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The Layalina Review

VOL. V NO. 4, January 30-February 12, 2009

Pentagon Steps Up Strategic Communication

While the Department of State (DoS) is working on reorganizing its strategic communication leadership, the Department of Defense (DoD) is helping to coordinate efforts between the two departments, notes Steven Corman for COMOPS Journal. DoD has significant capabilities and resources to support strategic communication priorities, particularly to counter ideological support of terrorism in Iraq and Afghanistan.

DoD declared that is was committed "to using our (DoS) operational and informational activities and strategic communication processes in support of the Department of State's broader public diplomacy efforts." This cooperation will better enable the US government to engage foreign audiences holistically and with unity of effort, according to Corsman.

Furthermore, it seems that both the DoS and DoD plan to coordinate their strategic communication planning in support of the global War on Terror, building partnership capacity, and regional issues. However, Matt Armstrong states in his blog Mountain Runner that the important role of Congress should not be set aside.

"State must gain the confidence of Congress before money and responsibility is transferred from Defense to State," he explains. Armstrong stresses that above all the State Department must gain the confidence of other agencies to convince them of what it can achieve.

Meanwhile, the Pentagon is boosting its spending on public relations in an effort to increase its role in the battle for the hearts and minds at home and abroad, reports the Associated Press. In doing so, concerns have been raised that this constitutes spreading propaganda at home in violation of federal law.

According to the news site, the Pentagon has spent "at least $4.7 billion this year, according to DoD budgets and other documents." This year alone, the Pentagon is planning to employ 27,000 people just for recruitment, advertising and public relations — almost as many as the total 30,000-person work force in the State Department.

According to the DoD, at a time when extremists use websites, videos and modern technology to recruit and carry out their missions, money spent on media and outreach is essential.

"We have got to be involved in getting our case out there, telling our side of the story, because believe me, Al-Qaeda and all of those folks ... that's what they are doing on the internet and everywhere else," says Rep. Adam Smith (D-WA), who chairs the Terrorism, Unconventional Threats and Capabilities Subcommittee.

The Pentagon's rapidly expanding media empire, which is now bigger in size, money and power than many media companies, is influencing, educating and informing the public in the US and abroad. Glowing stories of US efforts are written by Pentagon staff through the Hometown News Service, according to the Associated Press.

According to the news site, the largest chunk of funds, about $1.6 billion, goes into recruitment and advertising. Another $547 million go towards public affairs, which reaches American audiences. An approximate $489 million more go towards what is known as psychological operations, which target foreign audiences. "Staffing across all these areas costs about $2.1 billion, as calculated by the number of full-time employees and the military's average cost per service member," adds the AP.

"It's not up to the Pentagon to sell policy to the American people," says Rep. Paul Hodes (D-NH), who sponsored legislation in Congress last year reinforcing the ban. According to Robert Hastings, acting Secretary of Defense, the growth also reflects the change of attitude towards information.

"The role of public affairs is to provide you the information so that you can make an informed decision yourself," Hastings says. "There is no place for spin at the Department of Defense."