MAJ Matt Bartlett says:
There are only a few locations in the DoD that offer realistic, advanced media training, and you are at one of them! The only other place I hadever heard of such training being available was at the Pentagon. At Leavenworth, AMT gives you the opportunity to place yourself in challenging media scenarios that will provide you with lessons you will use for the rest of you career and beyond.
Whether you will face an actual media interview or even a job interview, the lessons learned at AMT will provide you with new and improved personal insights, techniques, and skills to ensure you are the one taking advantage of the situation and not the one being taken advantage of!
Find the time to attend AMT. You will not regret it.
MAJ Matt Bartlett, USAF, ILE 12-01, Staff Group 20D
2 Comments on "A Rare Opportunity You MUST Take Advantage of"
Many of us are at a point in our careers where we feel comfortable enough and can speak intelligently about the routine things: our job, our unit’s mission, a specific operation etc. But how comfortable are we or would we be managing a crisis situation while having to simultaneously deal with the media?
I attended the Advanced Media Training 26-27 June at the Redstone Satellite ILE Course. I highly recommend this training for anyone who may deal with the media in future assignments. This is a rare opportunity in which you get to perform 3 types of interviews (face to face interview, remote, and press conference) in a no-threat environment and receive objective feedback from your peers as well as trained professionals.
I signed up for the training weeks in advance of the training date. When the actual date came a few of us were considering cancelling because the pace of the ILE course assignments were picking up. I am glad I attended. The event started with a 1 ½ class room block of instruction and then moved to the production studio for the actual interviews. The training was very realistic and drove home the importance of quality preparation, quick thinking, and internalizing your Command messages. I learned and gained more confidence with each successive interview. A few days after the course we will receive a DVD with the 3 interviews so we can critique ourselves.
As an AMEDD officer, I found this training extremely valuable. Over the past few years we have had to manage numerous crises. I feel confident if something occurs and I need to address the media, I am able to clearly articulate the facts, answer questions and leave a favorable impression of the Army in the eyes of the public.
I would stop short of making this training mandatory. Those that are interested will take it seriously and prepare. If a student is made to attend and they don’t truly want the training, they will waste everyone’s time.
For those who are interested though.. Invest the 4 hours… You will not regret it.
MAJ David L McCaskill – ILE 12-002 – SG33A
Actually, the advanced media training is offered in a number of locations (the CTC’s, some warfighters, etc). I agree that they are great opportunities of which to take advantage.
MAJ Timmy King