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CG Speakers Toolkit Communications Guide

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

2. Topics Covered:a. ESC Missionb. Overall mission / environment in Iraqc. Quality of life at Baladd. Communication with Familiese. Balad Burn Pit

3. THEMES AND MESSAGES.

a. Overall themes:a. Our mission has not changedb. 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 3dESC remains avaluable asset in the mission to achieve irreversible momentum towardssustainable securityand progress in Iraq.

b. We will continue to adapt to the changing environment to accomplish theongoing mission and the many transitions underway in 2009 will be difficult,

however, the Coalition and our GoI partners have plans in place to overcomeobstacles and to maintain the momentum achieved during the past year.

c. 3dESC is dedicated to supporting, informing, and recognizing itsServicemembers and their Families and looking out for their well-beingthiswill not change.

d. The 3dESC is filled with highly experienced, multi-skilled senior leaders andServicemembers from all services, branches and components who areworking every day in Iraq and here to help accomplish our mission.

e. 3dESC and its subordinate units are proud members of their hometowncommunitiesthe support from youour hometown community has beenoutstanding.

4. Talking Points

by Topic:

a. ESC Missiona. Our mission has not changed; we will make some operational adjustments

in how we operate but the mission does not change and the 3 dESC remainsa valuable asset in the mission to achieve irreversible momentum towardssustainable securityand progress in Iraq.

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b. We are still scheduled to complete a 15 month deployment. Anythingelse you hear is merely a rumor. That gets us back here in September. Ifthis changesyou will be the first to know.

c. There will be a lot of changes going on both here in the states and inIraq. We just emplaced a new security agreement, a new president will besworn in, the Iraqis will conduct provincial elections. But regardless of thesechangesSoldiers will still need the food, water supplies to keep themgoing. Vehicles and containers will need to be moved. Mail and fuel willneed to be delivered. None of the changes to the environment in Iraq meanour mission will changeif anything we will be even busier than before. Anyand all force structure rumors are merely thatrumors.

b. Overall mission / environment in Iraqa. 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 isincreasing daily. Each day the Iraqis take a step forward and require ourassistance less and less.

b. Attacks and enemy activity are down across the board. The month wedeparted Fort KnoxMayacross Iraq there were 39 IED attacks and 152IDF attacks. In Decemberthere were 22 IED attacks and 39 IDF attacks.Thats 44% reduction of IED attacks on our forces and 75% fewer indirect fireattacks.

c. Iraq is still a dangerous place. The enemy is out there looking to do usharm. Northern Iraq is still very active and the majority of attacks in theateroccur 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-deploymentstandardsand attention to detail need to remain high. Complacency and a rush toredeploy can be a units worst enemy.

c. Quality of life at Balada. Quality of life at Balad is high. Ive personally traveled to every FOB in the

3rdESC and of all the locations where the 17000 Soldiers of the ESC Serve Balad offers the highest quality of life. The physical training facilities, MWRoptions, Internet access, dining facilities are all more plentiful than any otherlocation.

b. Internet Access is plentiful. Maintaining contact with Family members is a

priority. ESC Soldiers have ample access to internet at the ESC HQ, theirworkplaces, 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 withtheir Family. My G6 reports that, The webcam trailer is working great.There are always slots available. Sometimes one person or the other needsto stay up late because of the time difference, but it works good. Our RedCross building also offers a special webcam setup. One of our Soldiersparticipated in the birth of a child back in Phoenix thanks to the Red Cross.

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d. Phones and morale calls are readily available. There are plenty ofphones and access to morale calls. In our HQ, we have a number of phonesdedicated to providing Soldiers telephonic access back to the States. There

are also a number of phone centers across the installation. All of oursections also have Class-A lines. If a Soldier has to make an urgent callhometheir leaders can get them access to these phones too. We often getcomplaints that morale calls get cutoff. All callseven ones I make from myofficesometimes end prematurely because the signal drops. Rememberwe 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 ofthe 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 isno estimated completion date right now. When and if it does happen - theonly way Soldiers will get internet in their rooms is to pay for it - just like here

at home. I just want to reiteratethere are a number of places - someprovided by our HQ and others provided by base support activitiesthatprovide internet access.

d. Communication with Familiesa. Communication with Families is important and takes active

participation on both sides of the ocean. There are a lot of ways that weare staying in touch with Families. The vFRG, calling trees, weekly VTCs,special VTCs, media engagements, our weekly newspaper, the HHCnewsletter are all ways we are trying to stay in touch. These are all greatbut only if you know where to find them and are willing to participate. Most ofthe timethe information is out there on an issuebut folks arent willing to

download the information, arent willing to attend the meeting, or not willing toparticipate in the process. We need everyones help with this.

b. The vFRG webpage works. Feedback has been great on the vFRGwebpage. I know Mary has put a lot of effort into keeping it updated. OurSoldiers look at your pictures and read the updates. Keep up the great workon 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 ushere. My DCOCOL Reevesattends these VTC personally to ensure theissues get addressed and if important enoughmake it to me in a timelymanner.

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 weeksince our deployment. Each week they tell you whats going on and keepyou up to date on issues that impact our command. We also do a 90 secondESC radio news spot on WQXE that airs twice on Fridays too. WQXE98.3is a great partner and you should tune in.

e. We publish a paper every week to keep you informed. Each week wedistribute a 24-page command newspaper. This paper is designed to keepyou informed of what is happening within the command. Mary receives acopy each Sunday and posts it to the VFRG homepage. If you wantyou

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can subscribe so you can receive it directly. If theres something you arecurious aboutsend the PAO a notewell 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 foropen air burn pits and the continued operation and maintenance of aircurtains on the remaining open air burn pits to increase their efficiency andreduce pollutants.

b. JBB now has three incinerators which process the vast majority of wasteeach day. In addition, inert materials and recyclables are separated out,further reducing the waste stream. The recyclables are removed by an Iraqicontractor and taken to a local national recycling operation, at no cost to theUS 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 andnose. It would be unusual for a cough to persist for several months or moreas a result of the breathing of smoke at Balad. Anyone who believes they areexperiencing health problems should make an appointment to see ahealthcare provider.

d. A joint health risk assessment conducted in late 2007 by the US Army Centerfor Health Promotion and Preventative Medicine (USACHPPM) and the US

Air Force Institute for Operational Health (AFIOH) has shown that the burnpit 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 PitExposures 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 rangeestablished by Military Exposure Guidelines (MEGs).

h. The ultimate goal is to eliminate all open air burning through an activerecycling program and the construction of additional waste incinerators.