10th Press Camp Headquarters
Encyclopedia
The 10th Press Camp Headquarters (now called the 10th Public Affairs Operations Center
or PAOC) is a U.S. Army tactical, 31-person unit providing a Battalion level headquarters and is composed of PA and support professionals, commanded by a Lieutenant Colonel and Command Sergeant Major.
The mission of the 10th PAOC is “on order, to deploy in support of Combatant Commander requirements across the spectrum of current and future operations to conduct Public Affairs operations and implement the information strategies of the supported commander in order to support civilian news media and facilitate news gathering efforts in the theater.”
The 10th PAOC was originally activated in 1966 during the Vietnam War
as the 10th Public Affairs Detachment. The 10th PAD served with distinction prior to being inactivated in 1972, earning the Republic of Vietnam’s Cross of Gallantry with Palm three times and the U.S. Army’s Valorous Unit Award. The 10th was redesignated a Public Affairs Operations Center in March 2004 and reactivated in October 2005. The unit was later deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and assumed the role of the Multi-National Force Iraq's Coalition Press Information Center
(CPIC).
The 10th PAOC’s home station is Fort Bragg (North Carolina)
. The 10th is an element of the U.S. Army Forces Command (FORSCOM) and is not a permanent element of any division or corps. The unit has a command cell, a briefing section, an escort team and an audio-visual production section. PAOCs may also serve as headquarters for other public affairs units, such as Public Affairs Detachments (PADs) and Broadcast Operations Detachments (BODs). Although subordinate FORSCOM PA units (27th PAD, 49th PAD, 50th PAD and 22d MPAD) are technically attached, all work and deploy autonomously, meeting the demands of today's modular Army.
In 2009, elements of the 10th PAOC deployed forward in support of Joint Task Force Guantanamo Bay. Team GTMO was composed of Soldiers from the 10th Public Affairs Operaations Center from Fort Bragg; the 22d Mobile Public Affairs Detachment (MPAD) from Fort Bragg; and the 7th MPAD from Fort Hood. They provided Public Affairs Media relations support to Joint Task Force Guantanamo. They returned from the mission in January 2010.
The 10th PAOC deployed to Iraq again in August 2010, at the end of Operation Iraqi Freedom, and ushered in Operation New Dawn. They task organized under United States Forces-Iraq (USF-I), Strategic Communications directorate, where they relieved the 318th Public Affairs Operations Center in maintaining a CPIC.
The CPIC has four main functions: 1) credentialing and badging media covering troops and operations; 2) embedding media with units; 3) escorting media interacting with troops; 4) acquiring video and print/photo stories for dissemination to internal audiences (such as troops, DoD civilians and family members) and external audiences (such as the American public through social media and traditional media).
Public Affairs Operations Center
A Public Affairs Operations Center is one of the four types of public affairs units in the United States Army. In function and size, the closest equivalent is a battalion headquarters...
or PAOC) is a U.S. Army tactical, 31-person unit providing a Battalion level headquarters and is composed of PA and support professionals, commanded by a Lieutenant Colonel and Command Sergeant Major.
The mission of the 10th PAOC is “on order, to deploy in support of Combatant Commander requirements across the spectrum of current and future operations to conduct Public Affairs operations and implement the information strategies of the supported commander in order to support civilian news media and facilitate news gathering efforts in the theater.”
The 10th PAOC was originally activated in 1966 during the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
as the 10th Public Affairs Detachment. The 10th PAD served with distinction prior to being inactivated in 1972, earning the Republic of Vietnam’s Cross of Gallantry with Palm three times and the U.S. Army’s Valorous Unit Award. The 10th was redesignated a Public Affairs Operations Center in March 2004 and reactivated in October 2005. The unit was later deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and assumed the role of the Multi-National Force Iraq's Coalition Press Information Center
Coalition Press Information Center
The Coalition Press Information Center is a centralized media information center that was established during the 2003 invasion of Iraq.-Operation Iraqi Freedom:...
(CPIC).
The 10th PAOC’s home station is Fort Bragg (North Carolina)
Fort Bragg (North Carolina)
Fort Bragg is a major United States Army installation, in Cumberland and Hoke counties, North Carolina, U.S., mostly in Fayetteville but also partly in the town of Spring Lake. It was also a census-designated place in the 2010 census and had a population of 39,457. The fort is named for Confederate...
. The 10th is an element of the U.S. Army Forces Command (FORSCOM) and is not a permanent element of any division or corps. The unit has a command cell, a briefing section, an escort team and an audio-visual production section. PAOCs may also serve as headquarters for other public affairs units, such as Public Affairs Detachments (PADs) and Broadcast Operations Detachments (BODs). Although subordinate FORSCOM PA units (27th PAD, 49th PAD, 50th PAD and 22d MPAD) are technically attached, all work and deploy autonomously, meeting the demands of today's modular Army.
In 2009, elements of the 10th PAOC deployed forward in support of Joint Task Force Guantanamo Bay. Team GTMO was composed of Soldiers from the 10th Public Affairs Operaations Center from Fort Bragg; the 22d Mobile Public Affairs Detachment (MPAD) from Fort Bragg; and the 7th MPAD from Fort Hood. They provided Public Affairs Media relations support to Joint Task Force Guantanamo. They returned from the mission in January 2010.
The 10th PAOC deployed to Iraq again in August 2010, at the end of Operation Iraqi Freedom, and ushered in Operation New Dawn. They task organized under United States Forces-Iraq (USF-I), Strategic Communications directorate, where they relieved the 318th Public Affairs Operations Center in maintaining a CPIC.
The CPIC has four main functions: 1) credentialing and badging media covering troops and operations; 2) embedding media with units; 3) escorting media interacting with troops; 4) acquiring video and print/photo stories for dissemination to internal audiences (such as troops, DoD civilians and family members) and external audiences (such as the American public through social media and traditional media).