Public Relations in the Military

CHAPTER 1

Introduction to Military Public Affairs

In 2019, U.S. Strategic Command won a Silver Anvil, the Public Relations Society of American’s prestigious award honoring outstanding strategic public relations programs. The awards have been given each year since 1944 “to organizations that have successfully addressed challenging issues with exemplary professional skill, creativity and resourcefulness.”¹

Their winning campaign was the result of direction given by General John E. Hyten, then Commander of U.S. Strategic Command, to the command “and in particular his PA [Public Affairs] team to aggressively pursue action to grow the public dialogue on 21st Century Strategic Deterrence.”² General Hyten understood that public affairs was “the ambassador ...