Leaders meet reporters for media round table

  • Published
  • By Christopher Ball
  • 412th Test Wing Public Affairs
EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  

Leaders and experts from the 412th Test Wing and Air Force Plant 42 met with representatives from civilian media in the Airman and Family Readiness Center March 22 for an Edwards Air Force Base Media Round Table. 

Led by Brig. Gen. Carl Schaefer, 412th Test Wing commander, the open discussion included mission briefs and updates about the mission and future activities of the test wing, the 95th Civil Engineer Group, the 412th Operations Group, Air Force Plant 42 in Palmdale, and the XCITE innovation team.

While the civilian reporters did publish several news stories based on the Round Table from the day, the main focus of the round table was to better inform them about Edwards Air Force Base and its impact on the local community, the Air Force, and the American people.

It also gave leaders experience delivering their messages to the media in a more relaxed environment.

Christopher Klug, 412th Operations Group technical director, spoke for the 412th OG during the round table. He said that this was his first experience interacting with media.

“Interacting with the media is a skill, and since I had not yet demonstrated that skill going into the roundtable, I was concerned about conveying the right message,” Klug said. “As the roundtable got going and the more we interacted the more comfortable I felt. Once it was finished I felt very good about the experience.”

To help prepare them for the media, the experts were given the chance to participate in a mock round table where they were asked “tough” questions by public affairs staff

“The PA training was very helpful in preparing me for this media roundtable and for future media experiences,” Klug said.

"Leaders are answerable to their stakeholders – both those they represent and those who are impacted by their organization’s actions,” said Ed Buclatin, 412th Test Wing Public Affairs director. “They fulfill this obligation by engaging the media.  Engagements, like our recent roundtable, allow the 412th Test Wing leadership to do this, in addition to building working relationships with local and regional media."

Media interest is not limited to leadership though. Anyone living or working on Edwards Air Force Base could possibly face media interaction at one point or another. To avoid being an accidental spokesperson for the base or for the Air Force, people should refer media questions to the public affairs office at 277-3510.