COVERAGE OP (#5a of 8): Centex-area Guard unit reunites with family FRIDAY between 6:45 & 9:00 a.m. in New Braunfels
72nd IBCT Public Affairs Section
NOTE:
The 72nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team (National Guard unit
headquartered in Houston) has EIGHT separate companies (units of approximately
75-150 Soldiers each) returning from Iraq to various locations in Central
Texas during July & August. The key events for each unit:
· #1
– Echo Company, 536th BSB - July 15th in
Fredericksburg (complete)
· #2
– Alpha Company, 1-141 Infantry Battalion - July 18th in San
Antonio (complete)
· #3
– Bravo Company, 1-141 Infantry Battalion - July 18th in San Marcos
(complete)
· #4 – Bravo Company,536th Brigade Support Batalion
4a.
ARRIVAL IN AUSTIN (& REUNION WITH FAMILIES): July 29th (complete)
4b. HOMECOMING CEREMONY IN AUSTIN: July 30th @ 10:00 a.m. at Army Aviation Fac. – Sent earlier today (July 29)
· #5 – Headquarters Battery, 1-133rd Artillery Battalion
ARRIVAL IN SAN ANTONIO - July 30th – Not a public event (no families will be present at the airport)
5a. REUNION WITH FAMILIES IN NEW BRAUNFELS – July 30th b/w 6:45 & 9:00 a.m. - Attached
5b. HOMECOMING CEREMONY IN NEW BRAUNFELS – July 31st @ 11:00 a.m. @ Landa Park – to be published
· August 10th in Taylor (date subj to change)
· August 19th in San Antonio (date subj to change)
· August 23rd in Seguin (date subj to change)
There will be a separate press advisory for each event. Please consider each for your possible coverage needs.
Attention Austin- and San Antonio-area media outlets:
Media coverage opportunity on Guard unit hosting ceremony to celebrate return from Iraq
Information is presented in mobile-friendly text below, but is also available in attached PDF or JPG depending on your local network security policy. (The PDF/JPG version is designed to be a useful tool to print and provide to your assigned reporter should you decide to cover this event/situation!)
Editor View
(“How it might look as a headline”)
· New Braunfels Soldiers reunite with families
· 110 Central Texas-area Citizen-Soldiers return from Iraq
The Lead
(“Just the facts”)
· WHO: 110 Soldiers who just finished Iraq deployment
· WHAT: First reunion of Soldiers with their families since getting back from Iraq
· WHEN: Friday, July 30th, 2010 between 6:45 & 9:00 a.m. TIME SUBJECT TO CHANGE based on actual troop arrival time
· WHERE: National Guard Armory, 2253 IH 35 South, New Braunfels, TX 78130
Who cares?
(“Why is it newsworthy?”)
· This New Braunfels unit is about to return from Iraq as part of one of the largest deployments of the TX Guard since World War II
· This unit aided in the transition of control of one of the last internal facilities to the government of Iraq
· Another Guard organization (the headquarters of the 36th Infantry Division, which is based in Austin) will soon begin a deployment to Iraq
Story type possibilities
· Spot news – LOW
· Short feature – HIGH
· Deep feature – MEDIUM
Publication possibilities
· Advance – LOW
· Live – LOW
· Follow-up – HIGH
Predicted overall news value*
· Potential top story/significant item
Applicable markets
· Austin
· New Braunfels
· San Antonio
Potential Interviews
(“Who provides perspective?” Note: Numerous interview subjects will be available. These are examples.)
Military unit/leader view:
Various Austin-area Soldiers are expected to be available for interviews.
Family view:
Various Austin-area family members are expected to be available for interviews.
Key visuals
(To get an idea of the value of this potential photo op, media outlets are welcome to visit and review some of the photos taken from other unit returns this past week, taken in other parts of the state: http://www.readyteam.org/Support/Echo/OIFreturnbestof, http://www.readyteam.org/Firstinfantry/Alpha/OIFreturnbestof, or http://www.readyteam.org/Artillery/Bravo/OIFhomecomingbestof)
· Welcome banners
· Soldiers getting off of busses
· Soldiers embracing their families
Key audio
· None expected at this event
Resources for journalists
· Photo/video library: http://www.readyteam.org/artillery (high res, public domain, captioned photos & videos of various brigade missions & events)
· News media resources: http://www.readyteam.org/limited/newsmedia (current password is e-mailed upon request)
· Unit logos/graphics: http://www.readyteam.org/graphics
More info
· http://groups.google.com/group/austinmediaoutlets
· http://groups.google.com/group/sanantoniomediaoutlets
· On site in New Braunfels Friday morning: Sgt. Kole Jean, 832-392-0620
· Maj. Adam Collett - publica...@readyteam.org or 832-303-3672
BACKGROUND
- The 72nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team is a National Guard unit with an authorized strength of about 3,000 Soldiers. The 72nd is HQ in Houston, but has subordinate units throughout Central and South Texas.
- The 72nd started a mobilization for Operation Iraqi Freedom in October of 2009. They trained for 2 months at Fort Bliss (El Paso, TX)/Camp McGregor (NM) before moving to Iraq in December of 2009.
- The 72nd’s mobilization (just under 3,000 troops) was one of the largest single deployments of the Texas Army National Guard since WWII, and included multiple units and individual Soldiers with Central-Texas ties (live in Central Texas, have civilian jobs in Central Texas, are assigned to a unit in Central Texas, or some combination thereof)
- The Soldiers of the 72nd IBCT are returning to Texas as we speak. They are coming back in groups of 75-150 over the course of 4-5 weeks. In fact, six groups Brigade-wide have already returned (4 in the Central Texas area, 1 in the Beaumont area, and 1 in the Houston area).
- ONE group (Bravo, 536th) arrived in Austin today (Thursday, Jul 29th). They are holding a formal (but short) ceremony TOMORROW (Friday, July 30th) in Austin. IN ADDITION, yet another group is arriving in Central Texas TOMORROW (Friday) and will reunite with their families upon arrival in New Braunfels.
- The media IS INVITED to be on hand for the reunion in New Braunfels (and the other unit’s ceremony later that morning in Austin).
- [THREE MORE groups of returning Soldiers are scheduled to arrive back in Central Texas and hold some kind of homecoming ceremony (one ceremony per arriving unit/group) over the course of the next few weeks.]
*News value caveat: An organization’s assessment of news value always comes with a grain of salt, but we strive to provide an honest appraisal of the significance of any given event/situation. It does not benefit the organization to hyperbolize or mislead the news organizations with which it works over time.
Respectfully,
MAJ Adam Collett
On behalf of...
Public Affairs Office, 72nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team
(36th Infantry Division, Texas Army National Guard)
PUBLIC AFFAIRS DUTY CONTACT (incl. after-hours media
inquiries): 832-303-3672 (SMS text capable)
& publicaffairs72 (at) readyteam.org (Blackberry/mobile
access)
Fax to e-mail (no cover sheet necessary): 206-426-6706
---
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--- FAX: 512-782-6206
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