Public Affairs Operations Center
Encyclopedia
A Public Affairs Operations Center is one of the four types of public affairs (military)
units in the United States Army
. In function and size, the closest equivalent is a battalion
headquarters. Informally known as Press Camp Headquarters, PAOC's are corps- or theater-level public affairs units tasked with providing press camp services and facilities to accredited members of the media in support of combined operations
and joint operations. In addition to providing workspace and services, the PAOC provides command and control staff, planning and supervision of operations performed by subordinate public affairs units. The PAOC is also responsible for registering and escorting news media representatives, assisting in deploying media pools and coordinating logistical support for a media operations center.
In 2005, the United States Army
stood up its first active duty component PAOC, the 10th Public Affairs Operations Center 10th Press Camp Headquarters
, in Atlanta, Georgia. The unit is now stationed at Fort Bragg (North Carolina)
. There are seven reserve component Public Affairs Operations Centers.
Public affairs (military)
Public Affairs is a term for the formal offices of the branches of the United States Department of Defense whose purpose is to deal with the media and community issues. The term is also used for numerous media relations offices that are created by the U.S. military for more specific limited purposes...
units in the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
. In function and size, the closest equivalent is a battalion
Battalion
A battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel...
headquarters. Informally known as Press Camp Headquarters, PAOC's are corps- or theater-level public affairs units tasked with providing press camp services and facilities to accredited members of the media in support of combined operations
Combined operations
In military use, combined operations , also known as joint operations, or interoperability capability, are either operations conducted by forces of two or more allied nations acting together for the accomplishment of a common strategy, a strategic and operational and sometimes tactical cooperation...
and joint operations. In addition to providing workspace and services, the PAOC provides command and control staff, planning and supervision of operations performed by subordinate public affairs units. The PAOC is also responsible for registering and escorting news media representatives, assisting in deploying media pools and coordinating logistical support for a media operations center.
In 2005, the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
stood up its first active duty component PAOC, the 10th Public Affairs Operations Center 10th Press Camp Headquarters
10th Press Camp Headquarters
The 10th Press Camp Headquarters 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...
, in Atlanta, Georgia. The unit is now stationed at 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...
. There are seven reserve component Public Affairs Operations Centers.