Officials talk to EP-3E
crew
about expected media flood By Carlos Bongioanni, Stars and Stripes
PEARL
HARBOR, Hawaii — Cameras, microphones, tape recorders, blinding lights, endless phone
calls — expect that and a whole lot more.
That’s
what Lt. Cmdr. Conrad Chun told 24 EP-3E crewmembers who arrived here Thursday following
12 days of captivity in China after a collision with a Chinese fighter plane.
Chun is a
spokesman for the Navy’s Pacific Fleet. The past two days, he has been preparing the
crewmembers for the media onslaught they’ll face when they return to the United
States on Saturday. The crewmembers are stationed at a patrol squadron at Naval Air
Station Whidbey Island, Wash., where they are to reunite with loved ones.
Once the
crewmembers return to the States, they will be able to give their personal accounts of the
April 1 incident, Chun said. But they have to be careful not to divulge any classified
information. Chun reminded them of that Thursday.
"These
jobs are inherently secretive," Chun said. "The duties they perform are usually
classified and so they’re not allowed to talk about their jobs."
Some of the
crewmembers are dreading the spotlight, Chun said. Some don’t mind the attention.
"I’ve
been telling them there is a large demand for this story. America would love to know the
whole story, and it’s up to each individual crewmember to decide if they want to say
anything."
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