Zoriah The Pariah And The Military

Posted By The Wolf

I inadvertently published this before completing the post- for those that saw it and wondered what happened, it was a mistake.  I finished the post and this is the result.

With a name more attuned to a magician working the Poconos, you'd think he'd have picked something a bit more 'zippy'.  Like Z-man. Troops could identify with that, eh?

Anyway, he's going to be performing his own disappearing act from Iraq soon; heck, I'll give him a ride out if it gets him out sooner.  Zippy, call my people...  See page 7 of the S&S today.

I've got some history with this type of activity- as the one who made assignments for the media in Iraq, and arranged embeds, approved/disapproved them, or relayed that information made by those senior to me, I've got some insight into what some of the thoughts are behind the decisions (or not) of those PAO-types in Iraq.

First off, let me say that those PAO officers of ANY ilk that are not backing their Marine brothers (telling Z that they understand his position, etc) are being completely disingenuous and should be removed from any position that relates to media involvement.  Grow a spine, you dolts. If YOU had removed someone for something similar, ya think the Marines would let them in?  Doubt it...

In Sept. of 2004, while trying to get back into the pigeon hole they were trying to keep me in, I received a call from my boss saying ''Geraldo screwed up again- head down to (LZ) Washington and pick his sorry ass up coming in from Camp Fallujah.''

''What happened?'' I asked.

''Dunno.  Just that he thoroughly pissed off the Marines after only 4 hours in Anbar and they uh, 'released' him.''

''So what am I supposed to do with him?  Take him to dinner?''

''Take him over to Victory and let him set up over there.  He has some live feeds to do.  See what you can do.''

''Roger. Ugh.''  I was NOT looking forward to meeting up with a crew that had been booted; I had seen them in the CPIC prepping to go out (the entire crew, including Geraldo and Craig, his brother/producer, slept on couches in the CPIC.  Showered in the restrooms.  Heh. Far from glamerous, that was.)  I immediately called the Marine PAO's over at Camp Fallujah; they offered no info on what caused or why the crew was sent back.  Only that 'they didn't follow protocol.'  Since the local commander has full authorization to allow/disallow any media embeds depending on missions and availability of support, they were well within their prerogative to have the crew removed.  Which they did.  So I got stuck with them for 4 days.  That's another story.

So what's this have to do with Z?  Precedent has been set in removing/barring media for various reasons.  The base document that was produced to cover embeds is here.  Look at pg. 10, para 4.h.1.

4.H.1.  MEDIA REPRESENTATIVES WILL BE REMINDED OF THE SENSITIVITY OF USING NAMES OF INDIVIDUAL CASUALTIES OR PHOTOGRAPHS THEY MAY HAVE TAKEN WHICH CLEARLY IDENTIFY CASUALTIES UNTIL AFTER NOTIFICATION OF THE NOK AND RELEASE BY
OASD(PA).

Now, compare this paragraph to the SIGNED agreement, which every media person is required to review and sign, here.

8. The media organization and the media employee understand and agree that the Government may terminate the embedding process at any time and for any reason, as the Government determines appropriate in its sole discretion.

The italics are not mine; those are in the base document.  That said, the commander on the ground, as well as the senior PAO in theater, has full jurisdiction to remove any media as they see fit.  They well know that doing so may risk some 'bad press' and a possibly lengthy review, but they CAN and WILL do it.  My boss had also previously removed Geraldo for his drawing the map on the ground in March of '03 (and only after notifying LTG McKiernan's XO he was about to do so due to the anticipated fallout.  XO's reply: ''you're the expert... do what's best''.) 

The media agreement has been updated somewhat, but the provisions are the same; it is expected that there will be 'less than perfect' or 'less than desirable' outcomes at times, but that is the benefit of having free speech.  In Z's event, knowing what unit he was with from previous blogs, and who he was traveling with, allowed one to 'interpret' who the KIA may have been.  This is a key element- while he claims to have waited for NOK notification, there is every possibility that he didn't wait LONG enough, and someone reading may have seen that picture, known the unit, and believed the KIA was a relative or passed it to someone believing them to be a relative who was not notified.  This part has nothing to do with the way his posts were written, nor with how he presented material; he is free to publish it, but he must realize- they don't like it, you will be dis-invited.

What if he wrote such horrendously bad material that it was too embarrassing to allow him to continue?  Same thing.  ''Dude, you write like a 3d grader- leave now'' is definitely something I would do.  Not likely, but you never know.

The Marines are extremely media-savvy; at times, the Army could do well to learn from them.  And its not necessarily the training- nearly all DoD journo's are trained at Ft Meade's DINFOS school, so its the application of the knowledge and training that's the difference.  They apply it differently, and get a different result.  I'm good with that.

I once had to take a Rolling Stone reporter to an embed; this chick showed up wearing a light cotton blouse, linen capri-style slacks, and light white sandals.  I told her 'WTF- where do you think you're going???  Saks?''  She replied ''I've traveled all over Lebanon like this- whats the deal?''

''You're going to an Najaf; there is a battle going on there- think you have HALF a chance to keep up in that getup?''

I should have canceled her trip right then and there, but I was told to put her on the chopper; wish I had done differently, and next time, I WILL cancel the trip if the rep shows up so willfully unprepared.  You media types note that, hear?

Z could have written what he did, could have published whatever, but save the photo's for later- for his book, for his memoirs, whatever; but to claim what he does and then wonder why he's canned, well, get a clue.  You have an impact on morale- commanders have full discretion to do whatever it takes to maintain morale, and Z impacted it negatively.  Remove him, and all others who do the same.

Now, should OCPA or DoD or the WH change course and decide they'll let pics of caskets or KIA or otherwise proliferate the media in the future, things may be different.  But given that up til now we have NOT permitted that, its not likely to change anytime soon.  I'm sick of these guys claiming they are 'middle of the road' when they plainly are NOT, and have an agenda.  If he's so blatently blinded to his own perceptions, he needs a trip down to DEOMI- they'll bring those out quite readily- whether or not you want it out.

-Wolf

If You Happen To Be In Denver Over The Fourth of July

Posted By The Wolf

Then you are cordially invited to join us in Thornton for what WILL BE the seminal event in Colorado over the 4th.

I was asked to join the Thornton Veterans Memorial Committee a couple of months back, which is a committee of local citizens building a memorial to veterans here in our area.  As a fund raiser, we are bringing in the Vietnam Traveling Memorial Wall over the 4th of July weekend.  As Jimbo has stated previously, he and several others will be here over the weekend to meet, greet, and talk with vets of all kinds, and work on various projects in the hopper.  I'm further extending the offer, and providing a few details of the weekend to come.  It WILL BE worth a trip to Denver (and heck, who doesn't want to drive thru the mountains in the summer?)

The wall will be here and on display from July 3d thru the 6th in Thornton, CO.  After the jump, all the juicy details (that I know for now) as well as links to the location of the event.

I'll have much, much more up about the memorial that's being built soon- and wow, WHAT a fantastic project.

Continue reading "If You Happen To Be In Denver Over The Fourth of July"

Military Millionaires

Posted By The Wolf

Just imagine.

If you’re brave enough and willing, the Army can be a lucrative career.

You've served 20+ years in the military.  Been all over the globe.  From decent hotels to crappy tents in the mud and muck to 130-degree days in the desert.  All for what?

To retire as a millionaire?  How is this possible?  According to Sen Kerry and ilk, you can only get stuck in the military if you have no options.  And to retire as a millionaire?

Well, you certainly are not going to flash some Trump-level bling while you are in the service.  You might get to ride some of the most expensive vehicles in the world (M1 tanks) or fly your own private jet (think A-10 or F-22) but you don't own it.  But, according to this CNN blog entry, if you manage your money well and your career, you can quite readily retire in a very, very comfortable position.

What I particularly enjoyed about this article was the comments section- it was/is EXPANSIVE.  Amazing amount of input and stories here about service people, pay, and money.

...Matthew and Kristen met in 2004 while stationed at Ft. Bragg, and married a year and a half later. Now both 27, Matthew is training in Ft. Leonard Wood, Mo. to be a military police commander, while Kristen is training in Ft. Huachuca, Ariz. to be a military intelligence commander. Together they earn an annual salary of $133,000.

Folks, as you well know that's not pocket change.  While there are a lot of caveats and conditions with this, for others around the country, comparably for Captains that's not bad income.   That would place you in the upper nine percent of US household incomes. 

In 2006, the median annual household income was $48,201.00 according to the US Census Bureau

And guess what?  Race, religion, ethnicity, etc do NOT factor into the salary of these soldiers.  The Asian or Hispanic Captains will be making the same as these two.  The African-American couple wouldn't have to wonder if they're appropriately compensated compared to the others.  They are all the same, given years of service are the same.  Now, given their savings amounts, they're actually well ahead of most others.  I do question how much life insurance they have, and what they're paying.  I mean, SGLI should be far more than adequate to cover them.  Combined, they have over a million dollars worth of coverage for about 40 bucks a month (according to the article, they pay $160 a month for life insurance).  Why would they need more??

Anyway, enjoy the article and be sure to read the comments!!

-Wolf

Signs of the Apocolypse

Posted By The Wolf

Interesting goings- on in DC, as usual.

Seems the moon-bats are beginning to gather courage.  As I have stated numerous times (see HERE  and HERE and HERE ) troops ARE being assaulted for being in uniform.  IN OUR NATIONS CAPITOL, no less.

Michael Yon has some details on troops being assaulted in the DC metro. Like the vampires or whatever they were in the movie 'I Am Legend' they are growing accustomed to the light and becoming even more forward.  See the comments in Michelle Malkins entry at this posting and the outrage expressed.

Why haven't 'normal' citizens spoke up?  Damn, if I'm NOT in uniform, and I see someone do this, you can ENSURE I'm not turning the other cheek.  No, I'm not advocating violence (except if I see bodily fluids) but it won't go unpunished, either.

Why is it they are such a lightening rod for this?  Me thinks that with the huge amount of protests and nuttiness SURE to happen this summer here in Denver, and that the Guard is likely to be called out, it's going to get mucho worso before long.

I cannot believe that Blackfive readers would be so silent as to stand by and let our troops take such belligerence.  What WOULD you do in the face of such disgusting behavior? 

Just plain infuriating...

-Wolf

A GREAT Deed rewarded for a fine young man...

Posted By The Wolf

I mentioned earlier that I had some GOOD news to share with you.  This young man will definitely go far.  In fact, I may get a chance to have him participate in a special ceremony this summer.

From the Denver Post:

Eighth-grade patriot receives flag from Iraq

Eighth-grade Evergreen Middle School student Jeff Sahli didn't realize the meeting in the school theater last week would highlight his choice to keep the flag waving at the school every day. He thought it was a chance for the eighth-grade class to show off their Ferris wheel projects.

But interim principal Jane Sutera had other ideas.

"Jeff has been raising and lowering the flag outside the school every day - at his request. When the flag became tattered, his parents Cindy and Don Sahli of Evergreen, replaced it," she said.

At the beginning of the school year, Jeff asked the principal if he could have the responsibility of putting the U.S. flag up and taking it down every day at school.

When the first flag wore out, Jeff and his parents replaced it at their own expense. Word of Jeff's patriotism reached a U.S. Army unit serving in Iraq. The soldiers of the 138th Fires Brigade flew a flag in Jeff's honor in Baghdad - the flag will was presented to him during the surprise ceremony. The soldiers said they were touched by Jeff's dedication and patriotism.  A member of the brigade heard about Jeff's dedication, they flew a flag in his honor in Iraq, and that flag was folded and mounted and presented to Jeff in the surprise ceremony with a letter from the Brigade.

His parents were told by Sutera only that Jeff was going to receive something special and they needed to be there. The family was surprised and moved by the attention.

In a preface to the presentation, Sutera told the eighth-graders, "This is about who you are and the choices you make. Some people make choices others don't notice. When the flag needed to be replaced, it was done so quietly. This is a tribute to Jeff's good citizenship and dedication."

Jeff thanked one of his buddies for helping him put up the flag each day. His parents said he plans to go to a military camp this summer.

His mother said she thought his passion, dedication and interest in the military came from his soul. Jeff goes to Elk Run Assisted Living center in Evergreen and visits with residents there.

"He watches the History Channel," his mother said.

Contributed by: Karen Groves/YourHub.com on 5/15/2008

Not Just In Detroit, Either...

Posted By The Wolf

Good Monday morning-

I ran across this fantastic article while perusing my news feeds- and thought it was an EXCELLENT denunciation of some of the conditions in our schools.

Mr. Finley writes of the lack of patriotism taught in local schools; I say it ain't just local, sir. 

At a recent conference on the future of the military, an Army major was asked what subject should be emphasized in high school to better prepare young people for military service and encourage them to join up.

I guessed either math, because of the increased complexity and computerization of weapons systems, or physical education, because of the flabby condition of America's youth.

The major's answer: "Government."

He goes on to say this- which sums up what's completely lacking across America:

"The lack of understanding about what makes America exceptional in the world has a great impact on the willingness of people to defend America."

Bingo.  As is this line:

"If you look at the television shows, movies and music, and actually much of the political class, there are people out there who seem to want America to fail," Warren says. "That gets echoed in the media and trickles down to the schools."

Be sure to drop Mr. Finley a line.  His email is at the end of this outstanding article, after the jump.

I'll be posting another shortly on what IS right- and gives me hope for some of our future.

-Wolf

Continue reading "Not Just In Detroit, Either..."

This just in...

Posted By The Wolf

I came across this wonderful blog the other morning while checking my Google News feeds- The full text is below the fold.  Its a wonderful support piece that deserves wide dissemination.  She obviously loves her soldier- even if she disagrees with the politics behind everything...

I also just returned from Kuwait/Iraq where I was on a quick trip to check up on things; I had a chance to talk with one of the Soldier's favorite morning DJ's- Linda, who's STILL on every morning in Kuwait on 99.7 FM.  She's still doing her show, and tells me she misses the calls from Soldier's who were ''all over Kuwait'' in 2003.  She relayed some stories of US troops, heading north to the border, listening to her show all the way.  She says you can hear her show nearly all the way to Najaf.  I won't comment on her music selection, but what a perky voice to be hearing out in the middle of the desert!

She asked that I relay a 'hello' to all those that listened to her over the years, and for all to stay safe...

Linda, better words never spoken...

-Wolf

Continue reading "This just in... "

''Propaganda'' Indeed....

Posted By The Wolf

A few posts ago, in response to 'Tops' story I posted,  it was commented that the info was just all 'propaganda'. 

Mike Totten, a real fave around here, posts a new piece about his visit to a completely Iraqi-run jail (no, not prison, and he states the difference).  It is a mind-blowing visit:

“It's bad in there,” he said as we walked toward the jail. “But I've seen worse.”

“Where have you seen worse?” I said. He looked like someone who had been around. The hard lines in his face looked as though they were carved by sobering experience as much as by time.

...“can you believe this building is only three years old?” Sergeant Dehaan said to me.

“What?” I said.

No, I didn’t believe it. The building looked at least sixty years old, and it looked as though no maintenance work had ever been done. Floor tiles were broken, the foundation was cracked, the stairs were uneven, and the walls were utterly filthy as though they hadn’t been painted once since I’ve been alive.

Be sure to read the ending and follow those links.  And no, this is no rehash of Abu Ghuraib...

-Wolf

SpouseBuzz Live at Fort Bragg

Posted By Blackfive

SpouseBuzz is at Fort Bragg this morning.  You can watch the event remotely by going here.

Go here to see the panel topics.

Five Years At The Parkway Rest Stop

Posted By Laughing_Wolf

It is hard to believe that Jim has been at this for five years. If you haven't read Parkway Rest Stop, you are missing some good stuff. Jim's time in the Army, as well as in law school, take a delightful twist in the MASTER SGT. JOHN “JACK” STEELE, ADJUNCT PROFESSOR OF LAW series. Jim was one of the first blogs I read, and I actually went to one of the Helen Blog Meets to meet him (and Rob). It was good to do so, even if I did have to put up with someone yodelling the Loch Tay Boat Song down by the creek at the time... *G* Jimbo (the original, that is) it's not just the hair -- it's five years of Farookin great posts and thoughts as well as the hair.

LW
who thanks Tammi for the kick under the table to remind me I needed to read some blogs today...

A Surgeon's Letters Home From Iraq

Posted By Blackfive

Let me introduce you to Chris, a USAF Surgeon, and milblogger at "Made A Difference" on his second tour in Iraq:

...Last night I treated two enemy prisoners of war. The confusion in this war makes it hard to even choose a title for the persons that our security forces take into custody. Sometimes they are internees, sometimes insurgents, and other times they are security detainees. I don’t know what term to use for them, I only know that when they make it to our hospital, we try to help. There have been times when new intelligence surfaces and patients classified as Iraqi civilians have been taken into custody. Other times, patients classified as enemy prisoners of war are determined to be harmless and custody is lifted. Detainees get the same treatment that our US troops receive. They are under constant guard by security forces, military police, or the Ugandan sentry contractors who protect our hospital. They are always blindfolded. At times they are secured to their gurneys with restraints. But they receive the same antibiotics, the same dressings and undergo the same operations as all other patients. Some staff may remark “this one’s a bad guy” or “he got what he deserved” but these same staff sweat blood and give 110% effort to keep these prisoners alive. If a detainee is hemorrhaging and needs blood, there is no shortage of troops who roll up their sleeves and give of themselves unhesitatingly...

Go here to read more (and scroll through the archives) about our unsung heroes - our healers at Made A Difference.

MKH visits Hilly's HQ

Posted By Uncle Jimbo

This is some good funny, although MK and the crew from TownHall are a little too convincing as Dem Dronebots, scary.

Carla from Some Soldier's Mom reminds.

I cannot imagine being in a combat zone, thousands of miles from home... on Christmas... and not having one present to open...so I did my annual what to send... what not to send... when to send... mailing tips... how to adopt a soldier/sailor/marine... post so please pass this around Christmas Packages For Troops

And Herschel Smith has some thoughts on the nascent victory in Iraq.

A Well Deserved Honor

Posted By Blackfive

Mike Yon was awarded the best Military Web Log award.  Well deserved.  And, a class act, wrote a thank you to all.

And congrats to Alex Horton who writes at Army of Dude and was the runner up.  While Alex and I don't exactly align in the political spectrum, I like his writing and I am looking forward to see what he does with Army of Dude.

A Request from Blackfive

Posted By Blackfive

Along with Blackfive, some of your favorite Military Blogs were nominated as finalists in the 2007 Web Log Awards (Military Blog category).  At this time there is some effort underway by "progressives that want to end the occupation of Iraq" to support their guy (who happens to be a good guy, whatever you think about his politics).  With that kind of voting effort, I'm going to something that I've never done before - openly solicit your votes for a specific candidate for best military blog.

Go now and vote for Michael Yon. Let's put our collective weight behind my friend and ensure that he gets the award that he deserves.  No one has done or accomplished what Mike Yon has accomplished and continues to do.  Get to it.

When you're done voting for Mike, here's some other votes you should think about casting to help our military family and friends.  Click on the category title to go vote!

Best of the Top 2501 - 3500 Blogs
Vote for Major Chuck Ziegenfuss's "From My Position"

Best Diarist
Vote for A-dub's - Army Wife Toddler Mom

Best of the Top 251 - 500 Blogs
Baldilocks
Knowledge Is Power

Best Blog
Michelle Malkin
Town Hall
Captain's Quarters

Best Individual Blogger
Instapundit

Best Online Community
Little Green Footballs

Best Conservative Blog
The whole slate of 'em have been good to us

Best Comic Strip
Day By Day - Chris Muir

Best LGBT Blog
Gay Patriot

Best Religious Blog
Evangelical Outpost

Best Podcast
Pundit Review
The Glenn and Helen Show
The Pentagon Channel

Best Video Blog
Hot Air
Mary Katherine Ham (MKH) - Ham Nation

Best Middle East or Africa Blog
Michael J. Totten - Middle East Journal
Iraq the Model

Best Latino, Caribbean, or South American Blog
Babalu Blog

Best of the Top 250 Blogs
My Pet Jawa
Just One Minute
Gateway Pundit
Blue Star Chronicles
Red State

A Salute to the Ten Million

Posted By Blackfive

*static*

Attention on the net! 

This is Blackfive with FLASH traffic.

Sometime today, Blackfive.net's 10,000,000th unique visitor stopped by.  At this time, we've had 5,433 Posts (this is the 5,434th), 85,505 Comments, and 23,428 Trackbacks (registered inbound links).  I'm still getting hatemail, but some of the email from the troops thanking us for Blackfive easily balances it out.  Here's one from a Airborne Medic:

...It's nice to know that you guys are just as angry at war protesters and weird liberals as we are. The guys that were deployed for the past 15 months [unit redacted: Airborne Infantry] have so much respect and love for your site that I believe we've started our own little fan club...

And this one from a family in Texas:

For a long time I have been wanting to thank you for the articles, videos, and links you present here. If I didn't have Blackfive to check in with to get my daily dose of The Truth I am not sure what I would do. Especially appreciate when you post opportunities to help or support our fighting men and women. Such as the notices of email campaigns and such.

Been a long time reader. Finally got off my duff to say "Thank you." For this blog. For your service to the country. And you are still serving. Still defending her through your efforts here. To say "Thank you." is just so inadequate.

Please accept the gratitude of this family in Texas for the good work that goes on here!

I just wanted to say "Thanks to all of you!"...for all of your visits, sharing a laugh, getting to know some amazing people, help in busting some chops when needed, support and care of wounded and their families, and remembering those who gave all.  Thanks, too, to the other authors -  especially the newbies back from Iraq and Afghanistan, Mr. Wolf and Deebow - for joining us. 

No way in heaven, hell, or right here on this planet, did I ever think I'd see 10 million visitors, thousands of subscribers, joint embed projects to Iraq and the Philippines with Bill Roggio's PMI, a book project published by Simon & Schuster, being thanked by the President of the United States of America for Blackfive, or the launch of BlackfiveTV.  None of it, nada, zilch, nein, zip, nil, zero - would be possible without you.  You have given us all the gift to be able make a difference. 

Thank you.

Hey, wait a minute.

Did I just say "BlackfiveTV"?

@#$%!

Blackfive, OUT!

*static*

[Remember, if you can't pick up a rifle, then do something.]

Please, click the donate button and help support our wounded soldiers!

MilBlog Overhaul - "From My Position...On the Way!"

Posted By Blackfive

Check out Chuck's new digs...

Army MilBlogging Survey at U of Texas (Austin)

Posted By Blackfive

I've been asked to post this to cast as wide a net as possible to capture the thoughts of milbloggers in a survey conducted by some grad students at UT.

Army Milblogging Survey Announcement

Brandon Bollom and Matt Payne, two communication researchers at the University of Texas at Austin are conducting a survey about the Army's recent OPSEC (Operations Security) rules update as it impacts the milblogging community.

The researchers invite former and current Army-affiliated milbloggers to take a short and confidential online survey regarding their blogging practices.  To receive a link to the survey, please email your name and blog address (the URL) to these University of Texas researchers at: UTresearchers@gmail.com

The accuracy of this project depends on the participation of the Army's milblogging community. The researchers thank you in advance for your time and assistance. Any questions about the survey or the project can be sent to UTresearchers@gmail.com

If you are a Army military blogger (milblogger), send an email to Brandon and Matt at the University of Texas.

The 2007 Weblog Awards - Voting is now open

Posted By Blackfive

Go here and vote for your favorite Military Blog.

Here is where you can find the entire list of Categories to vote on.

The Nominations for the 2007 Web Log Awards are now open

Posted By Blackfive

The most excellent Kevin Aylward has opened the nominations for the largest and most voted upon blog awards in the world.  The 2007 Web Log Awards will be handed out at the Blog World Expo in Las Vegas on November 8th and 9th where Uncle Jimbo and I will be *cough* maintaining high standards of professionalism and decorum (if "professionalism and decorum" really mean "intoxication and hilarity").

Nominations are being accepted until October 15, 2007 in the following 49 categories:

Best Blog
Best New Blog
Best Individual Blogger
Funniest Blog
Best Comic Strip
Best Online Community
Best Liberal Blog
Best Conservative Blog
Best Political Coverage ***
Best Celebrity Blog ***

Topic Area Categories
Best Technology Blog
Best Sports Blog
Best Military Blog
Best Law Blog
Best Business Blog
Best LGBT Blog
Best Parenting Blog
Best Education Blog
Best Science Blog
Best Medical/Health Issues Blog
Best Religious Blog ***
Best Pet Blog ***
Best Food Blog ***

More categories after the Jump:

Continue reading "The Nominations for the 2007 Web Log Awards are now open"

Nikita and Mahmoud

Posted By Grim

What's the difference between character and statecraft?  This is a question that apparently never crossed the mind of historian Rick Perlstein, who wrote an interesting but badly mistaken piece comparing Nikita Krushchev's visit in 1959 to this week's visit by the president of Iran.

Let me put before you an illustrative example: one week in September of 1959, when, much like one week in September of 2007, American soil supported a visit by what many, if not most Americans agreed was the most evil and dangerous man on the planet.

Perlstein suggests that the respectful welcome granted to Krushchev pointed to a confident, mature American character; whereas the rude reception given Ahmadinajad  at Columbia was the mark of immaturity.  To be specific, he thinks the immaturity comes from the fact that American character has been damaged by years of "conservative rule," which he says is "rewiring our hearts and minds" in bad ways.

Given that hypothesis, I would have liked to have seen some evidence that conservatives exercise some sort of rule at Columbia.  It's beside the point, however, since the analogy is even more deeply flawed than that:  the reception of Kruschev was an act of the United States government, whereas the business at Columbia was an act of a private entity.  The actual US government reception was to ignore the visit as much as possible, so much so that Bush played down the Iranian issue in his own speech at the United Nations.

How to explain the difference in Krushchev's reception and the current one?  It isn't a question of character, but statecraft.  In 1959, the United States was aware that the Soviet Union was increasingly powerful, and not going anywhere.  There was no choice but engagement.  Krushchev got the full reception because the whole point of his visit was to engage him.  We wanted to talk to him, and we wanted to do so with all the diplomatic formalities that smooth the process.

In the current case, the strategy is to avoid doing anything that might legitimize the Iranian president, or increase his base of support within his own country.  His government is not popular with its citizens, and it is in our national interest not to do anything to make them seem more powerful or legitimate.  It's noteworthy that Bush's speech at the UN went on about Zimbabwe and Myanmar, but had fairly little to say about Iran -- at least, directly.

The visit to Columbia, far from being part of the plan, was not welcome because it gave him more attention on the world stage.  I'd say it went about as well as it might have, and in any event, America is a free country whose citizens are not bound by the desires of their government.  That said, the Columbia visit wasn't part of the State Department's vision.

It ought to be fairly obvious that diplomacy is driven by the statecraft aims of a given administration, rather than by our "national character" at large; for that matter, it ought to be relatively clear that whatever "rule" conservatives may exercise in America, they exercise little at Columbia.  Perlstein accuses his country of "bed wetting" at the spectre of having a bad man visit; but really, America was content to ignore him.  It was Columbia that wanted to give him a platform, and it was their administration that chose to be rude to him.  Neither the American character in general, nor conservatives in particular, had much to do with it.

More Good Citizen Reporting from Iraq

Posted By Grim

My fellow Georgian Jeff Emanuel, has been producing some outstanding stuff from his embed, currently with the 82nd Airborne.

The Talking With Heroes project is in its editing stage.  If you missed the "Interview with an Iraqi Patriot," you should take some time to read it.

And as always, keep your eye on The Dawn Patrol at the Mudville Gazette.

Mike Yon's Bread and Circuses Part 1 of 2

Posted By Blackfive

Mike Yon witnessed Operation Arrow Ripper in Baqubah:

...As the attack unfolded, about a thousand Iraqis fled their homes, and it was the job of C-52 to screen for al Qaeda. Some al Qaeda—who cross-dressed and tried to slip out as women—were caught when their disguises failed. Some Iraqis reported that homes in their areas had been destroyed, and I recall one saying that people were trapped in the rubble, though civilian deaths from our attacks were so low they were difficult to count. (I had free range and was specifically watching for civilian fatalities, yet did not see any civilians killed by us during the attack.)

The deliberate pace of the attack, the systematic and thorough process of clearing the city house by house, street by street, and block by block, were factors in this; but the civilian and military casualties were also kept low by the unexpected and overwhelming cooperation of ordinary Iraqi citizens, who pointed out the enemy and many of the bombs set to ambush troops...

Mike talks about the build up to the battle, the surrounding of Baqubah, and the success that C-52 begins to have.  Mike ends with a teaser that you want to keep checking his online magazine for Part 2...

Just Wanted to Say Hi to My Buddies in the AWRAC

Posted By Blackfive

Good friend and Blackfive reader, Uncle Ben, was recently traveling across the country and spotted a soldier sitting alone at an airport restaurant.  Ben walks over, introduces himself, and buys the soldier lunch.

Ben asks soldier, "What do you do for the Army?"

Soldier, "I'm in the Army's Web Risk Assessment Cell."

Ben, "What's that?"

Soldier, "We evaluate military blogs, web sites, My Space pages and the like for information that shouldn't be made public."

Ben, "You ever hear of Blackfive?"

Soldier laughs, "Yeah, we know him.  You?"

Ben, seeing an opportunity to gather intel kept him talking.  The rest of the conversation was interesting, but I don't want to embarrass or inadvertently get the MI soldier in trouble.  After all, I got the lobotomy and entered the MI Corps in the mid 90s.

Just wanted to send out "Hiyah, MI guys!"

Disclaimer:  While I find it somewhat funny to be monitored, I support the fact that the Army needs to evaluate soldier communications for OPSEC violations.  What I disagree with (from the beginning) is the manner in which the evaluation is conducted and communicated...I think the AWRAC is a good idea, no matter how much the Army blew the chance to get blogs done right via the regs.

More later...

Michael J. Totten on Patrol

Posted By Blackfive

Michael J. Totten is on patrol in Baghdad with the 82nd:

...“I suppose I shouldn’t smoke,” I said to Eddy.

“You got that right,” Eddy said. “Snipers wearing night vision can see the tip of your cigarette from a mile away. They’ll watch as you lift the cigarette to your mouth and figure out where your head is. Then BLAMMO. They’re really good shots.”

I kept the cigarettes in my pocket. 

“We’re being followed,” said Sergeant Fisher.

Eddy, the rest of the soldiers, and I turned around.

“Four of ‘em,” Eddy said.

I couldn’t see anyone but the soldiers standing right next to me without night vision goggles.

“Where are they?” I said.

“In the shadows two blocks behind us,” Eddy said. “There weren’t there a minute ago.”...

 

Harpers v. the Blogger's Roundtable; The Left v. Petraeus

Posted By Grim

Ken Silverstein at Harper's Magazine has published an attack on the Pentagon's "Blogger Roundtables," to which I suppose I ought to respond.  I'll start with his summation.

Before these bloggers start to complain that they’ve done nothing wrong, I’d like to ask how they would feel if a group of handpicked, administration-friendly liberal bloggers had done the same thing during the Clinton years. I believe they would have objected vociferously–and I would have agreed with them. No one, on any side, should let themselves be used to spread the administration’s gospel. At least not anyone who can pretend to journalistic standards.

Mr. Silverstein didn't read far into these writings before he decided it was about "parroting" the administration; I recall David Axe titled one of his posts about a Blogger's Roundtable "Lies my leaders told me." (BlackFive.net's response to that same discussion is here.)  But that, of course, is not the point.

Mr. Silverstein is a professional journalist, and is here mostly attempting to defend his guild.  There is, Black Five readers well know, no weight to the charge that these Roundtables are about parroting Administration anything.  For the one thing, we don't talk to Administration officials, but to career military men.  The journalist is the one in error, by treating career servicemen as if they were political figures.  The journalist is also in error by suggesting that it is a disservice to the public to let the public read the actual words of military officers, instead of our filtered narrative.  We ask them questions, often questions that readers have asked us to ask them; then we post the transcript, and readers can judge for themselves.

"You're not a real journalist" is his way of saying "only professionals like me should be allowed to talk to high officials, not uncredentialed folks like you."  This is about protecting the idea that "the press" has a special status or stature, and that mere bloggers or citizens do not deserve access to important people.  That should be reserved for the journalists, the gatekeepers of our Republic.

In a sense that is highly amusing.  I am delighted by the idea that I might wish to "pretend to journalistic standards," as if that were some high and fine thing to which I ought to aspire.  Let me illustrate what I mean:  if military operational security secrets came into my possession, I would feel none of the tension that journalists claim to feel between printing the story and protecting national secrets.  I notice that this "tension" is almost always resolved in favor of printing the secrets; but for me it would not exist.  What I would do with those secrets is what a citizen ought to do with them -- which would not include publishing them for the convenience of our enemies. 

I feel an actual, personal loyalty to our fighting men on the ground.  They protect us:  the loyalty works both ways.  In other words, I am not a journalist.  I am an American citizen, engaged in our healthy national debate.  I don't need credentials for that; and if the price of the credentials is adopting some sort of "neutrality" between America and her enemies, I don't want them. 

Again, we don't talk to Bush or administration figures.  We talk to military officers, who are brother Americans and who have taken the same oaths to our Constitution that we have, at points in our lives, also sworn.  I'll give America's military men a voice and a platform to talk directly to Americans anytime they want it.  They are also citizens, and have every right to speak directly to me or to any other citizen they choose.  Whether speaking in an official capacity of their office, or as a private citizen, they owe absolutely nothing to "the profession of journalism."

But I notice that Mr. Silverstein's attack is only one prong of a two-pronged attack on the US military coming this week from left-wing journalists.  The other wing is an attack on General Petraeus, whose thoughts on the effectiveness of the Surge must be discredited by the Left for explicitly political purposes.  This was brought to my attention by The Commissar, who may be the most manful blogger writing today. 

The response, and an education in the true nature of blogs, in the extended entry.

Continue reading "Harpers v. the Blogger's Roundtable; The Left v. Petraeus"

A Reminder: The Bill Roggio / BlackFive Joint Embed

Posted By Grim

Last night, I talked to the "other half" of PMI, Bill Roggio's partner Paul.  He has all the same complaints we all have with the AP, with Reuters, with the NYT.  After years of watching them do all the things we've all griped about, he ran into Bill's writing, and decided to take a risk.  They've staked their families' resources on this venture -- a nonprofit venture, at that -- and the belief that people out there want the truth.

That's kind of a brave thing to do, I thought, but Paul shrugged.  "There's a lot of guys out there with more at risk than us," he said.  "All those guys in Iraq, Afghanistan, the Philippines, and everywhere else we're fighting terror."

We've all said we want to do something about the MSM.  We at BlackFive.net are glad to be part of one of PMI's first reporting ventures, an embed with Special Forces in the Philippines.  We hope that's only the beginning for these joint BlackFive/Bill Roggio projects.  Help us help them, and change the way the information war works.

Donate though PayPal:

WSJ on the 10th Anniversary of the Blog

Posted By Blackfive

The WSJ profiled some world players and what blogs they read and why they think blogs are important.  BG Bergner is quoted at the end of his piece on military blogs:

...By no means do all military blogs paint a positive picture, nor should they. Each posting represents an individual's musings at a particular point in time. We are waging a historic fight against a ruthless enemy. It is also a campaign that historians will be able to learn more broadly about from anecdotes and insights in today's military blogs.

Favorite blogs: "Around here, folks like to read Small Wars Journal (http://smallwarsjournal.com/index.php), Blackfive (http://www.blackfive.net/) and The Mudville Gazette (http://www.mudvillegazette.com/)."

Mudville is my favorite.  Small Wars Journal is a phenomonal resource and should get a lot more attention than it receives.

I am going to create separate pages to list military blogs and resources. 

Resources - As I said, I think that Small Wars Journal is one of the best.  So is StratFor, The Fourth Rail, ThreatsWatch, The Tank, Strategy Page, CounterTerrorism Blog, DangerRoom, US Cav On Point, DefenseTech, The Captain's Journal, etc. for analysis and thought provoking pieces.

Combat Reporting - Michael Yon is the best at reporting from Iraq and Afghanistan.  Michael J. Totten is great too for world blogging - his coverage of the Cedar Revolution was nothing short of brilliant.  Pat Dollard and J.D. Johannes rock.

Military Blogs - there's a few that I haven't pointed out to you.  Major Andrew Olmsted is blogging for the Rocky Mountain News.  His own personal blog was one of the first on my blogroll.  There's a lot more to link to.  Some I haven't linked to yet because I don't know if they've registered with their chain of command and don't want to get them in trouble before getting the Blackfive-alanche.

Official Sites - RCT-6's blog is excellent.

Humor - Scrappleface, the Onion, Chris Muir, Cox & Forkum, IMAO, etc.

So, because this blog is about our community, I ask you readers to help.  I'm going to be building new pages (rather than sidebar lists) over the next week or so for "Military Blogs", "Resources", "Humor" and "Combat Reporting" (not military blogs, could be a mainstream media source or independent journalist)...put URLs in the Comments of those you think are valuable.  Will probably do pages for a Blogroll, Columnists, etc.

Thanks!

Announcing the first Joint Bill Roggio / BlackFive Venture

Posted By Grim

BlackFive.net has teamed up with Bill Roggio, with whose extraordinary reporting you are all familiar, to arrange an unusual opportunity.  Working together, we've arranged to send someone to report on operations at the Joint Special Operations Task Force - Philippines (JSOTF-P).  There, our Special Forces are working with the Armed Forces of the Philippines to deal with one of the most chaotic environments in the world.  Numerous militant groups contest government control of the area -- the MNLF, MILF, Abu Sayyaf, and al Qaeda-linked Jemaah Islamiyah, each riven with internal factions.  Some are engaged in peace talks with the government of the Philippines; some are openly hostile.

When we first started making inquiries about getting this approved, several people with reason to know said it would never be approved.  SOCOM doesn't do this kind of thing, we were told.  But it was approved.  Bill Roggio's good work and responsible journalism, real journalism, has earned him a lot of respect in the military community.  BlackFive.net also has a number of friends, contacts, and supporters.  Working together, we found we were granted the opportunity.

Bill Roggio's operations are reader supported, as you know.  What you may not know is that he is now an official nonprofit, a recognized 501c3, which means that your contributions are fully tax deductible.  BlackFive.net, in addition to helping arrange the trip, has promised to help him fund it.  This will not be cheap:  the insurance, for example, is more expensive to journey with Special Forces in Mindanao than it is to send someone to embed with the Marines or Cavalry in Iraq.  There are travel costs, equipment costs, and other costs as well.

We hope you will join us in supporting this venture.  No money is to be sent to BlackFive.net, but rather to Bill's Public Multimedia.  If there is any surplus from your donations to support the JSOTF-P trip, it will be rolled right over into supporting more journalism from Bill Roggio, Michael Totten, and others.  If you wish to donate, use the button below, or the one on the sidebar.

Donate though PayPal:

Please join us in supporting Bill's new venture.  BlackFive.net is glad to be working with him, as we all admire the good work he has done.  We hope that this will only be the first of our joint projects.

Returned Soldiers are the Veteran Voice

Posted By Blackfive

T.F. Boggs and Sig of SigSpace have started a group blog for returning Iraq and Afghanistan veterans called:  Vox Veterana.

Tim writes:

...I don’t pretend to have all the answers, or even be anywhere near the best source for news about the war, but I am a piece of the puzzle. My intentions with this website are to share my opinions about the war (and all things related), and point people in the right direction to where they can find other sources that will give them a better understanding of what exactly is going on in the Middle East. Along the way I am sure I’ll deviate from my original intentions but that is to be expected.

The blog is titled Vox Veterana, which as you probably already know is latin for ‘The Voice of Veterans’ or ‘The Veteran Voice.’ My hope is to have several other GWOT (Global War On Terrorism) veterans contribute from time to time so people can get a variety of viewpoints. The purpose is not to exclude non-VFWs, but to give veterans a forum where their voices can be heard. I know we have a lot to say and since the MSM doesn’t want to hear from us we’ll have to make our impact with the New Media...

Go check out the new military blog, blogroll it, favorite it, and listen to what these vets have to say.

Chuck's American Vegas Vacation

Posted By Blackfive

Think of it as Old School meets Animal House...on mescaline...with flamethrowers...

Chuck is trying to raise some cash for his trip to Vegas for the Blog World Expo on November 7, 8 and 9.  We (various milbloggers including the Chuck-meister) are trying to engage several sponsors to throw a milblogger party bash suare kegger meeting.  Froggy suggested the Ghost Bar at the Rio which happens to be a favorite of mine, as well.  Hear that, O' wondrous corporate guys?

All kidding around aside (because Mrs. Blackfive will read this post), Blog World Expo is shaping up to be quite an interesting event - aside from the discussions, classes, exhibits, forums and techno-babble etc., imagine me, Chuck and Uncle Jimbo sharing the same space with DemUndergrounders and Kos-sacks.  (Exclusive Photo of us after the Jump!  Must credit Blackfive.)

Anyway, go see if you can help sponsor Chuck to get him to Vegas.

BTW, the speedo he mentions is for me Jimbo.

Continue reading "Chuck's American Vegas Vacation"

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