american helicopter shot down today 18 soldiers - Page 2 - Politics and War Forum

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Re: american helicopter shot down today 18 soldier
Thursday, June 30, 2005 3:08 PM on j-body.org
Saint wrote:GAM, the media tends to not know what they can and can't report on, they tend to give too much information as to the whereabouts of troops, and what they are doing. It's been a problem since Vietnam when Reporters were first allowed to be embedded with the troops. Also another problem is that when reporters get embedded with the troops that is one less person with a weapon that can go on the Convoy, and one more person that the Commander has to worry about and protect.


I figured that the reports were censored through the military to get a bit of OpSec.

I also read that once a reporter is embedded with a combat unit, they are as it stands, unarmed, but are responsible for their own conduct and actions, including returning fire if they have a weapon at hand.

Just my 2 cents, its a little hard to make a war (that had, at best tepid support on its outset) more acceptable without media coverage. I support the troops (you know that) I just don't support the political figures that started it... Making war into the nightly news in order to rake in support for a Government (and a president) that hasn't been doing its job on the home front or externally, is a defilement of the soldiers' commitment to the defence of their country.



Transeat In Exemplum: Let this stand as the example.



Re: american helicopter shot down today 18 soldier
Thursday, June 30, 2005 5:29 PM on j-body.org
News reports from Reporters in the field do not come through the military. The reporters are responsible for thier actions, but they are unarmed, in a HMMWV that carries 5 people only 4 of them can return fire, the driver needs to concentrate on driving. Now the Fields of Fire are fixed before the convoy leaves the wire, I don't care what anyone else tells you, the Turret has a fixed Field of fire to one side of the vehicle it does not swing around to engage the enemy if they are taking fire from behind them, it's the stupidest thing I've ever heard to leave your PDF to turn around to enter a firefight. Now that cuts down on the amount of firepower that can be brougt along on the convoy, because instead of two M16s/M4s and an M249 SAW or three M16s/M4s inside the vehicle, now you only have one M16/M4 and an M249 SAW or two M16s/M4s inside the vehicle. And that one weapon can be a big difference in a firefight. Honestly if a reporter has a weapon it's because someone is unable to use thiers.

I agree the people have a right to know what's going on, but they can use military reporters instead of civilains.




Yella02-I promise I will return to you in one piece and this will stay up until I am safely home

Re: american helicopter shot down today 18 soldier
Thursday, June 30, 2005 8:00 PM on j-body.org
That would bring into question the objectivity of the reports.

I understand what you're saying though... I had just thought that broadcasts were to be cleared and censored through the DOD.

For some reason also, I seem to remember a TIME magazine reporter that was embedded with a marine unit who wrote about having to relinquish a personal side arm after de-briefing and disembedding. I might be wrong about that since it was about 2 years ago that I read the article.

Anyhow... it's enlightening, thanks!



Transeat In Exemplum: Let this stand as the example.


Re: american helicopter shot down today 18 soldier
Friday, July 01, 2005 9:15 PM on j-body.org
The Reporter may have brought over a Personal Weapon, it's easy to get anything you want into Iraq, there is no Customs on the way in, but on the way out there are about 3 Customs Checkpoints.

The whole deal with carrying a weapon is that, with the exception of Corpsmen and Medics, if you carry a weapon then you are a combatant and can be shot at, regardless of age or sex, a baby in a stroller with an AK is technically a combatant and can be shot. Corpsmen and Medics outside of Special Forces are non-combatants, but carry an M9 Beretta 9mm pistol for Self-Defense and the Defense of their patient, it is not supposed to be fired for any other reason, Corpsmen and Medics with Special Forces are considered Combatants due to the uniqueness of their mission, but Reporters are still considered non-combatants. Even the Civilain truckers I used to go on Convoys with were not allowed to carry weapons for the same reason, we had to ensure their safety at all times, and got briefed on it on every convoy.




Yella02-I promise I will return to you in one piece and this will stay up until I am safely home

Re: american helicopter shot down today 18 soldier
Friday, July 01, 2005 10:56 PM on j-body.org
"this is worth it"

words from our great leader (large sarcasm)



1989 Turbo Trans Am #82, 2007 Cobalt SS G85





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