"You Go To War with the Army You Have‟, Not the Army You Might Want or Need: A Case Study in Army Mediated Crisis Management

Author

Charles M. Spears, University of Tennessee - Knoxville

Date of Award

5-2008

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science

Major Professor

Dorothy Bowles

Committee Members

Dwight Teeter, Carolyn Lepre

Abstract

In December 2004, an enlisted soldier challenged the Secretary of Defense on international television and caused a media crisis situation in Kuwait and Washington D.C. that created a historic opportunity for military public affairs professionals to react to the press with electronic news gathering (ENG) technology. This case study examines how the Army responded from Kuwait and subjects these events to models of response generated by Coombs (1995) and Hale et al (2005). The intent is to examine the media crisis response strategies employed by the Coalition Forces Land Component Command (CFLCC) and to compare them with strategies that have been identified and addressed in contemporary crisis management literature.

Recommended Citation

Spears, Charles M., ""You Go To War with the Army You Have‟, Not the Army You Might Want or Need: A Case Study in Army Mediated Crisis Management. " Master's Thesis, University of Tennessee, 2008.
https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_gradthes/450