Photo by MC3 Adam K. Thomas [email protected] 703.614.9154 For members of the PA/VI community September 2010 transmission capabilities. Uploading photos took a painfully long time, but timeliness was critical, so we increased compression with still photos and delivered video in 45-second chunks. Even then, the process took hours. Live interviews done by phone were problematic at best. Despite the adversity, print stories were sent, photos were submitted and video was fed. It took a lot of patience and persistence, a few curse words [sorry mom], but Invincible Spirit was successfully reported around the world. Our MCs aboard USS George Washington helped make that happen. At last count, more than 4,000 stories ran in the print and broadcast media. Planning, Planning, Planning: Prepare in advance by working with your operations branch to lock down the schedule of events and needed helo support. Assign imagery tasks for specific release to the media, and put on the release fast track in anticipation of common transmission restrictions. Think External First: The products we produce are not exclusively internal – just the opposite. Any well placed Navy visual moved as a priority can reach millions of viewers in commercial venues around the world, but the key is timeliness. Multinational concerns: Make sure the entire team is clear on the specifics of published PAG, so host nation sensitivities are fully understood and reflect in released products. To quote from the Maritime Strategy, “Mindful of the sovereignty of other nations, [Forward Presence]...contributes to effective responses in the event of crisis.” “Operation Invincible Spirit,” held between the navies of South Korea and the United States, exemplifies the strategies that help prevent wars through deterrence, forward deployment and sea control. MCs aboard USS George Washington (CVN 73) played an important role in that strategy. As GW’s new PAO and a big believer in “failing to plan is planning to fail,” my chiefs, MCC John Harrington and MCC Mike Kennedy, coordinated our coverage of the exercise. We nailed down the exercise’s schedule and assigned our team to the most important stories while identifying in advance the images we needed to shoot and distribute immediately to Navy Visual News Service (NVNS) – still and video. The night before pulling into Busan, we went over the game plan. It was important to stress that there was significant media interest in this exercise and Navy imagery would help tell that story if we stuck to our game plan. I wanted our products out the door first. If you’re first, you own the message. MC3 Anthony Martinez was my videographer in the air. When GW pulled into Busan and sailed out in formation with ROK ships, his aerial b-roll was picked up by CNN, Fox News, MSNBC and countless broadcast outlets back home and around the globe. MC3 Adam Thomas, famous for his bow shot of GW with Mount Fuji in the background, was shooting still photos from a helo. Even with competing media embarked, his imagery appeared on front pages around the world, including the Wall Street Journal, which has a circulation of over two million. News releases were being written by MC3 Devon Dow. Daily News Updates were being put together by MC2 Ian Anderson and MC3 Michael Mulcare, while MC1 James Kimber, MCSN Cheryl Callihan and MC3 Danielle Brandt were busy behind the scenes supporting high level DV embarks that included the South Korean Chief of Naval Operations, Flotilla Commanders and local politicians. The biggest obstacle for my team as well as the embarked media turned out to be something we deal with frequently: limited Introduction: In an effort to remain focused on the visual media environment, we are pleased to introduce the inaugural “Imagery Insider,” an exclusive publication from Navy Visual News Service. The Imagery Insider is designed with unique and exciting content, including the latest in technology information, tips and tricks for success and more. Our goal is to keep you informed while helping you tell the Navy’s story, one image at a time. Wall Street Journal July 26, 2010 AMERICA’S NAVY: A GLOBAL FORCE FOR GOOD by Lt. Cmdr. Dave Hecht INVINCIBLE HOW Spirit was seen by millions ~ ~