[QUOTE=blue02hd]
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Originally Posted by Jack Moroney
Sir, this was intended as a completely general statement.
The discussion is wide open about why access was given and if the footage was reviewed. In either event, the ODA had no choice in the matter, just as I had no choice . The media is another 500 pound gorilla that ODA's, and the deployed military are now having to face. Much like working with village elders, serving on a team, or losing a brother, embeds represent "shoes" that many have not worn.
This was on my mind.
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I understand and concur, however I am sorry that things seemed to have changed a bit since I was little. Perhaps it is a sign of the times with the ability of MSM to influence actions and play both the inadvertant and deliberate psyop card. I refused embeds, I also sent the National Geographic folks packing. I learned my lesson the hard way with a reporter from the Cleveland Plain Dealer when he was deposited on us with a resupply bird. We had a long hard talk about what was printable and what was not, that he could not accompany us on combat operations, but he would be given "free" access to local actions with specific guidelines and one of us would always be with him. He was not happy, but accepted the ground rules and promised that we would see what he had before he left, minus the photographs because our dark room ability was not as good as his. When we got the final two weekend spreads from the states, while it was not bad it, was not what we had blessed. In short he put a lot of us at risk. The next time we had a "visitor" in bound I worked worked the AO from one of my outposts using white phosphorous 60mm mortar rounds and let them draw the conclusion that we were taking fire. The airforce deemed it too risky for to land their C-7A. Now I fully understand that this is a different time and place, and that there is pressure from the command with specifics as to what you will and will not do, however if that is indeed the position that is forced upon the troops today then I would never make it in today's setting as the day that a commander on the ground does not have a choice in this matter is the day that I would have to hang up my ruck. Come to think of it, as I reflect back a tad, I guess it is a miracle that I ever progressed beyond the grade of 03.