SPOTLIGHT: MS. DEBI DAWSON
“THE SOLDIER, AS WE KNOW, IS THE CENTERPIECE, … AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT HE OR SHE’S GOT THE EQUIPMENT TO DO THE JOB AND COME BACK ALIVE.”
Since 2002, I have had the pleasure of working as the public affairs officer for PEO Soldier, serving as the director for strategic communications and public affairs officer for this $1.2 billion Army acquisition organization. Te primary responsibilities include managing and overseeing public and command infor- mation, online Web and social media presence, and media and community relations. I also serve as the public affairs adviser to the PEO Soldier headquarters and all subordinate program management organizations’ staffs to ensure awareness of all PA policies and procedures. As a trained operational security reviewer, I ensure that appropriate reviews are con- ducted to protect sensitive information from release.
How did you become part of the AL&T Workforce?
I had been supporting Product Manager Soldier Systems for about three years when the Army restructured and created program executive offices. BG Moran said, “Hey, Debi, I’d love for you to come up and do public affairs for me.” I had to apply for the position, and here I am.
During your career with the Army AL&T Workforce, what changes have
you noticed—in processes, training, equipment, etc.—that have impressed you the most? What change has sur- prised you the most, and why?
Te ease and speed at which we can get information directly to our target audi- ences. It wasn’t too long ago where we sent out press releases and contacted reporters about covering our story. Tere was a limited pool of publications and many people striving to tell their story. Now with the Internet, blogs and social media, there are myriad venues we can use to tell the PEO Soldier story. Addi- tionally, having blogs and our Facebook and Twitter social media presences means we can directly tell our story to the public without a filter.
We want to hear from the Soldier with- out a filter, too. Teir feedback is very important—to the product managers, so we can make improvements to that piece of kit. Of course, we want to make it easy for that Soldier to have access, so we have lots of social media tools here, and I’m very proud of our team’s ability to get that message out.
Family members are also an important part of the audience for the PEO Sol- dier story. Tat family member wants to
know that his son or daughter has the best equipment out there—or his or her mom or dad, husband, wife.
Nowadays, we also have to look at the return on investment in the communica- tions we do, because, of course, budgets are shrinking. We don’t have the budget that we used to have.
Acquisition has changed profoundly in many ways in the past 25 years. How do you see it changing in the future, or how would you like to see it change?
Te Army has always cared for the Sol- dier and worked to give them the best equipment possible. Trough the years, Army acquisition has become even wiser in procuring equipment for Soldiers. It leverages industry, academia and defense scientists to perfect standard equip- ment—such as the Advanced Combat Helmet, which has saved many Soldiers’ lives from gunshots—and cutting-edge technological advances, such as Nett Warrior, an integrated dismounted-leader situational-awareness system for use dur- ing combat operations.
What’s something that most people don’t know about your job? What sur- prises outsiders most when you tell them about your job?
Most people don’t know how much plan- ning, organization and protocol go into this job. Tere are many types of com- munication vehicles, and they all have to be planned, organized and staffed. Te variety of people my job requires me to interact with—Soldiers and the general public, members of Congress, entertain- ment industry, traditional media, and the always-evolving world of blogs and social media—there’s never a dull moment.
—MR. STEVE STARK 160
Army AL&T Magazine
January–March 2015
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