3

d
ESC WQXE, WAVE-3 Interview Prep
and Communication Guide



1
Make them AWARE.
Help them UNDERSTAND
Inspire them to ACT

The five key components of any communication plan within the 3
d
ESC are:
Objective (1)
Theme (1)
Messages (3)
Talking Points (4-5)
Qs and As (10+)
These components are essential when communicating with any audience to gain awareness,
process understanding, and build partnerships.
1. Objective
Increase awareness and understanding of 3
rd
ESC mission and contributions to the
fight in Iraq
2. Theme:
3
d
ESC is a valuable asset in the mission to achieve irreversible momentum towards
sustainable security and progress in Iraq.
3. Messages:
Our mission is important
Force protection is a #1 priority for our Soldiers as exemplified by 10,000 MRAP
ceremony
Our morale is high
4. Talking Points: (No more than 4-5 talking points per message)

Opening Statement:

My name is.and Im the
The 3
rd
ESC deployed from Ft Knox on 31 MAY 2008
About 250 Soldiers deployed from Ft Knox.
Out of that 250 - 51% of our Families (roughly 125) and Soldiers live off Fort Knox in
communities surrounding the post including Louisville
After some training in Kuwait - we arrived here in Balad around the 8
th
of June.
We assumed our mission on 20 June and have been on the ground now for about 260
days or 37 weeks.
Three PA
effects from
FM 3.0
3
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ESC WQXE, WAVE-3 Interview Prep
and Communication Guide



2
Make them AWARE.
Help them UNDERSTAND
Inspire them to ACT

Message #1 - Our mission is important
Upon assumption of our mission our command grew from a core of 250 personnel to
around 17,000 service members stationed all around Iraq.
3
d
ESC provides single headquarters command and control for operational level
sustainment and distribution management in support of Multi-national Corps-Iraq.
Supplies
Transportation
Maintenance
Field services
Distribution
Contracting
Human resources
Financial management
Legal support
Religious support
3
d
ESC is a valuable asset in the mission to achieve irreversible momentum towards
sustainable security and progress in Iraq.
Since 1 June 50%
decrease in IEDs
across Iraq
Since 1 June 25%
decrease in IDF
The elections on 31 January were a
very positive sign of security with no
major attacks reported.
We partner with the Iraqi Army to improve their ability to sustain themselves as opposed
to relying on US Forces
We have teams across the country teaching Iraqi Army Soldiers how to conduct
maintenance, order repair parts, store supplies and ammunition, transport vehicles and
equipment.
We are also working to improve the lives of ordinary Iraqis by helping them start small
businesses (IBIZ) and local trucking companies.
3
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ESC WQXE, WAVE-3 Interview Prep
and Communication Guide



3
Make them AWARE.
Help them UNDERSTAND
Inspire them to ACT

Message #2 - Force protection is a #1 priority for our Soldiers as exemplified by the
10,000
th
MRAP Issued ceremony
The MRAP family of vehicles offers a proven capability to reduce combat deaths
In the ESC we have over 600 of these vehicles on hand and use them as our primary
convoy protection platform.
Personally, I have seen the beating these vehicles can take. We have not lost an ESC
Soldier to hostile fire who was riding in or operating an MRAP and from a commanders
perspective my troops love them and I sleep better knowing they have them.
The MRAP offers the Soldier on the road the confidence and assurance that when they
leave the gate of the FOB they have a tremendous likelihood of coming back safe.
Fielding began in 2007 with the first MRAP being fielded in Iraq April of 2007.
To date 10,000 MRAPs have been fielded in Iraq at 9 different sites to Army, Air Force,
Marine, Navy and Joint units.
No piece of equipment is useful to the Soldier unless they are trained to use it and in
theater, over 22,000 service members have been trained on the MRAP as part of the
fielding effort.
In the ESC, we developed a comprehensive training package in Kuwait so units entering
theater received standardized MRAP training.
With skilled operators and maintainers were at about a 91% Operational Readiness
Rate within the ESC for all MRAP variants.
3
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ESC WQXE, WAVE-3 Interview Prep
and Communication Guide



4
Make them AWARE.
Help them UNDERSTAND
Inspire them to ACT

Message #3 Our morale is high
Our troops are doing extremely well.
Soldiers have access to physical fitness, internet, entertainment resources
Soldiers have the opportunity to take 18 days of leave some have already returned to
Knox to take advantage.
The community has really supported our deployed Soldiers
o During hurricane in September neighbors and friends helped out to ensure
spouses of those deployed were taken care of
o During the holidays we received countless care packages and notes form folks in
Vine Grove, Radcliff, and E-town.
o During the recent ice storm once again our neighbors and friends in the
community reached out to our Families to make sure they were ok
o Partners like the Messenger and Greg and Hollie with WQXE in E-town have
gone to great lengths to keep our Families informed.
o Were looking forward to returning and spending some time in the community.
I appreciate, again, what youre doing to support our troops. You know, Im very proud
of what our troops have done. Im extremely proud of what our Fort Knox-based 3
rd
ESC
has done over here.

3
d
ESC WQXE, WAVE-3 Interview Prep
and Communication Guide



5
Make them AWARE.
Help them UNDERSTAND
Inspire them to ACT

MRAP Most Likely Questions:
Q1: What was the significance of the 10,000
th
MRAP ceremony?
A1: Well the number one priority we have for our Soldiers here is force protection. This
ceremony exemplifies our commitment to this in that we now have fielded 10000 MRAPs to
units in Iraq in just under two years. Thats no small feat. It took a commitment to protecting
our Soldiers, teamwork, and a lot of training.
Q2: Has the MRAP had an impact on Soldiers in Iraq?
A2: The MRAP has definitely had an impact on Soldiers in Iraq. As I said earlier the
protection of our Soldiers is our number one priority. No vehicle is indestructible but this vehicle
provides a proven capability to reduce combat deaths and casualties and provides Warfighters
multi-mission platforms capable of mitigating Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), underbody
mines and small arms fire threats. The MRAP family of vehicles, with their V-shaped hulls
and raised chassis, is the best vehicle protection we have to date,
Q3: Have MRAPs really saved lives? If so how many?
A3: Force protection for our Soldiers is our #1 priority. We want a Soldier to roll out of the gate
knowing they are in the best protected vehicle available. From our perspective in the ESC - we
conduct about 100 convoys a night within which our MRAPs play a big role. That averages out
to about 21,000 missions since we fielded our first MRAP in June of 2008. The 3rd ESC has
not lost a Soldier who was riding in or operating an MRAP."


3
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ESC WQXE, WAVE-3 Interview Prep
and Communication Guide



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Make them AWARE.
Help them UNDERSTAND
Inspire them to ACT

MRAP Possible Questions:
Q4: Havent you had problems with rollovers?
A4: The Army identified rollovers as a risk in the MRAP. However a dedication to operator
training and safety equipment such as the Gunners Safety Restraint help to mitigate this risk.
We take the training of our operators seriously. For example we recently created a
standardized training package that ensured our new units entering theater were properly trained
prior to leaving Kuwait.
Q5: Havent you had problems with MRAPs striking electrical wires?
A5: We have not had this problem in the ESC. The risk is out there, however due to the fact
there are low-hanging power lines in Iraq. Although I cannot get into the specifics I would tell
you we have emplaced some actions and equipment to help mitigate this risk and protect our
Soldiers.
Q6: Arent MRAPs to large for urban areas?
A6: As a Sustainment unit we have vehicles of all shapes and sizes. Compared to our Heavy
Equipment Transport Vehicles - which are capable of carrying main battle tanks the MRAP is
small in comparison. But you bring up a good point in that we are conscious of where we travel
and we try and do our part to share the road with the Iraqis. MRAPs despite their size share
the road with Iraqis just like every other vehicle.
Q7: How many MRAPs does your unit have?
A7: Although I cant get into specific numbers we have around 600 MRAPs of all varieties in
the ESC.
3
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ESC WQXE, WAVE-3 Interview Prep
and Communication Guide



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Make them AWARE.
Help them UNDERSTAND
Inspire them to ACT

Mission-related Most Likely Questions:

Q1: The President has said he will pull troops out of Iraq in 16 months. Are the Iraqi
Security Force able to take over security responsibilities? Will this affect your
deployment?
A1:
First of all our mission has not changed
Regardless of where forces are in Iraq we will still need to supply them, move their
equipment, provide them human resources support
On ISF: From our lane ISF logistics forces have improved a lot since our arrival.
Theyve stood up a transportation regiment capable of delivering supplies across the
country.
Theyre finding Iraqi solutions to conducting maintenance, managing supplies, storing
ammunition. When I was here before - you didnt see these things.
The fact that they had the lead for the provincial elections and there were no major
attacks and voters could head to the polls in peace is a real good sign.

Q2: With some Soldiers on their third and fourth tours - how are the troops holding up?
A2:
Our troops are doing extremely well.
You wont find many, if any, troops that belong to our command that are walking around
with their head down and complaining about being tired.
Our troops are focused on continuing to do the right things to finish the job and finish on
terms that are favorable to the mission and specifically to the United States of America.
3
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ESC WQXE, WAVE-3 Interview Prep
and Communication Guide



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Make them AWARE.
Help them UNDERSTAND
Inspire them to ACT

I can speak personally that multiple tours have an impact on Soldiers and Families.
However we are aware of that and work every day to find new and creative ways to
take care of our Soldiers and their Families to mitigate the risk associated with multiple
tours. (ie Warrior Resiliency training
From a warfighting perspective, it also makes you extremely more experienced. We
have a unique mission and a headquarters filled with senior leaders. The fact that a lot
of them are on a second or third tour means we are very knowledgeable about what we
are doing. This is an advantage for us in some ways.
Q3: What do you want to say to the Family members?
A3:
Id like to say thank you.
Thanks for their hard work.
Thanks for their commitment.
Thanks for their sacrifices.
We all know that we could not do what we do here without our Family members.
We are focused on what were doing every day; were allowed to do that because we
have such tremendous family members that make unbelievable sacrifices.
Q4: Any closing thoughts?
A4:
We the 3
d
ESC are proud members of the Fort Knox and surrounding communities
Our Families and Soldiers are in your community and we are looking forward to getting
our mission accomplished and returning
The expertise your Soldiers are demonstrating here in Iraq will return to your community
and make it better.
3
d
ESC WQXE, WAVE-3 Interview Prep
and Communication Guide



9
Make them AWARE.
Help them UNDERSTAND
Inspire them to ACT

Each 3
d
ESC family makes not only a financial investment in their community, but an
emotional one as well (churches, schools, clubs etc). We miss our local community its
events its people. We hope we are back in time for all those summertime and fall
events. Sorry well miss the Derby.
We are proud of our hometowns whether it be Brandenburg, Muldraugh, Radcliff, Vine
Grove or E-Town. We want to hear from you and stay in touch.
Well, thank you very much. Its great to see you. Its been a while. I appreciate, again,
what youre doing to support our troops. You know, Im very proud of what our troops
have done. Im extremely proud of what our Fort Knox-based 3
rd
ESC has done over
here.

3
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ESC WQXE, WAVE-3 Interview Prep
and Communication Guide



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Make them AWARE.
Help them UNDERSTAND
Inspire them to ACT

Mission-related Possible Questions:
Q5: What can you tell me about Lt Easterling and the comments he made online
regarding the President?
A5:
Bottom line President Obama is our Commander in Chief. We take very seriously the
comments that were made and are looking into it.
Q6: So are the comments made by Lt Easterling pervasive amongst the troops?
A6:
No not at all.
Once again the election and inauguration of the President was a historic event for our
country.
We are proud to have him as our Commander in Chief.
Q7: Is Lt Easterling in trouble?
A7:
I just want to reiterate that the President is our Commander in Chief.
We take these comments very seriously
Currently, we are conducting an investigation to determine all the pertinent facts.
Q8: Is it possible to get everything out of Iraq within 16 months?
A8:
3
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ESC WQXE, WAVE-3 Interview Prep
and Communication Guide



11
Make them AWARE.
Help them UNDERSTAND
Inspire them to ACT

Well first of all our mission has not changed.
Tonight well be running about 100 convoys in support of all Coalition forces across Iraq
that amounts to about 3700 truck loads of supplies.
Regardless of where or how many Soldiers are positioned across Iraq our mission will
continue to be supporting them with sustainment and distribution of supplies just like
were doing tonight.
One great thing about our organization is that we are filled with a lot of senior leaders
and experts who are prepared for any contingency.
We are flexible and prepared to meet any mission, any place, any time.
Once again the election and inauguration of the President was a historic event for our
country.
We are proud to have him as our Commander in Chief.
Q9: When are you and your unit coming home?
A9:
Currently we are on a 15 month tour here.
Right now we are scheduled to return to Fort Knox in the August / September time
frame.
Our mission has not changed and were still planning on completing a 15 month
overseas tour.