Protocol officer makes visitors feel welcome

When VIPs visit Fort Gordon, Paulette Arrington is busy in the background making sure everything goes smoothly.

As the protocol officer for the U.S. Army Signal Center, her primary job is to make sure that visitors are made to feel at home on the installation.

"The most important thing to remember about protocol is that it's a common-sense-type job," she said. "You treat people the way you want to be treated. If you treat them with the same courtesies you would want people to show you, then everything else will fall into place."

Mrs. Arrington has been in the position for 10 years and has worked at Fort Gordon for 37.

Her duties include advising the Signal Center general and command staff on protocol; planning functions; creating itineraries; arranging escorts and transportation for VIPs; setting up billeting; sending out invitations; and training ushers for events.

"We are in the background to make sure that everything that goes on is in line with our procedures and policies," she said of her office. "We want to make sure that everything goes smoothly and if there is a little hiccup that we fix it quickly and in a way that no one notices that there was a hiccup."

Over the years, she has seen VIPs of various ranks and positions, including members of Congress, four-star generals, the mayor and county commissioners, visit Fort Gordon.

Last year, her office assisted with the visits of more than 800 VIPs, she said.

"We are never bored," she said. "We are in one of those jobs where there is something new every day. We are always preparing for someone's visit or for a function."

Mrs. Arrington especially enjoys meeting people.

"I'm a people person. I like to talk to people and make them comfortable," she said. "One of the most amazing things, I think, is that these are very important people with very busy schedules, but they are very down to earth. It's a joy to be around them."

Reach Nikasha Dicks at (706) 823-3336 or nikasha.dicks@augustachronicle.com.