using the various media and techniques are taught in the various  departments  at  DINFOS  and  are  discussed  in other chapters of this manual and PA Regs. Many service and civilian publications are available in public affairs offices and public libraries that give guidance in the use of  communication  tools. You must use the right channels of communication to accomplish specific tasks or to reach specific publics; otherwise,  much  of  what  a  public  affairs  office  does  is wheelspinning  and  unnecessary  busywork.  An individual can be reached by mail, telephone or personal visit; members of an organization can be reached by letter to the head of the organization, an article in its publication or a talk at a group meeting. To reach every key  individual  in  an  organization  or  public,  it  is sometimes advisable to plan a campaign with special events,   publicity   through   newspapers,   radio   and television  announcements,  bulletin  boards,  mailed announcements  to  key  individuals  and  groups  and personal contact with community leaders. PROJECTS AND ACTIVITIES Community  relations  projects  and  activities  provide occasions  for  or  a  means  of  informing  community publics about an organization and for demonstrating that an organization is a good neighbor. Projects should not be selected just because they sound good or because other organizations have had success  with  them.  Key  considerations  should  be whether  they  seem  suited  to  the  particular  organization and its community and whether it appears that benefits will justify the efforts and resources involved. Some may be incorporated into a command’s program, while others  may  serve  to  stimulate  ideas  for  fresh  and worthwhile  projects.  Projects  and  events  sponsored cooperatively  by  two  or  more  organizations  in  a community  can  make  a  greater  impact  on  community opinion and serve a very useful purpose in a community relations program. Namesake  Ship  Program The launching and commissioning of U.S. Navy ships with state and city names is an excellent way to generate positive community relations at the local or state level. The key to success in building a namesake relationship  lies  in  mustering  the  cooperation  of  state, city, Navy Reserve units, local Navy League and other civic-minded groups, as well as recruiters and the ship itself. Additionally, NAVINFOs play an important role in establishing, and in some cases, re-establishing ship namesake  ties. Base-Community Council Many military installations have a formal com- munity   organization   that   coordinates   community relations on a year-round basis and gives the officer in command a tool with which to coordinate community relations on a year-round basis. These organizations are called   military   advisory   committees,   coordinating councils or community relations councils. The Navy calls it the base-community council. The  base-community  council  embraces  every  area of  common  interest  between  the  two  populations,  such as public safety, health, environmental issues (such as hazardous waste), housing and hospitality, personal welfare,  citizenship  and  commerce.  A  command  can  use this type of organization as a principal tool with which to   fulfill   its   responsibilities   for   favorable   public relations. To  be  effective,  the  base-community  council  must include  in  its  membership  key  military,  governmental and civic leaders and meet regularly to resolve or plan for the prevention of local problems. The PAO and his staff must be thoroughly familiar with the command or unit as well as the local civilian community to provide sound recommendations to the officer in command. Additional  information  on  the  base-community council can be found in PA Regs, Chapter 4. TYPES  OF  COMMUNITY  RELATIONS PROGRAMS Learning  Objective:    Specify the types of community relations  programs. Community  relations  programs  can  be  placed  into the two general groups of remedial and preventive. The  remedial  program  is  focused  toward  trying  to restore  sound  community  relations  after  a  military neighbor  arouses  public  antagonism  and  adverse  public opinion. It is usually born in crisis and often costly in resources. Remedial measures necessary to restore a balance  in  relations  can  often  hamper  mission accomplishment.  An  example  of  this  might  be  the burdensome task of changing the aircraft traffic pattern for  a  naval  air  station  after  irate  citizens  vehemently complained about the noise. If the citizens of the local community  had  been  informed  that  the  aircraft  noise was  related  to  the  unit’s  mission  of  defending  the community   and   nation   against   its   enemies,   the 5-4