“A Solemn View: a Window to American Service Members’ Ultimate Sacrifice.”
Friday, August 13, Anchorage, Alaska
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Brigadier General-Select Les Kodlick is Director of Public Affairs for the US Air Force. His team developed and implemented the public relations program receognized by PRSA this June as the Best of Silver anvils, making it the number one public relations program in the country. Kodlick will discuss the program developed to support the Dover Air Force Base’s Port Mortuary Mission. The team developed a process providing access for national and international news media to document the dignified transfer of fallen U.S. service members, ensuring the dignity, honor, and respect for those who made the ultimate sacrifice while providing care, service and support to family members of the fallen.
After an 18-year ban on media coverage, America was offered a solemn view of “dignified transfers,” when our service members killed in combat are returned to American soil. In February 2009, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates announced a new policy allowing media to cover dignified transfers with permission from family members. Despite little lead time, a group of Air Force Public Affairs professionals developed a people-focused media program that honored the fallen and cared for their families, while simultaneously providing media the opportunity to cover this solemn process and provide transparency into the human cost of war.
Introducing Colonel Kodlick is special guest Rhoda Weiss, Ph.D., APR, Fellow PRSA. Dr. Weiss is a past national chair & CEO of PRSA. Colonel Kodlick and Dr. Weiss are in Anchorage to participate in the U.S. Air Force national Civic Leaders Program and is past president, Women in Health Administration.
