Photo By Staff Sgt. Ian Valley | From left, Sgt. John Barrington, 345th PAD and Sgt. Pedro Perez, 222nd BOD, and Sgt....... read more read more
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Muscatatuck, Ind.— U.S. Army Reserve public affairs Soldiers from all across the nation came together this summer to participate in USARC’s Exercise News Day, headquartered in Muscatatuck Urban Training Center, located in Southern Indiana.
Exercise News Day is a seven-month event that sends Army Reserve public affairs Soldiers all across that country writing and shooting video stories of Soldiers and units in the Army Reserve. It also acts as a training exercise for the public affairs Soldiers.
“Exercise News Day assists Army Reserve Soldiers in their training by giving them real-life missions all across the nation,” said Capt. Monica Leger of the 326th Public Affairs Detachment, based in Salt Lake City, Utah, and the action planner of Exercise News Day. “They travel to those locations, cover exercises and tell the Army Reserve story.”
This exercise spans 34 different locations across the country and involves around 100 Army Reserve Soldiers from 17 different units.
Leger explained that the purpose of the exercise is to give public affairs Soldiers in the Army Reserve real missions so that they can get more experience doing their jobs as they would in a combat zone.
One of the primary missions for the Soldiers training at MUTC is to tell the Army Reserve story through their words, images and video.
“Journalism is an important way to convey the Army Reserve message,” said Spc. Ricky Mozer of 206th Broadcast Operations Detachment, based out of Grand Prairie, Texas, and a participant in this years Exercise News Day.
“It is important to go out and cover these Soldier’s missions and tell their story,” said Mozer. “They take time away from their families and it is important that what they do is recognized.”
Leger also says it is important that these stories are told because they want everyone to know that the Army Reserve is a well-trained, combat ready and ready force.
In order to become this force, Soldiers need to go through training that simulates conditions of being on an overseas deployment. In the public affairs world, that includes traveling and finding the stories that are happening within the Army Reserve. Exercise News Day lets these public affairs assets hone their journalism skills.
“The constant movement during Exercise News Day provides Army Reserve Soldiers with real-world training,” said Leger.
Leger said the travel is one of the most exciting parts of Exercise News Day.
“There are 34 different exercises,” she said. “ They are literally spread out all over, going from one location to the next location, telling the Army Reserve Story.”
Some of the locations the Army Reserve Soldiers will go to include Hawaii, California, and Minnesota.
Leger says the fast-pace and the travel are similar to what these public affairs soldiers would be doing overseas. By simulating this experience, Army Reserve Soldiers are receiving training that they may not be able to get during their regular battle assembly weekends.
Leger says this year, she wants every Army Reserve Soldier to bring a new energy into their training and get excited about being a citizen-Soldier.
“This year Exercise News Day is focusing on the new messages of the Army reserve,” said Leger. “We are lethal, we are combat-ready, we have excitement and excellence in what we do. Exercise News Day allows our Soldiers and the citizens of the United States to here that message and to know what we’re capable of.”
| Date Taken: | 06.12.2017 |
| Date Posted: | 06.19.2017 18:56 |
| Story ID: | 238311 |
| Location: | MUSCATATUCK, INDIANA, US |
| Web Views: | 75 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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