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ESC Communication Guide
Public Affairs Office



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Make them AWARE.
Help them UNDERSTAND
Inspire them to ACT



CG Speakers Toolkit Communications Guide

1. Objective: Provide Commanding General themes and messages with appropriate talking
points with which to engage Families and key audiences during leave.

2. Topics Covered:
a. ESC Mission
b. Overall mission / environment in Iraq
c. Quality of life at Balad
d. Communication with Families
e. Balad Burn Pit

3. THEMES AND MESSAGES.

a. Overall themes:
a. Our mission has not changed
b. We thank you for your support

b. Messages:
a. Our mission has not changed; we will make some operational adjustments in
how we operate but the mission does not change and the 3
d
ESC remains a
valuable asset in the mission to achieve irreversible momentum towards
sustainable security and progress in Iraq.
b. We will continue to adapt to the changing environment to accomplish the
ongoing mission and the many transitions underway in 2009 will be difficult,
however, the Coalition and our GoI partners have plans in place to overcome
obstacles and to maintain the momentum achieved during the past year.
c. 3
d
ESC is dedicated to supporting, informing, and recognizing its
Servicemembers and their Families and looking out for their well-being this
will not change.
d. The 3
d
ESC is filled with highly experienced, multi-skilled senior leaders and
Servicemembers from all services, branches and components who are
working every day in Iraq and here to help accomplish our mission.
e. 3
d
ESC and its subordinate units are proud members of their hometown
communities the support from you our hometown community has been
outstanding.

4. Talking Points by Topic:

a. ESC Mission
a. Our mission has not changed; we will make some operational adjustments
in how we operate but the mission does not change and the 3
d
ESC remains
a valuable asset in the mission to achieve irreversible momentum towards
sustainable security and progress in Iraq.
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ESC Communication Guide
Public Affairs Office



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Make them AWARE.
Help them UNDERSTAND
Inspire them to ACT

b. We are still scheduled to complete a 15 month deployment. Anything
else you hear is merely a rumor. That gets us back here in September. If
this changes you will be the first to know.
c. There will be a lot of changes going on both here in the states and in
Iraq. We just emplaced a new security agreement, a new president will be
sworn in, the Iraqis will conduct provincial elections. But regardless of these
changes Soldiers will still need the food, water supplies to keep them
going. Vehicles and containers will need to be moved. Mail and fuel will
need to be delivered. None of the changes to the environment in Iraq mean
our mission will change if anything we will be even busier than before. Any
and all force structure rumors are merely that rumors.

b. Overall mission / environment in Iraq
a. There has been an enormous amount of progress in Iraq since our
arrival. Iraqis have begun to stand on their own. The country is more
secure. Iraqi security forces are more capable. Iraq civil capacity is
increasing daily. Each day the Iraqis take a step forward and require our
assistance less and less.
b. Attacks and enemy activity are down across the board. The month we
departed Fort Knox May across Iraq there were 39 IED attacks and 152
IDF attacks. In December there were 22 IED attacks and 39 IDF attacks.
Thats 44% reduction of IED attacks on our forces and 75% fewer indirect fire
attacks.
c. Iraq is still a dangerous place. The enemy is out there looking to do us
harm. Northern Iraq is still very active and the majority of attacks in theater
occur in the north.
d. Iraq is also dangerous due to accidents and lapses in safety. Weve lost
several Soldiers within our command to accidents that were preventable.
One of our challenges will be as we get closer to re-deployment standards
and attention to detail need to remain high. Complacency and a rush to
redeploy can be a units worst enemy.

c. Quality of life at Balad
a. Quality of life at Balad is high. Ive personally traveled to every FOB in the
3
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ESC and of all the locations where the 17000 Soldiers of the ESC Serve
Balad offers the highest quality of life. The physical training facilities, MWR
options, Internet access, dining facilities are all more plentiful than any other
location.
b. Internet Access is plentiful. Maintaining contact with Family members is a
priority. ESC Soldiers have ample access to internet at the ESC HQ, their
workplaces, two MWR internet cafes, the USO, and the Red Cross building.
c. Webcams are available. Weve built a webcam trailer in our HQ compound
that offers Soldiers 24 hour access to a private webcam to communicate with
their Family. My G6 reports that, The webcam trailer is working great.
There are always slots available. Sometimes one person or the other needs
to stay up late because of the time difference, but it works good. Our Red
Cross building also offers a special webcam setup. One of our Soldiers
participated in the birth of a child back in Phoenix thanks to the Red Cross.
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Make them AWARE.
Help them UNDERSTAND
Inspire them to ACT

d. Phones and morale calls are readily available. There are plenty of
phones and access to morale calls. In our HQ, we have a number of phones
dedicated to providing Soldiers telephonic access back to the States. There
are also a number of phone centers across the installation. All of our
sections also have Class-A lines. If a Soldier has to make an urgent call
home their leaders can get them access to these phones too. We often get
complaints that morale calls get cutoff. All calls even ones I make from my
office sometimes end prematurely because the signal drops. Remember
we are in Iraq, not back home. No one is cutting off your morale calls.
Soldiers just need to dial again. I know it can be a pain, but it is the nature of
the beast. The guideline for morale calls is 30 min to an hour.
e. Wireless Access. The wireless internet project for the post is ongoing.
There were some setbacks and delays, but the project is moving. There is
no estimated completion date right now. When and if it does happen - the
only way Soldiers will get internet in their rooms is to pay for it - just like here
at home. I just want to reiterate there are a number of places - some
provided by our HQ and others provided by base support activities that
provide internet access.

d. Communication with Families
a. Communication with Families is important and takes active
participation on both sides of the ocean. There are a lot of ways that we
are staying in touch with Families. The vFRG, calling trees, weekly VTCs,
special VTCs, media engagements, our weekly newspaper, the HHC
newsletter are all ways we are trying to stay in touch. These are all great
but only if you know where to find them and are willing to participate. Most of
the time the information is out there on an issue but folks arent willing to
download the information, arent willing to attend the meeting, or not willing to
participate in the process. We need everyones help with this.
b. The vFRG webpage works. Feedback has been great on the vFRG
webpage. I know Mary has put a lot of effort into keeping it updated. Our
Soldiers look at your pictures and read the updates. Keep up the great work
on this.
c. Your input matters to us. Each week we do a VTC with the rear-
detachment. Your input and issues are of value to us and they get to us
here. My DCO COL Reeves attends these VTC personally to ensure the
issues get addressed and if important enough make it to me in a timely
manner.
d. We are on the air every week. We are on WQXE 98.3 every week at 0845
on Fridays. Weve done an interview with one of our HQ Soldiers each week
since our deployment. Each week they tell you whats going on and keep
you up to date on issues that impact our command. We also do a 90 second
ESC radio news spot on WQXE that airs twice on Fridays too. WQXE 98.3
is a great partner and you should tune in.
e. We publish a paper every week to keep you informed. Each week we
distribute a 24-page command newspaper. This paper is designed to keep
you informed of what is happening within the command. Mary receives a
copy each Sunday and posts it to the VFRG homepage. If you want you
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Make them AWARE.
Help them UNDERSTAND
Inspire them to ACT

can subscribe so you can receive it directly. If theres something you are
curious about send the PAO a note well do an article on it.

e. Balad Burn Pit (ONLY ADDRESS IF ASKED)
a. Living conditions at Joint Base Balad are continually being improved,
to include the installation of additional incinerators to reduce the need for
open air burn pits and the continued operation and maintenance of air
curtains on the remaining open air burn pits to increase their efficiency and
reduce pollutants.
b. JBB now has three incinerators which process the vast majority of waste
each day. In addition, inert materials and recyclables are separated out,
further reducing the waste stream. The recyclables are removed by an Iraqi
contractor and taken to a local national recycling operation, at no cost to the
US Government.
c. Short-term (temporary) health effects from exposure to burn pit smoke may
occur. These effects may include coughing and irritation to the eyes and
nose. It would be unusual for a cough to persist for several months or more
as a result of the breathing of smoke at Balad. Anyone who believes they are
experiencing health problems should make an appointment to see a
healthcare provider.
d. A joint health risk assessment conducted in late 2007 by the US Army Center
for Health Promotion and Preventative Medicine (USACHPPM) and the US
Air Force Institute for Operational Health (AFIOH) has shown that the burn
pit at Joint Base Balad poses no significant short- or long-term health risks,
and no elevated cancer risks are likely among personnel deployed to Balad.
e. A preliminary draft version of the Balad Health Risk Assessment of Burn Pit
Exposures incorrectly reported an unacceptable health risk due to a software
error. This error has been corrected.
f. The Defense Health Board concluded that the final risk assessment provided
an accurate determination of exposure levels.
g. Recent air sampling from Joint Base Balad, Iraq, indicates that the
substances found in the smoke from the burn pit are within the safe range
established by Military Exposure Guidelines (MEGs).
h. The ultimate goal is to eliminate all open air burning through an active
recycling program and the construction of additional waste incinerators.