COVERAGE OP (#5b of 8): New Braunfels Guard unit celebrates return from Iraq with open-to-the-public ceremony SATURDAY at 11:00 a.m. at Landa Park
72nd IBCT Public Affairs Section
Media outlets - We’re not trying to wear you out, we just have multiple units returning! Thanks for considering each of these opportunities for your needs!
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. – (complete)
·
#5 – Headquarters
Battery, 1-133rd Artillery Battalion
ARRIVAL IN SAN ANTONIO - July 30th – Not a public event (complete)
5a.
REUNION WITH FAMILIES IN NEW BRAUNFELS – July 30th b/w 6:45
& 9:00 a.m. (complete)
5b. HOMECOMING CEREMONY IN NEW BRAUNFELS – July 31st @ 11:00 a.m. @ Landa Park – attached
· August 10th in Taylor (date subj to change)
· gust 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 join community to celebrate return from Iraq
· 110 Central Texas-area Citizen-Soldiers recognized with ceremony
The Lead
(“Just the facts”)
· WHO: 110 Soldiers who just finished Iraq deployment; families; local officials; public
· WHAT: Public celebration & ceremony
· WHEN:
1. Saturday, July 31st, 2010 at 10:30 a.m. (police-escorted busses pass thru New Braunfels Plaza)
2. Saturday, July 31st, 2010 at 11:00 a.m. (ceremony at Landa Park begins)
· WHERE:
1. New Braunfels Plaza (police-escorted busses pass thru at 10:30 a.m.)
2. Landa Park, 164 Landa Park Drive, New Braunfels, TX 78130 (ceremony location)
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
· The New Braunfels Mayor & multiple local community groups will be participating
Story type possibilities
· Spot news – LOW
· Short feature – HIGH
· Deep feature – MEDIUM
Publication possibilities
· Advance – MEDIUM
· Live – LOW
· Follow-up – HIGH
Predicted overall news value*
· 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- & San Antonio-area Soldiers are expected to be available for interviews.
Family view:
Various Austin- & San Antonio-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 in formation
· Soldiers marching into the ceremony area to the cheering spectators
· Police-escorted busses passing thru New Braunfels Plaza & then arriving at Landa Park
· Live band playing for attendees
Key audio
· Remarks by military leaders & civilian officials
· Crowds cheering
· Music playing
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
· 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).
- This unit (Headquarters Battery, 1-133rd Field Artillery Bn) flew into San Antonio today (Friday, Jul 30th) and bussed to New Braunfels where the Soldiers reunited with their families. They are holding a formal ceremony tomorrow (Saturday, July 31st), being held in New Braunfels.
- The media IS INVITED to be on hand for the ceremony in New Braunfels Saturday morning.
- [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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