JOINT BASE LEWIS-McCHORD, Wash. -- Talking about what you do as a Citizen Airman helps educate the public on the important role the Air Force Reserves plays in ensuring our nation’s defense.
Joining the Rainier Wing’s Speakers Bureau helps educate community organizations, schools, civic leaders, and veteran’s organizations.
A Speakers Bureau is essentially a roster of volunteers from the wing that Public Affairs can pull from to arrange speaking engagements with community organizations. The Public Affairs office often gets requests from groups interested in learning more about the jobs Rainier Wing Airmen perform.
Having a roster of volunteers who are willing to speak about subjects they are personally involved educates the public about the 446th Airlift Wing can ultimately generate a positive relationship with the public.
“Groups who request a speaker from the wing vary widely as do the subjects they want to hear about,” said Maj. Brooke Davis, 446th AW PA chief. “When you get out into the community to educate them on what you do as a Reservist as well as in your fulltime job demonstrates the level of dedication it takes to be a Reservist. That can be a very rewarding experience.”
The types of speaking opportunities can vary, but some of the most common requests we receive include schools, chambers of commerce, city governments, community centers, museums, military retiree groups and social clubs, just to name a few.
Some requests are very specific, such as an aviation club wanting to hear from an Air Force Reserve pilot, while others requests are looking for someone to speak about the Air Force Reserve in general.
Why join the speaker's bureau?
Your PA team does our best to make telling our Air Force Reserve story easy and informative to the public. But, we are not the experts. You are… you are the experts that come in and make the Rainier Wing mission successful.
We are looking for speakers from all the career fields. You are the expert at what you do and you should be the one to tell your story. We want to hear from you.
Once you volunteer to be on our list of go-to experts, from time to time, you'll receive an e-mail with the subject "Speaking Opportunities." There'll be a list of the "who, what, when, where, how, and why" for a speaking opportunity.
You decide whether you're interested in volunteering for a request. If you are, simply click "Reply" and tell us you want to do the speaking or want more details. If you decide you want to join the Rainier Wing Speakers Bureau contact the 446th Airlift Wing public affairs office, (253) 982-3330 or 446AW.PA@us.af.mil.