One of the challenges of writing a daily firematic blog and serving as a PIO of a volunteer department is making sure that my opinions do not affect my department negatively. This is what I must do regarding the general public’s perception of my department and this is also what I must do in the blogosphere.

I do report on my own department and how we handle public relations and crisis communications occasionally, but I would, in my own opinion, be a fool to make my department look foolish to the folks from across the country who read this blog.

Recently a military blogger and Marine Corps. “civilian public affairs representative” Gina DiNicolo was  fired for disparaging comments she made about a military event, RIMPAC, off the coast of Hawaii. DiNicolo writes for the Military Officers Association of America’s blog Inside the Headquarters.

DiNicolo made fun of the annual exercise which consists of “38 days of nation building and joint operations off the coast of Hawaii.” DiNocolo wrote in her personal blog:

“SNOOZEPAC (her terminology) is 38 days of too many visitors gorging themselves on foreign and U.S. naval delicacies. Air assets become personal taxis transporting their fares from vessel to vessel. Maybe that’s how it got its rep as the world’s largest floating cocktail party.”

Here is the complete post.

DiNocolo said that her blog post is her own point of view and be taken separately from her work as a PR contractor. Obviously, the military thought otherwise.

My feeling? I am in many ways the public face of my department. My personal opinion matters, no matter where I state it.

Should DiNicolo have been fired? What do you think?

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