Big Lizards:Blog:Entry “Veteran Reporters”

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June 20, 2006

Veteran Reporters

Hatched by Sachi

We have many reporters in Iraq; the major news organizations all send someone (usually many "someones") over there. Yet we rarely get accurate pictures of the battleground. Why?

The most frustrating thing about the antique media's coverage is the lack of perspective. It's true that most reporters are biased against our military; but the reality is much dumber: the reporters are simply too ignorant about the military and warfare to be coherent.

Many reporters have no basic knowledge of the armed services: not only have they never served in the military, they don’t even have a friend who has. Consequently, they don't understand how military operations work, what to expect, how missions are carried out, how long it takes, the overall strategy, or how one battle relates to another. That is why we hear random reporting of a battle here, an engagement there, without anyone ever engaging the reader. We "news consumers" have no idea if we are making any progress, because the media has never told us what "progress" would even look like.

Decades ago, we had a draft. While an army of conscripts has a lot of problems (just ask the Soviets), near universal conscription had one benefit: every male in America had either served himself or at least had close friends, relatives, and coworkers who served; and every woman had brothers, sons, or husbands who were in the military... so everybody knew who the servicemen were; they were not "others" or "outsiders;" the men on the wall peopled our own communities, from doctor to grocer to banker.

Most Americans have lost that connection; a huge chunk of those who serve are now professional, career warriors, and they hang with their own (as do the civilians). Fortunately for us, however, there are some extraordinary people who themselves had distinguished military careers, who then turned to reporting from the frontline after being honorably discharged.

For example, we already know Michael Yon, a former Green Beret who has been in Iraq and Afghanistan since Day 1. And we've followed the exploits of our fellow blogger Bill Roggio, also a former Army Special Forces soldier, once of Fourth Rail but now in Afganistan reporting on the Counterterrorism Blog.

Now we can add two more names to the list: Wade Zirkle, a former Marine Lieutenant who served two deployments to Iraq; and David Bellavia, a former Army Staff Sergeant, one of the many heroes of Second Falluja. (Hat tip Black Five)

Zirkel and Bellavia are the executive director and vice chairman (respectively) of Vets For Freedom, a non profit organization composed of Iraq and Afganistan veterans dedicated to telling the truth about the war. Lest we quote Pontius Pilate, "the truth" is what they, as soldiers and Marines, actually saw and participated in... not the rude caricature that slouches through the halls of Congress, led around by Murtha, Kerry, and Pelosi.

Vets for Freedom was founded by a group of Iraq and Afghanistan War veterans who believe in the mission of freedom in the Global War on Terror, but who have become frustrated with the way the operation has been politicized and reported to the home front.

Zirkel and Bellavia have just gotten back to Iraq as journalists and started their reporting. Bellavia is amazed by his completely different perspective as a reporter, rather than a soldier whose sole focus is his own mission:

Baghdad is absolutely beautiful. I mean shockingly majestic. This is a city for years we have been told is unsalvageable and I was amazed to see this level of cleanliness…

I feel that is the first time I have visited Iraq. Deploying to a place during a time of war and playing a part of that offensive operation, it is impossible to have any point of view besides the constant assessment of threat and responsive force. You can't appreciate landscapes or city streets. You are more preoccupied with observing the fine elements of city life and not the larger picture of community and family. You could deploy me to the Guggenheim and I wouldn't comment on anything other than the job at hand. Infantrymen are vigilant, quick tempered toward the enemy and always focused. Today I feel none of those things and that really is a great feeling.

Please read on. And salute when you're finished!

Hatched by Sachi on this day, June 20, 2006, at the time of 6:34 AM

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Comments

The following hissed in response by: rdahlen

It is good to have those on the ground who truly understand. But a more appalling aspect to this is the number of our lawmakers who have no military background. These are the people who are making the laws that will govern our military operations. Same one who, in Vietnam, tied the hands of the military and listened to the antiwar crowd. When those people have no real knowledge or understanding, we will no doubt have some severe problems.

The above hissed in response by: rdahlen at June 20, 2006 7:28 AM

The following hissed in response by: Insufficiently Sensitive

near universal conscription had one benefit: every male in America had either served himself or at least had close friends, relatives, and coworkers who served;

By the late 60s, it was nowhere near universal. Students all over the country, supported by universities and other elites, had mastered the art of dodging the draft and leaving military service to lesser beings - see Bill Clinton's oh-so-self-justifying letter to his Congressman as a sample of the attitude.

Leading to today's situation, where the elites of our media and universities and Government are in precisely the ignorant situation the Captain describes, due to their easy success at draft dodging back then. I didn't enjoy being drafted, but would have felt better if military conscription had been truly universal.

The above hissed in response by: Insufficiently Sensitive at June 20, 2006 8:43 AM

The following hissed in response by: cdquarles

monkyboy, pathetic banned troll from CQ:

ROFL. This is closer to the plan as implemented: 1. We kick out Saddam (check), 2. We're greeted as liberators (check, only those sympathetic to the ancien regime wouldn't see us as liberators), 3. We help with the transition, rebuilding infrastructure, creating a new government, helping the Iraqis remake their country (check, mostly done), 4. Leave when the Iraqis want us to go = the job's done (not there yet).

The above hissed in response by: cdquarles at June 20, 2006 12:50 PM

The following hissed in response by: Tony B

I remember during the Gulf War CNN had an anchor named Faith Daniels. She once reported that our planes were taking ground fire from ZSU-23s, AK-47s and T-72s. It was quite clear she knew what none of them were.

The above hissed in response by: Tony B at June 20, 2006 1:29 PM

The following hissed in response by: cdquarles

monkyboy, pathetic banned troll from CQ:

Funny, I thought that it was your side that decided that converting Iraq from a "secular", radical, terrorist supporting State to a radical, "Islamist", terrorist supporting State, whether controlled by "Iran" or some other thug was just peachy.

I also know that whatever else Saddam's Iraq was, it wasn't neutered. Saddam violated the terms of the cease-fire and was buying influence via the Oil-For-Food-&-Fraud program so that he could resume his WMD programs.

The above hissed in response by: cdquarles at June 20, 2006 10:18 PM

The following hissed in response by: MTF

The problem is bigger than just the military experiance. Journalists in the MSM are distant from nearly every value of American life. There is no celebration of public virtue in the MSM; diversity is supremely important in all human activity and political correctness is the only important social compact we need to have with each other; and nihilism is the only hip philosophy.

Your post is a good one, because it helps bridge the distance between us regular folks and the great Americans who represent us in Iraq. But the MSM journalists who should be doing this job, and aren't, have a lot to answer for.

The above hissed in response by: MTF at June 21, 2006 12:28 PM

The following hissed in response by: MTF

Sachi,
I hope you will take a look at this cartoon from the Atlanta Journal.

It's enough to turn your stomach.

The above hissed in response by: MTF at June 22, 2006 6:36 AM