Posted on 06/26/2010 7:42:19 AM PDT by yoe
Michael Yon has been invited to embed again by both Great Britain and the US.Michael Yon isn’t a correspondent who sparks a neutral reaction in the reader. You either love him or you don’t. There’s not much of an in-between.
In April Yon’s embed in Afghanistan ended abruptly. Gen. Stanley McChrystal, commander of US forces in Afghanistan, was in charge and some of Yon’s fans blamed the general. The official reason given was “overcrowding by journalists.”
In a dispatch announcing the change, Yon wrote, “Haven’t seen a journalist in weeks.”
In the preceding month, Yon had pulled no punches in his dispatches, criticizing Canadian Brig. Gen. Daniel Ménard who commanded Task Force Kandahar. Yon took some heat for that one too, until the truth came out.
A court martial found Menard guilty of accidentally firing a weapon while preparing to board a military helicopter in Kandahar—the shot allegedly came close to hitting Canada’s chief of defense as well as military vehicles. Then a female Canadian soldier confessed to having an inappropriate relationship with Ménard. The rest is history.
Yon said in an email: “Insofar as Menard, that guy allowed Tarnak River Bridge to be blown up. Lost Ian Gelig. Halted many operations for DAYS. Lied about it. ND'd with his rifle. Lied about it. Affair with enlisted subordinate... Good grief.”
I hope the rest did him good.
I think he’ll have better success if he sticks with reporting the grunts-eye-view, and stays more-or-less out of the macro-political reportage.
This is good.
Hooah!
At the time it was virtually all political so what was he supposed to do? The grunts point of view is that the bridge incident needlessly cost many coalition lives and they tried to deny it happed the way it did. Many saw it coming yet reporting on the deficiencies did nothing to put the brakes on the train. With these kinds of “leaders” it is the grunts point of view pleading with anyonoe who would listen to “cover us”.
You can let him know by posting on his site. He usually does post from the ground, that’s where he gets his good dirt! :) Great photographs, too.
Concrete incidents like the bridge are “grunts eye view.”
But when Yon gets into suggesting what generals should be hired, fired, promoted, transferred or retired, he’s way above his pay grade, and all he does is piss off the very people he needs to get rides on helos etc.
He can make the same points without pointing fingers at specific generals over policy, as seen from the POV of a former SF troopie in the field.
When there are specific examples of malfeasance, he should report it, of course.
He’s the greatest war reporter since Ernie Pyle. But he needs to temper his remarks just enough to not get kicked out of theater. Speak in riddles a little, when he is going after the brass. He can’t be the greatest reporter if he’s kicked out of the country.
Looks like the General booted the wrong reporter....
McK’s judgement problems:
Voted for BO,
Over restrictive ROE, endangering the troops,
Allowed R Stone reporter to embed.
Booted Yon.
Liberal McCrystal gone, Yon back? Perhaps voting for obozo wasn’t his only error in judgement?
Pray for Our Troops
Liberal McCrystal gone, Yon back? Perhaps voting for obozo wasn’t his only error in judgement?
Pray for Our Troops
Thailand?
Reporting malfeasance is what Yon does along with great articles and pictures...(Two Big Military Scalps...)
When you are blue in the face of sounding the horn without anyone willing to listen, fnger pointing becomes the only alternative left, unless you just care so much of protecting someones jewels that the only alternative is to throw your hands up and walk away. Michael is and always will be a grunt because of his being one before he became a freelance journalist. If you don’t think his front line experiences count, then so be it.
However distasteful as it was, fragging became the only alternative for some grunts in Vietnam. In my view, Michael was using the same principle with a laptop rather than a grenade.
Michael Yon has been invited to embed again by both Great Britain and the US... In a dispatch announcing the change, Yon wrote, "Haven't seen a journalist in weeks." In the preceding month, Yon had pulled no punches in his dispatches, criticizing Canadian Brig. Gen. Daniel Ménard who commanded Task Force Kandahar. Yon took some heat for that one too, until the truth came out. A court martial found Menard guilty of accidentally firing a weapon while preparing to board a military helicopter in Kandahar -- the shot allegedly came close to hitting Canada's chief of defense as well as military vehicles. Then a female Canadian soldier confessed to having an inappropriate relationship with Ménard. The rest is history. Yon said in an email: "Insofar as Menard, that guy allowed Tarnak River Bridge to be blown up. Lost Ian Gelig. Halted many operations for DAYS. Lied about it. ND'd with his rifle. Lied about it. Affair with enlisted subordinate... Good grief."Thanks yoe.
WB
At least an adult Gen P. in charge of IASF again and Yon is now back.
ATTA GO MICHAEL!
We love you in Patriot Land, Back here in the USA and in Canada!!!!
I’d trade McChrystal for Yon in my sleep. The more I learn about McChrystal the goofier (read: liberal) he sounds.
Michael Yon is a national treasure. His reporting is outstanding.
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