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US guard unit defies rule on filming of soldiers' coffins
spacewar.com ^
| 01/13/05
Posted on 01/13/2005 4:24:59 AM PST by Ellesu
A US National Guard unit on Wednesday defied a Pentagon request that sought to stop television news crews filming six flag-draped soldiers' coffins arriving in Louisiana following the men's deaths in Iraq last week, according to a report by CBS News.
The Pentagon has barred US media from filming the coffins of US servicemembers arriving at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware, but the Louisiana National Guard allowed a CBS news crew to film the arrival of six soldiers' coffins at the Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base in Belle Chasse, near New Orleans, Louisiana.
Despite the Pentagon request, Lieutenant Colonel Pete Schneider, a spokesman for the Louisiana National Guard told CBS: "What we thought was, we're going to do what the family asked us to do."
Footage broadcast by CBS showed an honor guard carrying the soldiers' flag-draped coffins out of an aircraft, watched by grieving families, to six waiting hearses.
The six soldiers had served in the Louisiana National Guard, all six died last Thursday after their armored vehicle struck a roadside bomb in Baghdad.
It was the largest number of US troops killed in a single attack since last month's suicide bombing in a military mess hall at a base near Mosul that killed 14 US service members.
TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events; US: Louisiana; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: coffins; usnationalguard
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To: edskid
In other words, nobody in the U.S. Department of Defense has the authority to "remove" any of these men.
41
posted on
01/13/2005 7:12:35 AM PST
by
Alberta's Child
(It could be worse . . . I could've missed my calling.)
To: Alberta's Child
I'm aware of the chain(s) involved, thank you very much. If you still believe that state flags are more appropriate to cover a soldier's remains, so be it.
42
posted on
01/13/2005 7:29:10 AM PST
by
niteowl77
(Socialist: someone who can't find his ass despite using other peoples' hands in addition to his own.)
To: Ellesu
I saw that thread.
I didn't think it was possible for Rather to further margainalize himself.
43
posted on
01/13/2005 7:33:14 AM PST
by
IGOTMINE
(Say a prayer for the common foot soldier...)
To: edskid
If you still believe that state flags are more appropriate to cover a soldier's remains, so be it. My basic point was that that the U.S. Department of Defense has no business telling the leadership of a state National Guard how to conduct itself in a matter like this. That's why the Defense Department's wishes were given as a "request."
44
posted on
01/13/2005 7:34:03 AM PST
by
Alberta's Child
(It could be worse . . . I could've missed my calling.)
To: rdb3
Lt. Col. Schneider deserves a dishonorable discharge immediately.
The article refers to him as a "spokesman" not necessarily the one who made the event happen.
45
posted on
01/13/2005 7:39:22 AM PST
by
jaykay
To: Dog
Pete is the spokesman, not necessarily the decision maker here. Shoot the messenger?
46
posted on
01/13/2005 7:42:49 AM PST
by
jaykay
To: houeto
47
posted on
01/13/2005 7:55:12 AM PST
by
Ellesu
To: Alberta's Child
I'm actually on the side of the Lt. Col. in this one, if only to reinforce the basic principles of the Tenth Amendment. An officer of the Louisiana National Guard does not answer to anyone at the Pentagon when it comes to domestic National Guard protocol My basic point was that that the U.S. Department of Defense has no business telling the leadership of a state National Guard how to conduct itself in a matter like this. That's why the Defense Department's wishes were given as a "request."
Yes it is infact the DOD's business to tell the National Guard how to conduct itself. The National Guard IS a part of the U.S. military, and therefore DOES fall under the DOD's eye. Also when a Guardsman takes the oath of enlistment he swears allegeance to the UNITED STATES!!!! The National Guard can be federalized and once that happends the state level has zero say in what happens.
One of these days a National Guard officer is going to get some REAL b@lls . . . and have CBS film the arrival of coffins adorned with state flags at these bases -- with no U.S. flag in sight.
As a National Guard soldier (yes i served time in Iraq) i would like to say having state flags draped on the coffin is a disgrces to the fallen soldier. The soldiers died while on duty for the U.S., not the state. Furthermore orders are orders and when an officer (or whoever) violates the orders, they need to be punished swiftly and mercilessly.
48
posted on
01/13/2005 4:36:40 PM PST
by
armyman
(This space available for advertising. Freepmail me for pricing, terms, and conditions.)
To: armyman
I would like to extend my thanks to you for your service to this great country.
Now you might want to read through this entire thread to see where you are absolutely wrong on a number of points. For one thing, nobody violated an "order" of any kind in this case -- mainly because the U.S. Department of Defense has no authority to give orders to state National Guard personnel on matters of this kind.
49
posted on
01/13/2005 5:23:34 PM PST
by
Alberta's Child
(It could be worse . . . I could've missed my calling.)
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