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USAF PA Awarded PRSA Silver Anvil

Centurion Donors Support AFPAAA

Subscribe to AFPAAA Newsletter On-line

Annual Meeting Site Selection

Military transparency - an oxymoron to some - has earned the U.S. Air Force Office of Public Affairs the PR profession's highest award for excellence. PRSA presented the Air Force with its "Best of Silver Anvil Award" for its program to facilitate media coverage of flag-draped coffins bearing the remains of U.S. service personnel arriving at Dover Air Force Base. More than 20 members of the Air Force, including the Honorable Erin C. Conaton, undersecretary of the Air Force, were on hand to accept the award at PRSA's Silver Anvil Awards ceremony in New York. "A Solemn View: Public Affairs Provides a Window to American Service Members' Ultimate Sacrifice" was selected as the best among 34 public relations programs nominated for a Silver Anvil Award, the public relations industry's most distinguished award for excellence,  There were more than 800 entries total. "This year, we recognize the U.S. Air Force and its public affairs professionals, whose approach to the 'dignified transfer' of service personnel remains neither sought nor discouraged media reports, but facilitated coverage consistent with each family's wishes," said PRSA Chair and CEO Gary McCormick, APR, Fellow PRSA, in a release. "I salute their efforts, which carefully balanced dignity, honor and respect for the fallen; compassion, service and support for the family members; and the need for greater transparency, as an important reminder of war's human cost." For more than 18 years, a U.S. policy hid from public view the arrival of America's war dead at Dover Air Force Base, the sole U.S. port of entry for the remains of America's service personnel. In 2009, Defense Secretary Robert Gates reversed this media ban, which critics had decried as hiding the true cost of war. Air Force Public Affairs professionals developed a fail-safe and repeatable media relations program that neither sought nor discouraged media reports, but that facilitated coverage consistent with each family's wishes. In the first year of the new policy, 471 war dead returned to Dover for the "dignified transfer of remains." More than half (55 percent) of these ceremonies were covered by media.

A few years ago the AFPAAA Board of Directors challenged a committee made up of Charlie Powers, C B Kelly and our late friend John Gulick to develop a way to promote more awareness of and add to the coffers of AFPAAA's Endowment Fund.

Thus, the Centurions were born.

To become a Centurion members simply donate $100 to the AFPAAA Endowment Fund. In return, at the next annual meeting, one Centurion donor's name will be drawn and he or she will receive a full refund of their annual meeting registration fee. (The refund can be applied to the current or next annual meeting.)

It is hoped that the public drawing and attendent publicity will attract further contributions. If even half of each meeting's attendees join the Centurions, the program would earn about $5000 per annual meeting, a substantial addition to the foundation.

For Annual Meeting reservation and registration details go to Meet 2005

To make a Centurion donation: Send your check for $100.00 (payable to Endowment Fund) to: AFPAAA Centurions, Attn: Treasurer, P.O. Box 447, Locust Grove, VA 22508-0447. Be sure to clearly mark your check "Centurion"

You can help reduce AFPAAA's printing and mailing costs by "subscribing" to On-line Delivery of the association's quarterly newsletter.

Here's how it works. The same day a Newsletter is sent to the printer, you will receive a brief "Publication Alert" e-mail.  The Alert e-mail will contain a link from which you can immediately download the newly published Newsletter as a PDF file.  Most computers have the Adobe PDF Reader software installed. If you do not, we provide a link for a FREE download. It's that simple!

You can sign up for On-line Delivery at Subscribe.

Not convinced? Here's what some current member subscribers say.

"The PDF newsletter is great. The photographs look even better on the computer than they do in print," says charter on-line subscriber Ted Daniel.

"This is a win-win solution," according to Tom Halbert, "I now get the newsletter ... weeks earlier and the AFPAAA no longer is stuck for postage."

Sam Giammo says, "It works fine for me!  This is a good idea, considering the cost of printing and mailing."

Join the 110 members who already subscribe on-line and sign up today. Go to Subscribe

Remember, when you subscribe, you will not get the newsletter via "snail mail" but, you will help AFPAAA save money, and you'll get the newsletter weeks earlier too!

At the 2002 annual meeting, the membership approved a policy that - effective in 2005 - annual AFPAAA conference sites will be suggested and awarded on a bid basis. Any member interested in hosting an annual conference should download the Annual Conference Application Instructions and complete the Annual Conference Application form.

Instructions and an Application can be downloaded as PDF files HERE.

Any questions or concerns about the process should be sent to: Annual Meeting Committee