Enclosure (1) to COMDTINST 1514.1
EXAMPLE
2100 Second Street, S.W.
Commandant
Washington, DC 20593-0001
United States Coast Guard
Staff Symbol: G-IPA
Phone: (202) 267-1587
Fax: (202) 267-4307
Email: ccihelka@comdt.uscg.mil
1514
MEMORANDUM
From:
PA Rating Force Master Chief
Reply to G-IPA-5
COMDT (G-IPA-5)
Attn of: PACM Cihelka
7-1209
To:
Commanding Officer, USCGC Bear
Subj:
PA "A" SCHOOL CANDIDATE COMMAND INTERVIEW
Ref:
(a) CG Training and Education Manual, COMDTINST M1500.10B
(b) Public Affairs Specialist "A" School Candidate Screening
Process, COMDTINST 1514.1
1. I request your assistance in determining if a potential Public Affairs Specialist "A" School
candidate at your unit has the personal qualities needed to be a successful PA. While PA "A"
School does a great job teaching the basics of journalism, photojournalism and media relations,
there are certain traits critical to the performance of today's PAs that cannot be instilled at "A"
School.
2. Performance beyond the apprentice level is expected when PA3s graduate "A" School.
Many start their PA careers at two-person Public Affairs detachments in large news media
markets. PA3s represent the Coast Guard on TV, prepare spokespersons prior to interviews,
brief commanders and deploy to incident sites to manage news media. To be successful in
these tasks, candidates should have higher than average levels of:
sharp appearance and strong military bearing
self-confidence
willingness to tackle difficult situations
strong communication, leadership and social skills
ability to work well with others
ability to think quickly on their feet and to respond well under pressure
good problem-solving skills, common sense and good judgment
ability to travel on a moment's notice
stamina, motivation, maturity
personal and financial responsibility
3. Your opinion is crucial to determining whether your aspiring PA possesses the above
characteristics. Therefore, your formal assessment via a command interview is the important
first step in a process that screens candidates for PA "A" School. The other requirements are:
1
Previous Page
