Public Affairs with Briefing with Pentagon Secretary of Defense Robert Hastings

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A conversation about the public affairs chain of command inside the Pentagon, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, B2B marketing programs on defense contractors, and caring for wounded warriors with Robert Hastings, vice president communications Northrop Grumman Information Systems and former acting assistant secretary of defense for public affairs, who presented a case study about Wounded Warrior Care: Practical Applications in Strategic Communications.  

Schwartzman & Associates is a public affairs firm engaged in public relations initiatives for several military commands at the US Dept. of Defense.

Pentagon Public Affairs Briefing

01:23 – An explanation of the civilian oversight of the military, the public affairs reporting structure inside the US Department of Defense, and what it’s like in the control center at the Pentagon.  

03:26 – How advanced is the technology at the US Department of Defense?  

04:28 – Why some US Armed Forces service members are more guarded than others when using social media, the evolving field of information operations, and operational security parameters.  

07:40 – Secretary of Defense Robert Gates’s observation of the tension between “exquisite systems” we may someday need to win the war tomorrow versus getting the gear we need to win the war today.  

09:37 – How the SecDef cut through the bureaucracy to improve the quality of treatment for wounded warriors, faster MRAP requisitioning, and the procurement of faster and better intelligence on the battlefield.  

10:53 – How the Department of Defense secures and develops intelligence.  

11:29 – The Wounded Warrior Care case study that Robert Hastings presented at the 2009 Public Relations Society of America International Conference.  

12:58 – The most important lesson learned from the Wounded Warrior Care public affairs case study.  

15:17 – How Robert Hastings came to be appointed as an Assistant Secretary of Defense, where he was responsible for public affairs.  

17:24 – What it was like interviewing at the Pentagon with SecDef Robert Gates for the job of Assistant Secretary of Defense.  

19:24 – A discussion of a strategic public affairs communications initiative undertaken by the US Dept. of Defense  

20:25 – Which branch of the US Armed Forces officer’s dining room at the Pentagon has the best food?  

22:25– End