That would be my guess too! lol
We can all laugh at the stupidity of both the self-styled kidnappers for expecting people to fall for such a crude hoax, and the MSM for actually doing so.
However....
This incident underscores how the MSM's ignorance of basic military matters makes it an easy target for anti-American propagandists.
If they can fall for this, they'll fall for far more sophisticated hoaxes.
And the MSM will have millions believing it.