Personnel may be sought for release of a partial list. Accidents  occurring  outside  the  United  States  may require  additional  coordination  with  the  U.S.  embassy or  consulate  to  make  sure  the  host  government  is properly  notified. MULTISERVICE.— In all joint operations, the joint command  PAO  is  responsible  for  all  public  affairs actions regardless if he is of the service that had the accident.  Otherwise,  if  circumstances  permit,  the  parent service of the affected aircraft, vessel or vehicle should make the initial public release. If a Navy representative is  not  immediately  available  for  comment  and  certain facts about the accident are obvious, any other service involved may assist reporters who request information. An indication should be made that the information is interim in nature, that the information is confined to the basic known facts, and that an investigation is being made or will be made. NON-NAVY CIVILIANS.— In a unified command area, action will be directed by the unified commander. In other areas, notification will be made by message or telephone  to  the  authority  responsible  for  coordination of  public  affairs.  If  national  interest  is  anticipated, CHINFO  will  be  informed.  Appropriate  civil  authorities also will be informed. Public release of the names of non-Navy civilian casualties is at the discretion of the command concerned. If it is considered advisable to release this information before the next of kin have been notified,  a  statement  on  the  status  of  this  notification should be included in the release. AUTHORITATIVE   BACKGROUND INFORMATION The equipment involved in naval disasters is often highly  technical.  The  circumstances  surrounding  a collision at sea or aircraft accident are usually unfamiliar to the layman. To report the facts in context, it is important that the media  fully  understand  what  has  happened.  Such understanding  may  also  help  them  to  be  sympathetic  in their  reporting  of  why  it  happened. Technical  manuals  usually  seem  confusing  and unnecessarily detailed to the uninitiated. The public affairs staff, in many cases, cannot explain technicalities or specialized operations. An attempt to do so, without thorough  knowledge,  can  only  lead  to  additional confusion. Soon  after  the  initial  announcement  concerning  the loss of a nuclear submarine, the Navy made certain technical   experts   available   to   answer   specialized questions  concerning  submarine  operations.  One  of these was the former CO of a nuclear submarine. This officer, who himself had taken a nuclear submarine under the arctic ice fields, spent several hours providing background information to the Pentagon press corps. He also appeared in a number of televised interviews. While being careful to avoid speculation as to the cause of the disaster, he did provide enough technical data to enable stories to be written accurately. He was also able to dispel  a  number  of  unfounded  stories  and  rumors  which circulated  soon  after  the  sinking.  One  Pentagon  news reporter  remarked  that  these  briefings  contributed greatly to the excellent public relations associated with the  disaster. Background  information  which  may  seem  to  be remote  or  “too  much  trouble”  in  the  hectic  hours following a disaster may be the most important in the long run. DEBRIEFING SURVIVORS On several occasions, it has been noted that disaster survivors were interviewed by the news media without having been debriefed by the PAO or an assistant from his staff. Debriefing is a private meeting at which the survivors are interviewed to determine their experiences and  counsel  them  about  their  upcoming  meeting  with reporters.  Other  cognizant  personnel  must  also  be present  to  offer  specific  guidance.  Debriefing  may  not be possible when reporters are taken to the disaster scene,  but  a  knowledgeable  escort  can  help  the  reporter to keep information obtained from interviews in context. Individuals in the midst of a disaster often do not know the full story of what has happened. They sometimes tend  to  generalize  statements  based  on  their  own experiences  in  isolated  areas  of  the  disaster. In an operational disaster the survivors may not know exactly what can be said about the work in which they were engaged. One result is that they refuse to answer  any  questions  and  therefore  become  “unco- operative,”   calling   unnecessary   attention   to   the classified  circumstances  surrounding  the  accident. There is also the possibility of a survivor performing his own security review based on an incomplete knowledge of  the  disaster  or  operation. Certain survivors may be disgruntled about the operation or the ship and attempt to place blame on faulty  equipment,  poor  leadership,  long  hours,  and  so forth. The reporters, who have no way of knowing the reliability of the person, use exactly what they are told. 2-28