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Role overview

Military public affairs specialists tell the story of the armed forces to the world and to the troops themselves. They manage information, media, photos, video and social media so the public, families, allies and decision makers understand what the military is doing and why.

You will see public affairs roles in every branch:

• Army: MOS 46S Public Affairs Mass Communication Specialist (enlisted)
• Air Force / Space Force: AFSC 3N0X6 Public Affairs (enlisted)
• Navy: Public Affairs Officer community, designator 1650 (officers)

The core mission is simple:

Collect, shape and share accurate information about military people and operations, and help commanders communicate clearly with both internal and external audiences.

If you enjoy writing, photography, video, social media and working with people, this is one of the most creative and visible jobs in the military.

What public affairs specialists actually do

The details vary by branch and rank, but most PA pros spend their time in a few big areas.

1. Create news and feature content

On the enlisted side, you are very much a multimedia storyteller. Typical tasks:

• Write news releases, feature stories and web articles about units, missions, training and community events
• Take still photos and video of operations, training and ceremonies
• Edit photos and video, add graphics and captions
• Lay out base newspapers or create content for official websites and intranet sites

Army 46S and Air Force 3N0X6 descriptions mention writing, editing, photography, videography, graphics, broadcasting and web content as core functions.

2. Manage media and community relations

Public affairs specialists and officers:

• Coordinate media interviews and press conferences
• Escort journalists and documentary crews during visits
• Respond to media queries with accurate, cleared information
• Support community outreach events, open houses, school visits and public speaking engagements

Navy Public Affairs Officers are specifically charged with managing news flow, defending the Navy from misinformation and advising senior leaders on communication strategy.

3. Run internal communication

Public affairs is not just about the outside world. You also:

• Produce internal news, command information and morale pieces for service members and families
• Manage or contribute to base newspapers, newsletters, all hands messages and town halls
• Use social media and internal platforms to keep people informed during exercises, crises and routine operations

This helps maintain morale, readiness and a shared sense of mission.

4. Advise commanders on communication strategy

At higher levels, public affairs professionals serve on command staffs and:

• Develop communication plans for operations, exercises and major announcements
• Advise on risk, timing and messaging for public releases
• Coordinate with higher headquarters and other agencies to keep messaging consistent
• Help senior leaders understand media dynamics, social media risks and public opinion

Navy guidance and regulations emphasize that public affairs is a command responsibility, but specialists provide the expertise to execute internal information, public information and community relations programs.

5. Crisis and incident communication

When something goes wrong, public affairs is central to the response:

• Draft and deliver timely, accurate statements about accidents, incidents or investigations
• Support casualty notifications with sensitive, respectful communication
• Correct misinformation and rumors while protecting operational security

In a crisis, your work helps maintain public trust and support and protects the unit’s credibility.

Work environment

Public affairs specialists work wherever there are stories to tell:

• Garrison / base: Public affairs offices, base newspapers, radio or TV studios, photo labs
• Deployed: Combat camera and PA teams in forward areas, documenting missions and supporting commanders
• Ships and aircraft: Navy PAOs afloat, Air Force PA documenting aerial missions

Expect:

• Office time for writing, editing, planning and admin
• Field time shooting photos and video or covering events
• Occasional early mornings, evenings and weekends to match events or media deadlines
• Travel with units for exercises, deployments and community relations events

The pace can swing between quiet writing days and fast moving media days when news breaks or VIPs visit.

Entry requirements and training paths

There are separate enlisted and officer tracks.

Enlisted public affairs specialist (Army 46S, Air Force 3N0X6)

Basic eligibility

• Meet general enlistment standards for your branch
• Strong ASVAB line scores, especially in verbal and general technical areas
• Interest in writing, photography, video and communication

Training pipeline: Army 46S

• Basic Combat Training
• Advanced Individual Training as a Public Affairs Mass Communication Specialist
  • Instruction in news writing, photojournalism, layout, broadcast fundamentals, public affairs doctrine and digital tools

National Guard descriptions highlight that 46S Soldiers provide material for newspapers and magazines, produce videos and press releases, and assist with supervision and administration of PA programs.

Training pipeline: Air Force 3N0X6

• Basic Military Training
• Public Affairs technical training (awarding 3N031) covering:
  • Writing and editing, AP style
  • Photography and video
  • Social media and web content
  • PA policy, planning and advising

Officer public affairs (for example Navy 1650 PAO, Army and Air Force PA officers)

Officer roles focus more on strategy, advising and managing PA programs. Requirements usually include:

• Bachelor degree, often in journalism, communications, public relations, international relations, English or related fields
• Commissioning via Officer Candidate School, ROTC or direct commission
• Strong writing, speaking and leadership skills

Navy guidance notes that PAO selection boards look for liberal arts degrees and strong performance, and hold professional review boards twice a year for officer candidates.

New PAOs attend officer training plus PA specific courses and then learn on the job at public affairs centers and operational commands.

Core skills and personal traits

Good public affairs specialists tend to share:

• Strong writing and editing skills
  You are comfortable writing on deadline, in clear, concise language, and editing your own and others’ work.
• Visual sense
  You have an eye for composition, lighting and storytelling through photos and video.
• Curiosity and people skills
  You enjoy talking to people, asking questions and finding the human angle in any story.
• Calm under pressure
  Media calls and crisis situations can be stressful; you need to think clearly and stick to facts.
• Judgment and discretion
  You handle sensitive information and must balance transparency with operational security.
• Comfort with technology and social media
  You use content management systems, social platforms and editing software daily.

If you like journalism, storytelling and being around the action without necessarily being a front line fighter, PA can be a great fit.

Education and professional development

Enlisted roles may only require a high school diploma to start, but long term you will benefit from more education in:

• Journalism and mass communication
• Public relations and strategic communication
• Digital media production, photography and videography
• Marketing, branding and social media strategy

While serving, you can:

• Take college classes using Tuition Assistance
• Complete online degrees in communications or related fields
• Earn industry certifications in photography, video, digital marketing or PR

Officer PAOs are expected to have at least a bachelor degree and often pursue graduate degrees in:

• Public relations or strategic communication
• International relations or public policy
• Business, leadership or related areas

Experience plus education positions you well for civilian communications roles later.

Earnings potential

While in the military

Public affairs specialists, like all enlisted members and officers, are paid according to standard pay tables. Your total compensation includes:

• Base pay by rank and years in service
• Housing and food allowances
• Healthcare and retirement benefits
• Special pays or bonuses in some circumstances (though PA is not typically a high bonus field)

A mid grade enlisted PA specialist (E4 to E6) often has total compensation roughly in the 40,000 to 70,000 dollar per year range depending on rank, location and years of service. Officers in PAO roles earn more, in line with other O 2 to O 4 officers, with total compensation often breaking 80,000 to over 120,000 dollars when you include allowances in many duty locations.

Civilian public relations earnings

The closest civilian match is public relations specialist. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics:

• The median annual wage for public relations specialists was 69,780 dollars in May 2024.
• The lowest 10 percent earned less than 40,750 dollars.
• The highest 10 percent earned more than 129,480 dollars.

For people who move into public relations or communications management roles, pay can be substantially higher:

• Public relations managers had a median annual wage of 138,520 dollars in May 2024, with the top 10 percent earning more than 239,200 dollars.

Other sources summarizing BLS data show average PR specialist pay in the mid 60,000s in 2023 with projected growth of about 6 percent through 2033, a bit faster than average for all occupations.

Your military PA background, especially if you have strong writing samples, photo/video portfolio and a degree, can help you compete for:

• Corporate communications and PR roles
• Government public affairs positions
• Nonprofit and NGO communications
• Media and content production jobs

Day in the life of a public affairs specialist

Here is a realistic day for an Army 46S or Air Force 3N0X6 at a large installation.

Morning

• Check email, media queries and social media mentions for overnight issues
• Attend a staff meeting to learn about upcoming exercises, visits and events that need coverage
• Update the day’s coverage plan with your NCOIC or PAO

Late morning

• Grab camera gear and head to a training range where a unit is running an exercise
• Shoot photos and video, conduct short interviews with key personnel
• Take notes on names, ranks, units and quotes for captions and stories

Mid day

• Return to the PA office and download media
• Select and edit the best shots, write captions and file them with the story
• Draft a news article or feature for the base website or social media

Afternoon

• Meet with the PAO to review and edit your story
• Schedule social media posts to share photos with families and the local community
• Help prepare talking points for a commander who has a local TV interview next week

Evening or weekend

• Cover a change of command ceremony, air show or community outreach event
• Share images and short updates in near real time on official channels

On deployment, swap some garrison events for combat patrols, humanitarian missions and high tempo operations. You may embed with units, working long days to capture imagery and stories that document operations and support strategic communication.

Career growth and promotion path

There are clear growth steps in both enlisted and officer tracks.

Enlisted track

• Junior mass communication specialist
  • Focus on learning writing, photo, video and editing basics
  • Complete stories and assignments under close supervision
• Senior specialist / NCO
  • Lead projects and junior troops
  • Manage content calendars, quality control and some media coordination
  • Become the go to person for certain formats (video, graphics, social)
• NCOIC / public affairs chief
  • Manage the PA office or detachment
  • Plan coverage, assign tasks and coordinate with command staff
  • Advise officers on communication and supervise training and development

Enlisted experience can later translate into civilian roles such as videographer, multimedia journalist, communications specialist or social media manager.

Officer track

• Junior PAO
  • Serve at base, wing, brigade or ship level
  • Run small teams, handle media queries and advise local commanders
• Mid grade PAO
  • Move to numbered air forces, fleets, major commands or joint task forces
  • Manage larger teams and more complex communication portfolios
• Senior PAO
  • Serve as chief of public affairs at a major command, component or service level
  • Shape strategic messaging and advise senior leaders, sometimes at the Pentagon or equivalent

Senior PAOs can retire into high level corporate communications or government public affairs leadership roles.

Employment outlook

Public affairs and PR work rides on broader media and communication trends. BLS expects about 6 percent growth in public relations specialist roles from 2023 to 2033, slightly faster than average.

Key trends:

• Ongoing shift toward digital and social media content
• Need for organizations to manage reputational risk, crisis communication and misinformation
• Demand for integrated strategic communication across channels

Within the military, PA remains a core function with constant demand: units always need to tell their story, manage media and keep internal audiences informed. While individual billets can be cut or shifted (for example, some services are adjusting civilian PA slots and emphasizing uniformed roles) the overall need for public affairs is persistent.

If you build strong writing and multimedia skills and stay current with digital tools, both military and civilian opportunities should remain solid.

Advantages of a public affairs career

• Creative work in writing, photography, video and digital media
• Access to many missions and units you get to see a wide slice of the military because you are there to cover their stories
• Direct impact on public understanding and morale
• Marketable civilian skills in communications and PR
• Opportunities to work with senior leaders and media professionals

Challenges and realities

• Deadlines and time pressure when news is breaking or events move fast
• Balancing transparency and security you must share enough without revealing too much
• Occasional crisis and bad news not every story is positive; accidents and controversies are part of the job
• Shift work and irregular hours to match exercises, ceremonies and media cycles
• Public scrutiny your work is visible and will be critiqued

If you enjoy being “on the record” and can take feedback and pressure in stride, these challenges are manageable.

Is this career a good fit for you?

You may be a strong fit for military public affairs if you:

• Love writing, photography, video or social media
• Are curious about people and their stories
• Can talk comfortably with everyone from junior troops to generals and reporters
• Are willing to operate within rules and clearances while still being transparent and honest
• Want skills that will translate directly to civilian communications work

If you are torn between PA, intel, cyber, combat arms or other specialties, it helps to look beneath the surface to your deeper motivational pattern.

Is this career a good fit for you?
Take the MAPP assessment at www.assessment.com to see how your motivational profile aligns with public affairs and other military careers.

The MAPP assessment can highlight whether you are energized by communication, creativity and people centered work, or whether you lean more toward technical analysis, hands on mechanical work, or operational leadership.

How to get started

1. Take the MAPP assessment
   Use your results to confirm that communication, creativity and people work align with your core motivations.
2. Build your communication skills now
   • Write for your school paper, blog or local media
   • Learn photography and basic video editing
   • Practice public speaking and presentations
3. Talk to a recruiter about PA roles
   • For the Army, ask specifically about MOS 46S Public Affairs Mass Communication Specialist
   • For the Air Force, ask about AFSC 3N0X6 Public Affairs
   • For the Navy, ask about the Public Affairs Officer 1650 community and officer programs
4. Prepare your portfolio
   • Save your best writing, photos and videos
   • Consider starting a professional website or portfolio to showcase your work (even for enlisted applicants this can help you stand out)
5. Pursue relevant education
   • Take classes in journalism, PR, communications, design or marketing
   • If you are aiming for PAO, plan a bachelor degree in a strong communications related field
6. Stay within OPSEC and ethics rules
   • Be smart about what you post on social media now; you will later be advising others on the same topic
   • Develop good habits around factual accuracy and attribution

With that foundation, you will be in a strong position to enter public affairs in the military and later decide whether to stay in uniform or move into civilian communications roles.

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