Simulated News Conference

Unit V Paper

Christopher Fletcher

Columbia Southern University

Introduction

      Due to recent investigations into army recruiter’s backgrounds, many of the recruiters are being kicked out of the recruiting command, and some out of the Army due to circumstances that they have already been punished for.

Fort Knox Crisis

     Information is circulating via social media that a former army recruiter has taken the commanding general of the United States Army Recruiting Command and his staff hostage at Fort Knox, KY.  Reports say that there are several people killed and wounded.  We first learned of this crisis through the help of social media from the personnel inside the building where the incident is currently taking place.  

     We will setup a holding area for the local media while the Deputy Commander, who was not inside the building at the time, finish receiving his brief of the situation; so that we can keep the public informed about what’s actually going on to alleviate any false rumors circulating on social media.  

     We have notified the base police/CID, the local police, as well as the FBI since this is a federal government issue.  Hostage negotiation team has already been in contact with the suspect trying to figure out what it is he wants to happen at this point.  He claims to have the explosives located in different areas of the building, so the military and FBI officials EOD and bomb squad are working together to located possible devices.

     Coordination has also been made with all federal and State emergency response teams should this situation is not resolved in a peaceful manner.

Drafted Statement

     Today around 12:00 hours, we had a suspect enter the Recruiting Command building located here at Fort Knox, KY, he was armed with military issue weapons and did not wear a mask or disguise.  The suspect shot and fatally wounded the guards at the security desk then proceeded to lock the entrance doors.  He then proceeded to the second floor of the building towards the commanding Generals office, wounding five other civilians and soldiers.  Upon entering the CG’s office he encountered another soldier that he had served with during a previous assignment; he let the soldier go without injuries.  That soldier that was released is very key to finding out the purpose of this crisis, he explained and I quote “that the former soldier was disgruntle due to the fact that he was put out of the Army due to something that he did in his past, and he was already punished for it.  Why is he getting punished for this again three years before he can retire”?  We have the former soldier’s name and are in the process of looking at his military records as well as his records while assigned to the recruiting command.  We have our military intelligence, CID, local police, and FBI officials working together to defuse this situation in a manner to where no one else gets hurt.  Communication with the suspect and with all of the organizations on the ground is key to ensure this happens.  I will be the key person which all of the information to the media will flow through; this location that we are in right now will be the rally point for that information to be released as well as videos being posted to the Fort Knox web site for the family members that are not present.  I know we have a lot of concerned family members and loved ones wanted to know what’s going on.  I will provide that information as we gather more details on the situation.  Thank you…