Typical one-sided view of the international (it’s-all-about-us-all-the-time) news media, this time on some soldiers’ deletion of a journalists’ digital photos of unfortunate collateral death in Afghanistan:
"’Why did the soldiers do it if they don’t have anything to hide?’ said Jean-Francois Julliard, a spokesman for the Paris-based group."
Maybe they’re tired of what you hide, Jean-Francois.
Comments Off on Information war
Posted in Afghanistan, The War, Troops
Tagged Afghanistan, Reporter Without Borders
Bing West at the Small Wars Journal offers insight from a recent trip to Iraq:
"Trust will decide this war. We know the essence of the problem: Whether the Iraqi central government and security forces are led by deceivers who tell us they believe in a stable federation with power-sharing, while they abet sectarian division. In my most recent visit, there was the pervasive, open acknowledgement by the police, IA and the residents that they trusted the Americans, but not each other."
Momma made her join the Army, so Rachal Franklin became a pilot, an Apache gunship pilot.
"Though women are still barred from infantry and other ground combat units, this [Iraq] is the first war in which female U.S. troops have been authorized to shoot back. And they have – as helicopter gunners, military police, and even truck drivers forced to defend themselves on a battlefield with no clear frontlines."
Good read about our women at arms.
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Posted in Iraq, The War, Troops
Tagged Apache gunship, Iraq, pilot Rachael Franklin
Milblogger Jack Army notes that the dirty, rundown Walter Reed facilities of current scandal fame are not unusual, but replicated pretty widely across the whole Army, stateside and overseas.
"Hey, I’m all for our injured and recovering troops getting topnotch quarters and state-of-the-art care, but to relieve anybody over the conditions is just ridiculous. It’s unfair. Those leaders deserve better."
Even Fort Benning could use some fixup and fresh paint. When my OCS class reunioned there in 2003, we were delighted to find that our old barracks was home to the Rangers, but saddened that the building was such a wreck. Putting money into salaries and gear makes sense, but the physical plant is suffering. As Jack says, if anybody should be relieved, it should be Congress.
"As one soldier put it, ‘Thanks for putting the passion back into my soul,’ says Amber Baldwin D’Amico, one of the [best-selling] book’s creators and a USAA member."
Via USAA Magazine.
Early days yet–thousands of surging troops have yet to arrive–but hopeful ones:
"The results of Operation “Imposing Law” are not magical. We didn’t expect them to be magical. The commanders didn’t claim they’d be when the Operation began. Still these latest developments are certainly promising. And let’s not forget that what has been achieved so far was achieved while many thousands of the new troops assigned to Baghdad are yet to arrive."
More from Omar at Iraq the Model.
Kentucky National Guard Military Police Sgt. Leigh Ann Hester, the first woman to earn a Silver Star since World War II, isn’t in the grade school history books, like Sgt. Alvin York once was.
That kind of thing isn’t done these days, and we may yet suffer for the intentional slight. Hester’s story of the fight near ASR Bismarck is just as remarkable, but a lot harder to find. The Omaha World Herald seems to have done the best job at the time of the incident in 2005, though you have to read almost to the end before her name appears. This year, Hester is the subject of a new exhibit at the U.S. Army Women’s Museum, where she was quoted thusly:
“There’s a lot of soldiers that are doing this job right now,” she said. “Right this minute, right now, they’re doing now what we were doing then, and they’re not getting the credit they deserve. Look at the big picture. We did great one day, but there are people doing that every day. Don’t lose sight of that.”
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Posted in Iraq, The War, Troops
Tagged Army Sgt. Lee Ann Hester
THE TEXAS SCRIBBLER 