U.S. Army

Public Affairs

From Signal Corps cameramen filming D-Day to embedded reporters riding with Marines into Baghdad to countering Russian disinformation in real time, Public Affairs tells the Army's story truthfully. In the information age, a PA failure can undermine a military victory. Transparency builds credibility. Silence breeds conspiracy. First with the truth.

"Truth Is Our Weapon" Est. 1946

EST. 1946 · FA 46

Army Public Affairs

Tell the Army's Story — Truthfully

Functional Area

PA Specialist MOS

Defense Info School

CREDIBILITY · SPEED

Army Public Affairs exists because in a democracy, the military must be transparent with the American people. PA soldiers are the Army's journalists, broadcasters, communication advisors, and media relations professionals. They tell the Army's story to the public, advise commanders on communication strategy, escort media in combat zones, and ensure that the first credible voice in any crisis belongs to the Army — not to the enemy. In the information age, a PA failure can undermine a military victory. Truth and speed are the only weapons that work. Read more

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WWII — The Signal Corps & Combat Camera 1941 – 1945

SIGNAL CORPS PHOTO

Signal Corps Combat Cameramen

The Soldiers Who Filmed the War

Corps Photographers

Iwo · Liberation

Before Public Affairs existed as a branch, Signal Corps combat cameramen documented every campaign of WWII — landing on beaches with the first wave, filming from bombers, and photographing the liberation of concentration camps. Their footage became the official record of the war and evidence at the Nuremberg Trials. These soldiers carried cameras instead of rifles into combat. Many were killed or wounded getting the shot. The images that defined WWII — D-Day, the flag raising at Iwo Jima's documentation, the camp liberations — were captured by soldiers. Read more

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MEDIA ON THE BATTLEFIELD

Embedded Media — Vietnam to GWOT

From Credibility Gap to Embedded Reporters

Credibility Gap

Program · OIF 2003

Embedded Reporters OIF

ESCORTS · ADVISORS

Vietnam's "credibility gap" taught the Army that restricting media access breeds distrust. The embed program in Iraq 2003 reversed that — over 600 reporters lived with combat units, covered by PA escorts who facilitated access while protecting operational security. Embedded media showed the war in real time. PA officers managed the most complex media environment in military history — satellite uplinks from every unit, 24-hour news cycles, and the rise of social media during the surge. The PA lesson: transparency builds credibility. Silence breeds conspiracy. Read more

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Modern PA — Information Environment Today

FIRST WITH THE TRUTH

PA in the Information Age

Social Media · Strategic Communication · Crisis

Media Operations

Modern Public Affairs operates in an information environment where a soldier's cell phone video goes viral before the official statement is drafted. PA professionals manage Army social media, counter enemy disinformation, advise senior leaders on strategic communication, and respond to crises at the speed of relevance. In a world where Russia and China weaponize information, PA is no longer a support function — it's an operational capability. The Army that controls the narrative has an advantage as real as any weapons system. Read more

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Defense Information School — Fort Meade, MD

Defense Info School

Services Attend

BROADCAST · PHOTO

The Defense Information School at Fort Meade, Maryland trains PA professionals from all services in journalism, broadcasting, photography, videography, and communication strategy. DINFOS graduates become the writers, photographers, and communication advisors who tell the military's story worldwide. The school also trains foreign military PA professionals — building partner nations' ability to communicate transparently with their own publics. Read more

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78

Years of Service

Truth

First & Always

FA 46

Functional Area

First

With the Truth