I would like to introduce a new guest author from the military side of the house. His name is Captain Bret Bellzio, US Army, and he has written an excellent little article in regards to today’s military and media relationship, and how to use new media as a way to tell the story of the soldier in war. Of course this is a constant theme over at Wired’s Danger Room, at Small Wars Journal, and you even see official military blogs popping up all over the place these days. The other day I even made a comment on the US Coast Guard’s blog, and I actually got a response back!
The key here, is connecting with the population and learning from and educating folks. It is about the interaction and connecting with others. For me, the blog is an essential tool for understanding my industry and making it better–pure ‘Kaizen’. I learn from you guys, and you learn from me and others that interact on Feral Jundi.
On another note, according Col. John Boyd, the way you defeat the enemy is you isolate him mentally, morally, and physically. In other words, you turn him into a closed system, and closed systems are not good because they end up destroying themselves out of sheer insanity.
The military, if it wants to be a learning organization and defeat our enemies, cannot be a closed system. And low and behold, good ol’ Mr. Lind has a wonderful article about such things as well. By the way, if you would like to contact Captain Bellzio, let me know and I will make that happen. –Matt
Edit: I have been informed by Mr. Pelton that he was not technically embedded with the SF during the time period the Captain mentioned, and I will pass that along to get it changed.
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“The Soldiers story, who should be telling it?”
By CPT Bret Bellzio
May 05, 2009
During the Cold War and even Operation Desert Storm both the media and the American population maintained a moderate interest in the military, its policies, and the issues service members faced. Both the media and the military followed their expected roles during this period and the quality of reporting was high.
Following September 11th interest in the military sky rocketed. Analyst of every caliber and experience populated the innumerable cable news shows. Every aspect of the War on terror was dissected. Americans had access to documentaries on everything from Al Qaeda to Special Forces and every organization in between.
Technological advances made reporting from the most austere location in near real time possible. In December 2001 Robert Pelton, a report imbedded with US Special Operations Forces, reported on the capture of a United States Citizen fighting with the Taliban. Instantly tactical information, legal opinion, and policy were thrust into the public arena and vigorously debated. Coverage reached saturation during the invasion of Iraq but then slowly began to fall away. As the insurgency began to take route and the security situation deteriorated, a new reality began to set in.
As the incidence of kidnappings, IED’s, and complex ambushes swelled in Iraq, a majority of reporters retreated to the security of central locations in Baghdad. In 2005 80% of SIGACTS occurred within 30 miles of Baghdad. Sadly this reality turned Iraq into a tired string of unintelligible media segments that are barely discernable from each other. Does it matter? Have Americans missed something? Yes, America has missed something.
I realize my perspective is limited as a member of the Military. The reality of what is happening in Iraq and Afghanistan is slipping from the view of America directly into the history books without scrutiny, or for that matter even the knowledge of a majority of the population. The Military of the United States has grown more professional since the end of conscription and the shear volume of citizens with military experience or immediate family members in the military is continuingly shrinking. If perchance there were a proportional number of mainstream media venues covering military policy and the current status of the Global War on Terror I might not feel so concerned. Instead the mainstream media seems to have deemed covering the Military in the field, policies and strategy of the nation, and the ongoing struggle as a task beneath them. A select few have continued to cover the war not with sound bites but with real, unapologetic precision. An example of this is caliber of reporting is Elizabeth Rubin’s article “Battle Company is Out There” in The New York Times Magazine. Sadly, most other reporters and the pundits who have crept into the lime light entirely by past primary source research and simply splice together a series of sound bites into a compressed product for distribution to the masses. Slowly what was once news becomes mostly entertainment.
To this point I have placed a great deal of emphasis on my perception of the short falls of the media. The military is not without some culpability in this matter. As the digital revolution has changed the way information is propagated, the military hasn’t quiet caught up. In the context of the contemporary operating environment accessibility to information on the Internet is essential. Insurgents from virtually every cause have created web pages and in the case of Al Zahrwa an entire TV network dedicated to violent Jihad and the propagation of extremist ideas. Cursory searches of You Tube reveal endless streams of insurgent media products but only limited Counter Insurgency videos produced by the military. So what is the solution, how do we get relevant information to the American population?
The first step is to reintroduce the media to the reality of the military. Instead of seeing the violence of war, America watches endless forensic mystery shows that depict brutal murder in the United States. Worse yet entire news channels seem obsessed with covering missing and murdered children in a 24 news stream that boarders on obsessive. I find it hard to believe that bounty hunters, car repossession, crab fishing, and a group of city folk dropped off in Alaska can even come close to what Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines, and the Coast Guard do every day. How about a reality show that looks at the lives of deployed servicemen? I realize that reality TV is exciting because of the interpersonal tension and the unpredictable twist of events but can there be anything more nerve wracking than war? Can any situation compare to the pressure in a small unit living and fighting in cramped conditions for a year in isolation?
The only thing more important than reengaging the media is to empower servicemen to tell their stories. Often times when you ask a Soldier if the media fairly portrays what is happening in Iraq and Afghanistan they say no. When asked if they have dealt with the media or made an effort to communicate with the media remarkably you get exactly the same answer, no. That means no letters to the editor, no contributions to local media, and no interaction with reporters. How can America appreciate the complexity of what is happening if the military (individual Soldiers) itself won’t volunteer the details. The military has begun addressing this problem at the Command and General Staff College, requiring Majors there to conduct at least one media interaction and post at least one thread on a blog. While this is a good start the program should be expanded to include select members of the Warrior Leaders Course and the Captains Career Course.
The current coverage of the military, its policies, and its actions while at war is simply not of the quality or quantity commensurate with the current world situation. Media coverage has dropped off due to declining public interest and the increased cost of operating in a modern war zone. At the same time the operational tempo of the military has changed its character and capabilities without relaying these changes to the American people. It is time for both the media and the military to reconsider their relationship and their duty to America. The relationship must be reinvigorated to ensure the vitality of not only the military and the media, but the American people who look to both for answers.
The views expressed in this thread are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Department of the Army, Department of Defense, or the U.S. Government.
CPT Bret Bellzio, Student, Command and General Staff College, Fort Gordon, Georgia.