Division 10, 5 Southern Region, AUX-12 C-School Public Affairs "road show" class and faculty. Front row, right to left, J. Woodlley, 10-6, J. Marinella, 10-8, E. Ashey, 10-1, D. Callanan, 10-1, C. Roncati, 10-1, Ann Gordon, 10-5, T. Estevez, Aux. Instructor, T. Zydor, 10-3. Back row, right to left R. Nelson DVC-AN, W. Edman 10-5, P. O’Reilly 10-1, R. Westcott, DVC-AX, C. Halladay 10-5, W. Thompson 10-1, J. Boland 10-5, and N. Burgeson 10-8

Auxiliarists from Division 10 of the 5th Southern Region recently attended the first Public Affairs AUX-12 "C" School road show. The AUX-12 course is advanced training for Auxiliary Public Affairs officers but is open to all Auxiliarists, especially elected officers who are likely to be contacted by the news media.

In late May 2006, faced with budget cuts, the remaining scheduled 2006 AUX 12 class was canceled.

Undaunted, the Division 10 Public Affairs Officer (SO-PA) inquired as to what it would take to bring the instructors to the Wilmington, N.C. area. Authority, facilities, training aids and fifteen trainees were all that was required. With support from the seven flotillas in Division 10, the SO-PA set out to make it happen.

By taking the AUX-12 course on the road, expenses would be reduced to covering the cost of travel for the instructors only. Furthermore, Auxiliary and Division 10 training objectives could still be met.

Working with the course instructors, the SO-PA arranged for suitable classrooms at the University of North Carolina in Wilmington, guest speakers and accommodations for the instructors. Fifteen Auxiliarists from the Division quickly signed up, representing five of its seven flotillas.

All the instructors were highly qualified, knowledgeable, professionals; Auxiliarists who shared their public affairs expertise. The lead instructor, Mr. Robert E. Nelson II, National PA Internal Communications Division Chief, conducted the majority of classes. Along with stressing the importance of public affairs to the Coast Guard and the Auxiliary, Nelson inspired the trainees and stressed the theme that "public affairs are every Auxiliarist’s responsibility."

Team members developing an assigned search and rescue news release. Clockwize the team includes C. Roncati 10-1 standing, R. Spencer 10-1, W. Thompson 10-1, D. Callanan 10-1, A. Gordon 10-5, C. Halladay 10-5, J. Boland 10-5, W. Edman 10-5.

Mr. Robert T. Westcott, Division Chief, Auxiliary External Communications, taught sessions on news and press release writing and photojournalism, and provided the class with dynamic interactive media experience. Dr. Tammy Esteves, Branch Chief for the AUX 12 C-Schools, led a spirited discussion on the media ethics and story development.

Students learned how to correctly write news stories and press releases, take quality news photos, manage media relations, and submit articles to local media and Auxiliary publications concerning the Coast Guard and Coast Guard Auxiliary.

Two major highlights of the course were; 1) the two special guest speakers, Mr. Si Cantwell, from the Wilmington Star News and Jules Norwood, from the Wrightsville Beach "Lumina" News and 2) the mock interviews by Auxiliarists posing as "Dan Rather" and "Geraldo Rivera," where the participants found that they had to be on their guard at all times during a media interview.

This was a fun filled weekend starting on a Friday morning and ending on a Sunday afternoon.