes accompanying reporters into the field; schedules several press updates and one press conference each week; and advises visiting journalists about sources and security issues.
"I kind of see myself as a booking agent. . . . I'm kind of like the guy who links up people," Paradis said.
The days leading up to the anniversary of 9/11 on Monday were particularly hectic for Paradis. Among other things, he put a USA Today reporter in touch with troops at Bagram Air Base who had been in New York City when terrorists destroyed the World Trade Center and damaged the Pentagon on Sept. 11, 2001, or who had relatives in New York at the time or who had been working in the Pentagon.
Paradis also arranged coverage for NBC's Today show, ABC's Nightline and CNN journalists Anderson Cooper and Nic Robertson, among others.
The public affairs operation in Kabul is never routine, Paradis said. It's necessary to stay on top of events all the time, because it's necessary to get the jump on Taliban propagandists busy spreading false information about coalition casualties and civilian deaths.
"Every day, they are putting out lies," Paradis said. "Our job is to get out front as hard as we can. It is a challenge."
It's necessary to counter the Islamic extremists' misinformation by being honest about mishaps and setbacks but also by spreading the word that the coalition is fighting terrorists, building schools, supplying medical treatment and clean water, and trying to help the people of Afghanistan improve their lives, he said.
In a country where the literacy rate is 43 percent for men and 14 percent for women, the coalition force's effort to get the word out via written material can be difficult, Paradis said. Therefore, much of the effort is directed toward spreading the word to radio broadcasters via phone calls from coalition staffers fluent in the local languages.
Public affairs staffers also have to deal with negative rumors. Recently, someone in upstate New York heard a false story that a base in Afghanistan was under attack. The word jumped from the local CBS affiliate to New York, then to London and to Afghanistan, where Paradis had to correct the report.
Although much media attention focuses on Iraq, Paradis said he doesn't believe the conflict in Afghanistan is becoming a "forgotten war."
"The American public remembers that Afghanistan is where the war on terror began and still continues today," he said.
"We'd all like to think, those of us who are serving here, that this campaign will always hold a special place in the minds of the American people. We have about 25,000 soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines who I believe are making a big difference here."
Ellie