Photo By William Dodge | NORFOLK, Va. – Sailors assigned to Reserve Navy Public Affairs Support Element East...... read more read more
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NORFOLK, VA - On a cool and cloudy spring morning, Sailors assigned to Navy Reserve Navy Public Affairs Support Element (NPASE) and Reserve U.S. Naval Forces Central Command-U.S. 5th Fleet filed into a crowded room on Naval Station Norfolk, VA, to begin a field training exercise (FTX) as Mass Communication Specialists (MCs) and Public Affairs Officers (PAOs) dialed in on enhancing their warfighting readiness.
“Making sure that our MCs and our PAOs are constantly flexing their PA skillsets is critical so that they truly are ready day-one,” said Officer in Charge (OIC) of Navy Reserve NPASE, Cmdr. Sean Spicer.
The exercise, which included members from both the active (AC) and reserve (RC) components of all NPASEs, was a multi-phase exercise that included mock interviews, briefings, distinguished visitor escorts, and press conferences.
“In this particular exercise, what made it really unique was that it’s all NPASE across detachments,” said Spicer, “and it was an opportunity for our entire PA community to do something across RC and AC as well”.
Enlisted Sailors and Officers alike made the chilly walk to the USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) to simulate what can happen when engaging with the media. Sailors assigned to the USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78) assisted the exercise by playing characters and welcoming the teams aboard Ford which allowed them to see everything that can go right or wrong from pier to ship.
After a speech from Cmdr. Spicer aboard Ford and engaging in protocols for media doing simulated live-streams and photography in controlled areas, the four FTX teams filed back into their designated workspaces to complete their day with a series of briefings and a final press conference.
A participant of the exercise, Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Daemon Cade Pellegran, assigned to Navy Reserve NPASE, was one of the newest members of the unit and experienced this as his first FTX with Navy Reserve NPASE.
Pellegran spoke about his takeaway from the exercise and emphasized that, “they prepare for every single scenario: good, bad and everything in between. They will throw the worst-case scenarios at you so that anything else you come across is easy.”
The exercise was completed with more than 50 sailors in attendance coming from a multitude of fleets, commands, and units. Though they are designated as Sailors across these communities, their one team one fight mindset was stressed by Spicer who said, “we are one NPASE, and if there’s something that one group can handle versus another, we’re all a part of the same team.”
FTX is designed to provide practical training for Navy Reserve PAOs and MCs enhancing the readiness of the rapidly deployable unit. NPASE is organized, trained, and equipped to maintain worldwide deployable and non-deployable PA and VI forces made up of active duty and reserve personnel to support the Secretary of the Navy (SECNAV), Chief of Naval Operations (CNO), and Chief of Information (CHINFO), as well as fleet, regional, Navy component, and joint combatant commanders with PA and VI capabilities.
| Date Taken: | 04.19.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 05.16.2024 03:44 |
| Story ID: | 471384 |
| Location: | US |
| Web Views: | 68 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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