American Brass Shines in the Murk of Wartime

The American Enterprise ^ | 3/28/03 | Karl Zismeister

[Valin]

Having spent a couple of weeks now embedded in the 82nd Airborne Division--where I have been granted everything from sensitive information in classified battlefield briefings to valuable insider tips on how to find a clean privy--I can testify that airborne generals and colonels are not stand-offish, conference-center commanders.

Maj. Gen. Chuck Swannack informs me he'll be the first one out of an airplane if the brigade does a parachute assault. Lt. Col. Christopher Gehler, who commands the division's attack helicopter battalion, will himself be flying regular combat sorties into potential antiaircraft fire.

This article originally appeared in the Los Angeles Times.

[kimmie7]

Great article. Thanks!

[Freedom'sWorthIt]

:-) YOU are doing your part. Now we should point at least ONE American peacenik or other anti-American person towards stories like this today. IF EACH FR WOULD REACH ONE WAR CRITIC PER DAY we could win the propaganda war overnight.

[x1stcav]

"Those who claim that "embeds" have fallen under the mystique of the military may dismiss my view,"

I was very skeptical of the embedding program based on my not so fondly-remembered experience with media in SE Asia. In retrospect, however this program evolved, it is sheer genius. And not only for the immediate result of more accuarate reporting from this battlefield.

I think the biggest benefit will come to society in the future when some of these reporters move up the journalistic chain of command and assume their own positions of management and leadership. Far from giving the military a free pass, (I belive they will still try to be as objective as possible), at least they won't have an automatically anti-military reflex that so many in the industry have now.

[xkaydet65]

It's not military mystique, it's the reality of becoming part of a unit. Unit cohesion must be the first step to a succesful military org. With that will come fraternal valor. The embeds, mostly young guys have never experienced this. They are fully part of the units with which they travel. They are experiencing what Joe Gallaway did in the Ia Drang with 1st Cav.

The most important outcome of this as John Ringo said on FOX this AM is a reconnection between the military and the media. These embeds will be the stars of the news orgs in the future and they will bring a decidedly different viewpoint to reporting things military.

[Kevin Curry]

I think the biggest benefit will come to society in the future when some of these reporters move up the journalistic chain of command

They will not be permitted to move up the chain of command if the leftists who control our media conclude they are too dangerous to promote.

[Valin]

Amazing what happens when these reporters meet and get to know real soldiers.

Something I heard on Hugh Hewitt the other night.
A reporter ws asking a Marine grunt what the most important thing for him was now? "Beating the Army to Bagdad!"
Well I say (speaking as an old ramp-rat) the Air Force has already been there and they MAY notice a little "urban renovation" has taken place.

[x1stcav]

I agree with you that they will be the stars because this isn't the only war that's going to be waged in the next 10 years and I expect the coverage of our wars of preemption/liberation to drown out the other less dramatic and urgent news.

The leftist domination of the media will continue to fade as the older, established organizations must adapt and change to competetion (Fox News, I'net, etc.) and that the value base of the country has, slowly but surely, changed.

This is a good time to be a conservative in this country.

[x1stcav]

Your (our) fellows have been doing a great job. I refer the USAF's efforts over Baghdad, when discussing the war with any of my 'few' liberal acqaintances, as 'urban renewal'.

Drives 'em nut.

[winodog]

Col. North was on last night and he had a great story and great film about the General? who insisted on flying and viewing things in a coptor. On the way back some islams took a few potshots at them and they were destroyed.
It just showed a second of the tracer bullets leaving the coptor and hitting the bunker but it was some of the best filming I have seen do far.
I like North and believe everything he says. Watch for him on fox for a good story everytime.

[Kevin Curry]

This is a good time to be a conservative in this country.

I was thinking the same thing. This war appears to be having the effect of pulling people more to the conservative side. At least the anti-war revolutionary left is becoming more and more marginalized. We believe they get too much attention (and they do) but compared to the turn-outs and media attention they enjoyed in the late 60s, they are struggling. As the far left splits from the moderate left, that benefits the right all the more.

Deomcrats holding power in Washington right now are despondent. They are muted because there is little they can say without offending half of their Democrat constituencies and creating a deeper schism.

[x1stcav]

Couldn't agree more.

An interesting thing happened to me the other night. I had heard a brief reference to a support the troops rally to be held in Las Vegas on Wednesday evening. My impression was it was thrown together rather hastily. I had a hard time trying to figure out exactly where it was to be held, but called a friend and we went. I was expecting maybe a few hundred people.

The crowd was overwhemlming, especially for the local parking. We estimated there were a couple of thoudand in attendance and later heard on local TV that the crowd exceeded 3000. I believe it as when we left with an hour to go, folks were still streaming in.

As opposed to the demonstartions of the left, there was no street theatre, outlandish costumes, in your face shock political statements. These were just average Americans from every part of society, many with children/teenagers, there to pay their respects for the armed forces doing the fighting.

The amazing part was that old fashion patriotism is back. We heartily sang the National Anthem, and there was a lot of spontaneous cheering and applause at statements suporting our trrops, our president, and our country.

I never thought I'd live to see it, in Sin City of all places.

Little by little, day by day, we are winning.

[Valin]

We believe they get too much attention (and they do) but compared to the turn-outs and media attention they enjoyed in the late 60s, they are struggling.

Example
RALLIES AND RESISTANCE
RALLIES:Prowar demonstrators fill Bayfront Festival Park while antiwar protesters promise continued rallies.

http://www.duluthsuperior.com/mld/duluthtribune/5459551.htm

[fourdeuce82d]

Maj. Gen. Chuck Swannack informs me he'll be the first one out of an airplane if the brigade does a parachute assault.

Isn't that just like the brass- hogging the door position.*grin*

32 jumps and I never did get to "Staaaaand in the door."

(Note to non-airborne types- being the first one out of the plane meant you stood in the door for a few seconds while the plane approached the DZ, and got to look out at the world going by at ~120 mph. Concisdered a "fun" thing.)