Soldier's Home : The War

In Campaign Ads, Vets Makes Cases for Both Sides

David Botti — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 14:05:22 GMT

In blog posts over the past few weeks I've made reference to various campaign ads featuring veterans who support either Sen. Obama or Sen. McCain. They contain powerful imagery and messages: veterans of Iraq, Afghanistan, and past wars -- including some who are wounded -- talk about their frontline experiences and deride the opposing candidate for his platforms on Iraq and/or domestic veterans issues. No matter which candidate is being supported in an ad there are common threads that appear as the veterans speak of their service, yet at some point messages divide and the criticism begins.

According to Gallup polls, present and former members of the military historically vote along Republican lines. At the same time various pro-Obama groups are vocal over what they see as McCain's substandard record on veterans issues. Both candidates have count support among veterans. Remember that moment during the first debate when each candidate referenced a bracelet he wore to remember fallen soldiers. The important thing to note here is that while veterans can be seen as a group with a unique shared experience, their views are as widespread and nuanced as that of any American.

Below is a collection of eight video advertisements featuring veterans as they promote their chosen presidential candidate. Watching them all in succession gives an interesting look at how they draw in their combat service as they promote either McCain or Obama.

Pro-McCain/Anti-Obama

Pro-Obama/Anti-McCain

Pro-McCain/Anti-Obama

Pro-Obama/Anti-McCain

Pro-McCain/Anti-Obama

Pro-Obama/Anti-McCain

Pro-McCain/Anti-Obama

Pro-Obama/Anti-McCain

In the News: Russia Still Has Marine Humvees, Recruits Q&A, and More Vet Political Ads

David Botti — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 13:25:43 GMT

A roundup of military and veterans stories worth taking a look at:

Five U.S. Marine Corps humvees seized by Russian forces when they entered Georgia earlier this summer still haven't been returned:

The Humvees were taken Aug. 19 during Russia’s assault on the Georgian port of Poti, said Lt. Cmdr. Corey Barker, a spokesman for U.S. European Command. The vehicles were in Georgia awaiting commercial transport back to the U.S. following Operation Immediate Response, a multinational training exercise in July involving Georgian and U.S. forces. [Marine Corps Times]

Last week New York Magazine went down to the iconic Times Square recruiting station in New York City for some Q & A with new Army recruits on their way to boot camp. The interviews were spurred by news the Army has passed its recruiting goals for the past three years. The magazine described its subjects as: "four local boys and one Goth girl from Alabama in New York for the first time, all ages 17 to 23." Excerpt:

Chris Biener, 21, Bohemia, Long Island:

New York: So you leave for Army Reserves boot camp next Monday. What'll you do until then?
CB: Hang out with some friends.
New York: What have you been doing up to now?
CB: I went to Stonybrook University and played football there for the first semester, then I went to Suffolk Community College, then I started working and going to school, back and forth, then I decided to do this.
New York: Why didn't you stay in college?
CB: I kept switching my major, which kept putting me back. So I worked at a swimming-pool store.
New York: Why are you joining the military?
CB: I almost did it straight out of high school, but my parents wanted me to go to college. I always wanted to join growing up.
New York: Why?
CB: I've always played sports, but there's no team after high school. So this is a big team to join.
New York: What's your big dream?
CB: I'm going to be an LPN, a nurse. So when I get out [of the military], I know I'll get a good job. And if I stay in, there'll always be people who need help.
New York: We're in two wars right now. You may go and be seriously physically or mentally damaged or die. Does that affect your decision?
CB: I used to think about it, but then I realized I'll be trained enough to probably get away from that situation, so if it happens, it happens.
New York: How would you characterize the situation [in Iraq] right now?
CB: We should be there, but the people don't want us there. It's kind of up in the air.
New York: Should we reinstitute the draft?
CB: No, I think the turnout's positive enough with volunteer people. With a draft you have an Army with people who don't want to be there. If it's volunteer, you'll get 100 percent out of all of them.
New York: Would you pick Iraq or Afghanistan to be deployed to?
CB: Iraq. There seems to be more going on. It'd be more fun. As a nurse, there'd be more jobs for me to do.
[Daily Intel]

A Jewish Army recruit has been transferred to a new training battalion after his involvement in incidents of verbal and physical harassment by other recruits and drill sergeants over his religion. The military is not providing a specific reason for why the recruit was transferred, though his father told the Associated Press it was because his son didn't feel safe.

Handman began basic training Aug. 29 at Fort Benning in Columbus. He soon wrote a letter to his parents in which he said, “I have just never been so discriminated against/humiliated about my religion.” He told them he feared for his safety.
Handman’s parents contacted U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga., who forwarded their concerns to the Army. Four days after commanders interviewed Handman about being harassed, he was beaten in a laundry room near his barracks and treated at the Army post’s hospital.
Manganaro said investigators don’t believe religious bigotry was the motive for Handman being attacked, though she could not explain why...The investigation of Handman’s allegations of harassment found that one drill sergeant had ordered Handman to remove his yarmulke, which he wore with his uniform, as he ate in a dining hall. Another had called him “Juden,” the German word for Jews. [AP]

A new campaign ad by the group VoteVets criticizes Sen. John McCain for skipping a crucial GI Bill vote. In the ad the veteran remarks: "Vet to vet, Senator McCain. When you put money from your rich friends ahead of vets like me how is that country first?"

A few weeks ago I posted a pro-McCain ad featuring a wounded Iraq veteran. I'm reposting it here for you to compare how veterans from two different ways of thinking voice support for their respective candidates.

The widow of an Iraq veteran who committed suicide after returning from the war is suing the federal government for negligence. The deceased veteran, Donald Woodward, 23, made three suicide attempts and was seeking treatment at a VA hospital. His wife said VA doctors were slow to diagnose her husband's psychiatric condition and did not schedule follow-up visits. Woodward, at the time, was in VA out-patient care for depression.

"I intend to make them make changes," said his mother, Lori Woodward. "I have too many friends whose kids are in Iraq. I have a nephew now in Iraq, in the same unit, and I can't have my family go through this again."
Alison Aikele, a VA spokeswoman in Washington, said the agency does not typically comment on pending litigation. [AP]

War of Words on Iraq Despite All Eyes on the Economy

David Botti — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 18:04:23 GMT

Now that tonight's presidential debate can count on both candidates showing up, there's some speculation over what will actually be debated. Originally the focus was intended to be on foreign policy, but with the economy dominating headlines there's the possibility things could change. The New York Times this morning quoted debate moderator Jim Lehrer as writing via e-mail: “I am not restrained from asking questions about the financial crisis. Stay tuned!”

How much attention is given to Iraq (and perhaps veterans) is still up in the air but that doesn't mean people aren't talking. Even as Iraq remains largely absent from the front pages around the country, there's a number of stories out there tackling politics, Iraq, and veterans reactions to it all. But first let's take a look at what some vets are saying about the debate. John Soltz, a veteran and co-founder of VoteVets.org, lists five main points he believes vets of Iraq and Afghanistan will look to be addressed by both candidates:

1) Will the candidates (and the moderator) note the difference between "tactical" success of the surge, versus the overall strategic goal of the surge, and whether that was a success?

2) Will the candidates be challenged on the deteriorating situation with Pakistan? Will Obama hold to his position that we must act to strike terrorists officially inside Pakistan's borders, and will McCain hold to his view that Obama is wrong to strike in the ungoverned parts of Pakistan without the expressed consent from Islamabad?

3) Will the candidates speak about our inability to take care of our current military commitments, let alone new ones?

4) Will the candidates lay out what steps short of military action they would take to prevent a nuclear Iran?

5) Given news that Prime Minister Maliki has hinted that he prefers a timeline that removes troops by 2010, but was pressured to accept a 2011 timeline due to U.S. political considerations, will the candidates consider moving a timeline to exit Iraq back to 2010, or do they consider that unrealistic?

Perhaps the candidate's respective answers to the first question may prove to be the most revealing (should the question come up). The answers would reveal their ability to break past the restrictions of these catch phrases and explain how well they're able understand how nuanced the situation in Iraq can be. Tactics and strategy, while they go hand in hand, are most certainly not exclusive barometers of success or failure. There's no way to tell exactly what veterans as a whole will use to judge the debate, but it's pretty safe to say that the questions Soltz lists are on the minds of most American's as well.

Even though Gov. Sarah Palin seems to have monopolized vice-presidential candidate coverage, Sen. Joe Biden made an interesting proposal on Monday before a Baltimore convention of National Guardsmen. Citing that vast number of National Guard members serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, Biden said a representative of this branch should sit on the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The Associated Press reports on Biden's comments and one Guard general's reaction:

"Tell me why there's any rational reason why you shouldn't have a seat at that table," Biden said, speaking one day after Republican presidential candidate John McCain addressed the group.
Maj. Gen. Frank Vavala, adjutant general of Biden's home state of Delaware and president of the Adjutants General Association of the United States, said such recognition, similar to that given the Marine Corps after initial representation by the Navy, is long overdue.

"It's something that we certainly are advocating as an association," said Vavala, who noted that more than a third of the Army and Air Force consists of National Guard units, and that the Guard numbers almost 500,000 men and women.

"Our people are fighting the war every day," he said, adding that the notion of Guardsmen as "weekend warriors" no longer applies.

Biden's eldest son, Delaware attorney general Beau Biden, is a captain in a National Guard unit that is to report for training next month before being deployed to Iraq.

An op-ed writer for the Indianapolis Star takes note of an unpublished opinion piece penned by a member of Iraqi parliament, Sami al-Askari, who expresses his support for John McCain. The argument is based mainly on that fear that Obama will prematurely withdraw troops from Iraq. He also says that Iraqis and Republicans have come to understand each other over the years of war, and an influx of Democrat-minded policy decisions could set back whatever progress has been made:

As the presidential election draws near -- and partly in response to Obama's selection of Joe Biden as his running mate -- Askari apparently has softened his rhetoric on the U.S. presence.

He still favors withdrawal of U.S. forces by the end of 2011, as proposed in the security treaty. And he figures that the deadline will be honored by whoever wins, if only for the sake of the 2012 American elections.

But changing now from a Republican to a Democratic administration would be problematic, he says -- not least because Obama has said the U.S. Congress should be involved in any status-of-forces agreement with Iraq.

Askari also expressed concern about Biden's 2007 plan to divide Iraq into three semi-autonomous regions -- Kurdish, Shiite and Sunni -- with a central government in Baghdad. He called the Biden plan "the essence of a nightmare feared by Iraqis."

"Not that any of Biden's proposals will take effect, as the socio-political reality in Iraq is undividable," he continued. "But Iraqis will pay dearly until Biden and his camp are convinced that his 'theory' is inapplicable in Iraq."

In contrast, Robert Diamond, chairman of New York Veterans for Obama, penned a highly critical piece in the New York Daily News taking issue with McCain's record on his support for veterans. Diamond argues the image of McCain's concern for veterans issues is largely a myth created by McCain himself:

As both an Iraq war veteran and a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, I am intimately familiar with John McCain's valiant and honorable military service. McCain, as far as I am concerned, is a true American hero. Unfortunately, his heroism in the Vietnam War has been allowed to morph into a patently false "record" - ceaselessly touted by his campaign - that McCain is a strong advocate for veterans. That could not be further from the truth...

...The nation's largest Iraq veterans organization, Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, a nonpartisan organization, grades members of Congress on how they vote on legislation that "affect[s] troops, veterans or military families." This includes votes on such issues as expanded health care services for veterans and reservists, military death benefits, traumatic brain injury research and adequate rest for service members between deployments, just to name a few.
Of the 155 votes tracked by IAVA since 9/11, John McCain received a grade of "D." While no senator earned a grade of "A," Barack Obama got a "B ."

Words on Iraq by the candidates themselves still continue to follow the same lines of reason and criticism. Writing on a Wall Street Journal blog, Elizabeth Holmes described John McCain's appearance at the same National Guard convention at which Biden spoke. During his speech McCain took the opportunity to combine the economy and Iraq in order to highlight his opponent's lack of leadership:

“Whether it’s a reversal in war, or an economic emergency, he reacts as a politician and not as a leader, seeking an advantage for himself instead of a solution for his country.”

Later a spokesman for Obama was quoted striking back at McCain's words:

“John McCain is so out of touch that he wants to keep spending $10 billion a month in Iraq indefinitely while the Iraqi government sits on a $79 billion surplus and our economy is in turmoil.”

Another Shot at An Iraq War Movie

David Botti — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 16:57:08 GMT

Since the start of the Iraq war there's been a number of attempts to relay the soldier/veteran experience through films both fictional and documentary. Now comes Hollywood's latest production The Lucky Ones (trailer), which stars Tim Robbins, Rachel McAdams, and Michael Pena as Iraq veterans on a road trip across the United States. You could say making this movie is somewhat of a bold move. In fact, a headline in Florida alt-weekly Creative Loafing reads: "Can The Lucky Ones break the Iraq war-movie jinx?" Historically Iraq movies (and one TV show) have done poorly, sometimes drawing criticism for the actual storyline and other times falling victim to what some see as a general lack of interest among American moviegoers.

Movie critics have pointed to the fact Americans already see the war everyday on the news (at least, for many years they did), and fictionalized portrayals simply don't have the escapism movies can provide. Then there's the over-saturation of political messages some of the movies contained. Washington Times movie critic Christian Toto told NPR last year: "A lot of the critics of the more recent films have said that the films are full of speeches, and it's very obvious what the political angle is. And I think an artist, maybe if he or she had some time to reflect on the material, may give a more nuanced balanced performance."

Creative Loafing's J.r. Jones took a brief look at the history of war movies made soon after the wars they portrayed ended. He began with 1946's The Best Years of Our Lives, a truly amazing film following three veterans home from WWII as they deal with alcoholism, family tensions, and their injuries. The film was awarded eight Oscars. The post-Vietnam era saw the movies The Dear Hunter and Coming Home receive critical acclaim and solid public interest. Then came Iraq (and notice there really hasn't been any major film looking at the Korean War, other than maybe the Manchurian Candidate -- but, that's a different story). Jones gave a solid history of Iraq movies up to this point:

Dramas about returning Iraq war veterans haven't received nearly so warm a welcome. The first, Irwin Winkler's Home of the Brave, opened in New York and LA shortly before Christmas 2006 and was released a little more widely the following summer, mostly near military bases, but it quickly vanished. Clearly modeled on The Best Years of Our Lives, it followed three soldiers as they tried to adjust to life in a country that didn't want to think about them or the war they'd been fighting. I wouldn't call it a knockout, but it had some powerful scenes, particularly those involving Jessica Biel as a soldier who'd lost a hand and was now forced to make do with a big, clumsy prosthesis obviously designed for a man. Kimberly Peirce's Stop-Loss, an MTV-produced drama about three young grunts returning from the war to their stars-and-stripes Texas town, got a more respectful rollout from Paramount Pictures this past March, but it flopped, grossing less than half its $25 million production cost.

How The Lucky Ones does is anyone's guess at this point. The initial reviews aren't bad but they aren't great either. The Cleveland Plain Dealer had this to say:

"The Lucky Ones," co-writer/director Neil Burger's credible if unremarkable follow-up to his extraordinary "The Illusionist," refers to soldiers returning from Iraq in one piece...What follows is a series of occasionally funny encounters, as well as some soapy complications not so unpleasant as they are predictable. There are the requisite moving moments, too, making "The Lucky Ones" no more or less noteworthy than the slew of war movies preceding it in the last year or two.

An observation you'll see made in reviews of the movie is the script's use of humor where other Iraq movies may have remained humorless. The San Jose Mercury News weighs in on how this all works out:

The film...has Iraq on its mind, though it never mentions the word. It wants to make some kind of commentary on how the country hasn't come to grips with the war or its veterans without taking the issue head-on. Perhaps the director and his co-writer, Dirk Wittenborn ("Fierce People''), thought a lighter, entertaining approach would work after so many box-office failures about the war that were either dark thrillers or dramas. But the contrived and convoluted plot of "The Lucky Ones'' eventually undermines any serious intentions.

Here are a few links to other movies/TV shows about the Iraq war:

Rendition
In the Valley of Elah
Redacted
Over There (TV)
Home of the Brave
Stop-Loss
Generation Kill (TV miniseries)

Summer '03 to Summer '08

David Botti — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 23:02:53 GMT

For the next several weeks I'll be blogging as an embed with various U.S. military units operating in Iraq (posts will come as Internet is available). As you may know from reading this blog, I was a Marine in Iraq during the 2003 invasion and left later that summer as my battalion rotated home. I haven't been back to the country until earlier this week when I landed in Baghdad in the belly of a C-130 cargo plane, this time as a reporter.

The moment the back ramp of the aircraft opened and a hot wind blew across the dusty tarmac, I was prepared to begin comparing today's Iraq to my own experiences in the country five years earlier. The truth is, however, that after five years this is essentially a different country and a different war. The differences are so obvious that they hardly seem worth mentioning, and I'll need time to fully comprehend that I've returned to a country I never thought I'd set foot in again.

A Marine patrol at sunset in An Nasiriyah, August 2003 / Photo: David Botti

Before a few days ago, my time in Iraq existed as a defining moment of my life--a time now frozen in photographs and memories that are already beginning to fade. I do remember, however, how I once viewed those soldiers and marines entering the country as I prepared to leave. I pitied them in some respects. They'd missed the historic events of the invasion, and were now left to "clean up" what little there was left to do. Of course, I couldn't have been more wrong.

Now I've come to Iraq again at a time when many here point to the relative calm that's come over the country. A recent graphic in The New York Times illustrated how the statistics break down over the years. The number of U.S. troops killed, for example, fell from 126 in May 2007 to 19 in May 2008.

I've been in Baghdad for two days and have yet to hear a burst of gunfire, or the explosion from a rocket. The large-scale violence I was expecting suddenly seems to have disappeared -- albeit perhaps only for a temporary time. After all, I left the city of An Nasiriyah in the middle of the night five years ago, sitting on a pile of camouflage netting in the back of an open truck. I entered Baghdad early this morning in a convoy of armored "Rhino" buses.

Perhaps that's one comparison worth noting from the start.

A New Medal of Honor Recipient

David Botti — Fri, 23 May 2008 20:58:19 GMT

Just a quick note to let you know the White House gave word today of a new Medal of Honor recipient. Nineteen-year-old Army Pfc. Ross McGinnis was killed in late-2006 when he jumped on a grenade to save his comrades. From the Associated Press:

McGinnis was perched in the gunner's hatch of a Humvee when a grenade sailed past him and into the truck where four other soldiers sat. He shouted a warning to the others, then jumped on the grenade. The grenade, which was lodged near the vehicle's radio, blew up and killed him.

McGinnis is the fourth service member to received the Medal of Honor for service in Iraq.

The "Stop-Loss" Continues

David Botti — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 15:25:36 GMT

The army announced yesterday that the practice of "stop-loss," where a solider is held past his/her enlistment contract, should continue for at least another year. While military leaders are making efforts to reduce combat tour lengths, and increase the size of the army, the Associated Press reports there are roughly 12,000 soldiers serving under the stop-loss. The numbers break down to: "6,800 active-duty Army, about 3,800 in the Army National Guard and close to 1,500 in the Reserves."

USA Today breaks down the numbers even further, putting the latest stop-loss news into a wider historical context:

-In May 2007 the practice of stop-loss reached a three-year low of 8,540.

-"Since then, the number of soldiers forced to remain in the Army rose 43% to 12,235 in March."

-"Soldiers affected by stop loss now serve, on average, an extra 6.6 months...Key leaders at the small-unit level — sergeants through sergeants first class — make up 45% of those soldiers. Soldiers typically enlist for four-year stints."

-58,300 soldiers have been affected by the stop-loss since 2002.

People have often asked me what exactly a stop-loss is -- especially after they hear it referred to as the "back door draft." First, USA Today offers this concise summary of how the army views the policy: "Stop loss can keep a soldier in the service if his or her unit deploys within 90 days of the end of the soldier's commitment. It is necessary, the Army says, to maintain the integrity of units headed to war."

Second, I sometimes use the example of my own unit on the eve of the invasion into Iraq back in 2003. Most of us in my reserve unit enlisted under a six-year contract. That meant that for six years were would actively train with our home unit, and be subject to mobilizations if ordered by the president. Afterwards, we would spend two years in the Inactive Ready Reserve (IRR) during which time we would not train, but would still "be on the books," in case the military needed more troops.

In March 2003, when my unit got word it was heading to Iraq, a number of marines were reaching the end of their six-year contract. Depending on how long we stayed in Iraq, their contract might end while they were over there. It was these marines who were subject to stop-loss. They were senior members of the unit whose experience would be invaluable during the deployment, and our company would be hurt if our numbers decreased. So, they stayed and deployed with us; then left the military after returning home.

Most did not complain about serving past their enlistment contract. Their buddies were going to war, and the stop-loss marines wanted to go with them -- and, at that point, the war was still new. Many felt they'd miss out on a major historical event that would go down in the history books. But, times have changed, and the war is more than five years old. As James Martin, a social work professor at Bryn Mawr College and retired Army colonel, told USA Today: "These are the guys who bear the brunt of it. They just get put back into the grinder continually."

New Looks at Military Blogging

David Botti — Wed, 09 Apr 2008 14:09:09 GMT

Since the start of the Iraq war, the importance and viability of military blogs has stirred up tremendous debate. There have been issues of military censorship, journalistic viability, and ethical dilemmas. Recently, talk of where (and how) military blogs fit into the war's narrative has seemed to intensify to some degree. Here's a look at what's happening:

The Columbia Journalism Review published a lengthy article in its last issue profiling Bill Roggio, a U.S.-based military blogger who's set up his own media operation aimed at reporting on terrorism and "small wars" beyond what the mainstream media can do. Before the piece gets to Roggio, the intro takes a look at the gap military blogs aim to fill:

When the United States invaded Iraq in 2003, among the seven-hundred-odd journalists who embedded with combat units were few who were familiar with the military in any intimate way. To many critics, especially those with military experience, this revealed itself in the press’s coverage of the war, which they felt often missed the mark when it came to explaining the hows and the whys of the fight, as well as the mundane realities of military life and culture.

Army veteran Roggio first started blogging about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to put the events in perspective for his family. But, as CJR notes, a transformation took place that's changed the way Roggio operates—and underscores the significance these blogs can have:

It was during the second battle for Fallujah in November 2004, however, that he began to focus his effort. He had been posting detailed battle maps of Iraq’s Anbar province on his site, showing where Marine and Army units were meeting the stiffest resistance from insurgent groups who harassed them with roadside bombs and the occasional ambush. In the spring of 2005, a new group of readers began logging on to Roggio’s site. The Marines in Anbar province were embroiled in a deadly game of cat-and-mouse, and looking for any tactical advantage they could find. Officers with the Regimental Combat Team 2 discovered Roggio’s site and began using it as an information source, calling his site the “Command Chronology of Western Iraq.”

While Roggio continues to build up his Long War Journal, a contributing writer to An Unofficial Coast Guard Blog said he was recently fired from his job working for a USCG contractor after writing posts critical of the branch. Mike McGrath, who comes from a Coast Guard family, wrote of his firing:

Was told that my position would have been downsized anyways within the next few months, my behavior on the blog sites just made it easier to make me the first to go...Did I mention that I just had my performance evals completed within the last 2 weeks, scored perfect all across the board, got a raise (which I will never see) and that there was no indication from anybody that there was anything wrong occurring; no feedback, no counseling, no pointing out of where I might be violating any written policy, nothing - no indication whatsoever.

There's a brand new beginning for British military bloggers detailed by the Guardian. Corporal Lachlan MacNeil will be one of the first British soldiers allowed to blog about his experiences during an upcoming Afghanistan deployment. He'll be blogging directly for the Guardian, but as the paper points out this is quite rare:

Last year, the MoD introduced new guidelines barring military personnel from speaking about their service publicly. Soldiers, sailors and airforce personnel are not able to blog, take part in surveys, speak in public, post on bulletin boards, play multiplayer computer games or send text messages or photographs without the permission of a superior if any information they use concerns matters of defence.

Wired's Danger Room blog wrote of a 2006 U.S. Army report that considered secretly hiring military bloggers to "promote a specific message." The military's comment on the story is that this report was simply an educational exercise intended to be thought-provoking. Here's an excerpt from the Joint Special Operations University report titled "Blogs and Military Information Strategy":

The process of boosting the blog to a position of influence could take some time, however, and depending on the person running the blog, may impose a significant educational burden, in terms of cultural and linguistic training before the blog could be put online to any useful effect. Still, there are people in the military today who like to blog. In some cases, their talents might be redirected toward operating blogs as part of an information campaign. If a military blog offers valuable information that is not available from other sources, it could rise in rank fairly rapidly.

Finally, PBS show Frontline has this "making of" video taking a look at a new documentary following Army soldiers in Iraq. One of the featured soldiers is the founder of milblogging.com. As the website explains:

To record their war, from private reflections to real-time footage of improvised explosive device (IED) attacks on the ground, director Deborah Scranton (The War Tapes) creates a "virtual embed," supplying cameras to the soldiers of the Bad Voodoo Platoon and working with them to shape an intimate portrait that reveals the hard grind of their war.

Interactive Map Showing Hometowns of Casualties

David Botti — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 14:36:36 GMT

A reader recently pointed me to an incredibly detailed interactive map indicating the hometowns of U.S. military casualties from Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom. Based on information available from the Department of Defense, the map's creator has allowed viewers to filter the map by branch of service, military operation, sex, and age. Check it out here. It first appears zoomed in on the New York City area, but one can view anywhere in the country.

From the Website's mission statement:

In mid 2007 oobgolf.com launched an advanced golf course finder for our users. We recently made the decision to use that same technology and development resources to map the hometowns of soldiers who have died in Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. This was not done as a political statement. We simply felt that this tool provided a unique way for Americans to connect to these fallen soldiers in a new more personal way.

Dear Diary: Here Comes the War, Part II

David Botti — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 16:38:21 GMT

Earlier this week I posted excerpts from I journal I kept while serving in Iraq. During this fifth anniversary week of the war, I wanted to give readers a sense of what it was like preparing to deploy. Today I'm posting a few more entries from the journal. They all take place while I was at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, waiting to see if/when we'd get the call to deploy.

March 23, 2003

A Sunday afternoon on the barracks' catwalk. Day four of the war. Nothing much else to do but bullsh*t and watch TV. There are an estimated 50 Marine casualties at this point. Mom said she watched a firefight on TV this morning. Some U.S. forces are less than 100 miles from Baghdad. Other than that don't know what else to say...just waiting. A lot of us think that we'll end up going no where, just end up staying stateside. I don't believe that, I just hope we don't go somewhere for some bull*t mission. If we do something good I know I'll feel as though I've accomplished something worthwhile in my 23 years.

Things just get more surreal by the hour. First, we watched more footage of the front lines where Marines were fighting. These guys are just like us, it's so obvious but I just can't get my head around it. At one point the reporter mentioned he was with the 2nd Battalion 8th Marines--and we're staying in their barracks right now. It's getting more frustrating to see Marines dying and not being able to help them. Sgt. D- speculates that our leave date for Iraq might come sooner. He also says when we get there we'll probably wish for these long nights back in the U.S. Funny, because he's never talked like that before.

March 24, 2003

Not much to say except that today I realized I could actually die. I mean I see vivid pictures of such things, and I see how easily this can happen in war. It may seem like an obvious statement. I thought about these kinds of things the moment I enlisted. But never in those early, innocent, "good ol' days" when I rushed through weekend training to get back to school and finish my homework, did I ever think I'd be in a war. Then, once this became apparent, it has taken until now to really understand what war actually means...I mean, really means. It doesn't seem like me, David Botti, could be shot to death on a road in Iraq...but, it can so easily happen. So easy to become a name on the wall, and a cross in Arlington Nation Cemetery where thousands like me may have thought the same things. But I shouldn't think about such morbid things. The war is getting bloodier...especially for the Marines. Today I saw an Army convoy come under attack on TV.

March 25, 2003

Things have changed infinitely in a matter of a few hours. We learned today that we would be leaving for Kuwait by the weekend. Things kicked into high gear. The mood seems somber, uncertain, worried. Things are so real and so clear that it seems everyday the fog lifts revealing how things will really be. I could see it in the major's face as he told us we were going. Here are people's thoughts: H- is having trouble sleeping; B- is worried that he'll kill someone and go to hell; S- wishes he picked up a slutty girl last weekend; A- doesn't feel like talking to his parents (he also thinks he only has a 20 percent chance of coming home not wounded or dead); C- wants to go but is scared at the same time; N- is nervous. All I can really do is concentrate on the future, and put all this into perspective when I come back home.

Dear Diary: Here Comes the War

David Botti — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 13:13:17 GMT

Along with the Iraq war starting five years ago this week, this period was also the first time I began writing in the journal I kept while deployed. I'm posting excerpts today and tomorrow, so you can get a sense of what was going through the mind of a lowly lance corporal on his way to Iraq. The entries are not particularly eloquent, but they're real and I hope they just show what the calm was like before the storm. I've omitted the names of my fellow Marines for their privacy.

March 10, 2003

Our platoon commander has been having meetings with all the squad leaders (planning and training stuff), and it sounds like we're going balls to the wall. He says if we're going to the front we're dropping everything, and taking only food and ammo. Morale seems relatively high -- probably from the adventure factor. Sounds like we may be in Kuwait within 10 days if the training schedule at Camp Lejeune doesn't get lengthened.

We got a slightly propaganda-ish Iraq country briefing, and one on desert survival. In terms of politics in the world I'm loosing track of all those resolutions, votes, "phone calls," etc. I just want to get over there. I've also realized I haven't thought about the future much. Hopefully, I'll be too busy to think about it. I wonder what they're doing back home right now. Is it wrong of me to think that I feel almost lucky to be in this position, to see some facet of the world which is rare -- and then have the ability to come home and bring those experiences with me? Well -- we'll see what kinds of experiences I actually take home...if I want them with me. A- isn't sure if he wants to go back to school after our deployment. He said he's not afraid of what's ahead of us, but that he's afraid of what it'll be like going back home. He looks at other college students w/o a clue as to what's going on, and gets pissed off. B- said he always just wanted to work as a bureaucrat, and that because of this he doesn't want anything to do with that kind of work. He just wants to "go west" when we get back, and figure everything else later.

March 11, 2003

There are rumors today we may be at Camp Lejeune for two months. I can't stand that thought of not being able to go overseas when the war's still going on.

K- got his family hardship exemption today, so he won't be coming with us. Some in the platoon say it's a bad omen -- that that goofy bast*rd was our good luck charm.

A bunch of us went to Ruby Tuesday's at the mall last night. C- showed up with his fiancée. I feel bad for those two now that we're leaving. It just doesn't seem fair to any of us.

March 13, 2003

I have a really bad headache right now, and I hope to god it goes away quick so I can focus on the task at hand. Yesterday was the day we said goodbye to all of our families. The day got dragged out, and I had to said goodbye to the "rents" a few times -- each time thinking it was the last. It was just a cluster f*ck all around as usual.

Before I said goodbye to my family, I saw K-'s family and his children crying...his daughter running up to him repeatedly...his son asking him when he'd be back. That hurt. K- handled it good. He gave a good "father's answer," but then I saw his own parents who lived through all this sh*t in communist Poland -- and, it just all seemed to make it worse.

Other than that the day was just sitting around and waiting to leave. N- didn't have his family there. He said he'd rather say goodbye to his wife on his own terms, and not the Marine Corps.

Even after all that crying with the families, an interesting thing happened. Once we were all sitting on the bus to go to Camp Lejeune, the platoon just settled into our normal routine: "smokin' n' joke'in," laughing at stupid sh*t. I felt guilty that I had a smile on my face while both of my parents were still standing out in the cold waiting for the bus to leave. I guess I'm just more used to this sort of thing.

After the ride to Camp Lejeune we got several briefs, and that word that we should be off to SWA (Southwest Asia) pretty soon. At one point the battalion commander mentioned forces "going into the breach," and I suddenly had an overwhelming fear of dying -- of being thrown into battle and suddenly having my life in direct danger. Everything is just so uncertain.

March 16, 2003

Where to begin and where to end. I have so much to say, but now that it comes to writing I'm drawing a blank. We've had a good amount of time occupied by classes (which I don't mind), and only today do we have a significant amount of time to ourselves, it being Sunday. Yesterday was filled with trips to the gas chamber and zeroing our rifles. Not much to note of yesterday save for good feeling of accomplishment when a long day is done, and you sit around bullshi**ing with the only people who can understand it all. I'd say morale is relatively good, or people just realize that it's pointless to complain. One thing of note is that guys still don't have uniforms that fit (or boots), and equipment seems to be coming in scattered, and in limited supply. There just seems to be a sense of irony there.

We received a class today from the major on combat fatigue. We learned that it's alright to sh*t your pants and it's best to talk about your feelings. It was all very strange to hear such things, and
in one sense I can't see any of us put into such drastic situations--but at the same time I'm beginning to see just how easy it is for me to die...how insignificant my life is in the grand scheme of the war (which rumors say should start in a few days).

I've found I don't look to the future that much. I want to go back to NYC, but for what? I'm not kidding myself. I really didn't miss it until I was told I had to leave. But I suppose what A- and I talked about today sums up everything: in some sense life like this in the military is simplified and never do I have to second guess the present course of my life in terms of fulfillment. Basically, I guess I feel very neutral about everything...content just to see what happens.

March 18, 2003

Last night Bush gave "the speech," and Saddam has 48 hours before things start happening. Also, it seems like the whole world is against us -- it really feels like we're about to enter into some real
terrible times. It's all an extension of 9/11, which seems like it's already something for the history books. I had planned to watch the speech in the barracks, but Sergeant O- took a Marine in my fire team out for a run, and the guy sprained his ankle. So, I ended up watching in an eerily silent emergency room with a scattering of military families who were also there. They had looks on their faces that seemed like they were about to head into combat themselves. Sergeant O- seemed to take the Marine's sprained ankle to heart, beating himself up over his decision to run too fast. Of course, none of this was his fault and I wonder how bad things would really get for
him if something were to happen to one of us in Iraq.

Other than that just more classes (did a run with gas masks today which sucked). Unfortunately, we're falling into a routine which I hope gets broken up very soon.

A Roundup of Iraq Anniversary Coverage

David Botti — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 13:13:34 GMT

The fifth anniversary of the Iraq war is about to come upon us, and so too will an endless amount of media coverage on the issue. Later in the week I'll be writing up some personal reflections on the anniversary, but today I've compiled some of the better anniversary stories that have already popped up. First, take a look at NEWSWEEK's in-depth look at where the Army stands (plus these great video interviews with soldiers now in Iraq), and then see below for how other stories address the past five years.

On Sunday The New York Times gave former Baghdad bureau chief John F. Burns a few column inches to give his take on where the war has taken us. Burns penned this article at the war's outset which I've always considered to be an amazing piece of journalism. For Sunday's article, Burns, who spent five years in Iraq, reflects on his position as a journalist covering the war; and on the larger meaning for both the U.S. and Iraq. As his opening line puts it ("Five years on, it seems positively surreal"), Burns seems in awe of the course the war has taken; and frustrated over miscalculations that occurred. He writes of watching the first U.S. air strikes from a Baghdad roof:

...from that first impact, among many on the roof, the mood was scarcely one of cool detachment, or at least not as cautioned as it might have been by the longer-term implications of what we were seeing. Part of it, no doubt, was the air show — the sheer, astonishing, overwhelming demonstration of power, more like an act of God than man, unleashing in those watching from the roof something approaching awe. But the larger part, the one that seems surreal now in the light of all that has followed, was the sense that, with the beginning of the end of Saddam Hussein’s evil, the suffering of millions of ordinary Iraqis that we had chronicled, and pitied, was ending.

For an international view of the fifth anniversary, take a listen to four top BBC journalists who discuss what arose from the rubble of Saddam's regime, and the wider impact on other Arab states. The introductory text to the radio documentary has this telling observation:

It's been said that, if 11th September 2001 was the day the world changed for America, then 20th March 2003 was the day America changed for the world.

IAVA blogger Ray Kimball, an Army major and Iraq vet, reflects on leading his men through the opening days of the war and how he still thinks about the choices he made:

Five years later, looking back on it, different fears come to the fore. Did the choices that I made during those weeks shape what happened later? What could I have done differently? I remember distinctly driving by groups of looters who were busy dragging all they could grab out of government buildings. At the time, I decided that it was probably appropriate that ordinary Iraqis, who had been under Saddam’s thumb for so long, were finally getting some of theirs back. We now know that some of that looting destroyed critical infrastructure that would be vital in the coming months in trying to get a new Iraqi government on its feet. Hindsight is always 20-20, and yet, there is still the nagging feeling that I could have made different choices that might have helped lead to different outcomes.

The LA Daily News provided this look at a group using the anniversary to protest the war as part of a larger, worldwide series of such events. While the protest was attended by celebrities, as well as Vietnam vet Ron Kovic (of Born On the Fourth of July), the article offered a particularly telling moment: when two Iraq vets were noticed watching the protest, the reporter notes:

-"We have a surplus of hippies and a shortage of hand grenades," [the vet] said. He said the war cost him his marriage, and that he saw some of his friends die.

-The back of his sign read, "My sacrifice was not in vain."

-Several protesters walked up and greeted him, said he looked angry and offered him a hug - he declined - and asked how they could make him happy

-His response: "Go home."

New Jersey's Gloucester County Times took a look at how the war has affected a wide spectrum of people: from veterans, to family, to a VA worker. Marine Richard J. Maxie Jr. told the paper:

Despite the calls to bring the troops home, the constant media attention surrounding the war and the coming election, Maxie is steadfast in believing that the troops have accomplished something good in Iraq.

"They only see the bad things," said Maxie said of the media's portrayal of the war. "They don't really know kids are going to school and the Iraqis can go into the streets and not have to watch over their shoulders all the time.

Angelo Romeo, a local VA director, told the paper his impressions of what the newest vets coming home face:

Romeo says of the ones he has talked to that most of them are holding their experiences inside. He recalled hearing an instance about the friend of a new veteran who was complaining about a stressful day at work.

The soldier had served as an explosives detonation expert.

"I've seen them in social situations with their friends from high school and college. There's a bit of a disconnect."

The Iraq war's fifth anniversary isn't the only Iraq anniversary occurring this week. It was 20 years ago when Saddam Hussein killed at last 5,000 Kurds in chemical bombing attacks.

There's sure to be much more Iraq war anniversary coverage through the week. Stay tuned.

Breakdown of Where War Stands in Public's Eyes

David Botti — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 15:11:22 GMT

Here's a quick breakdown of the new Pew Research Center Study that finds the media and public are loosing sight of the war. If you read this blog, I assume you're not one of them. But here are the numbers anyway:

28% of the public is aware that nearly 4,000 troops have been killed in Iraq over the past five years.
Nearly 50% think the number of U.S. deaths is 3,000 or fewer.
23% of the public think the number of U.S. deaths is higher than 4,000.
In earlier surveys nearly half of the respondents recalled the correct number of deaths.
In 2007 the median of Iraq-associated news stories was 15% of all news stories.
During the last week in January, 36% of those surveyed said they were most closely following campaign news; 14% the stock market; 12% the death of Heath Ledger; and 6% the war in Iraq.
And, as the Associated Press quotes the survey director: "All education levels in the recent survey were similarly uninformed."

The LA Times posts a photo slide show from the 2003 invasion next to their summary of the Pew survey. Whether they were trying to be ironic or not, you might want to take a short trip back to that time; a time when you couldn't get the war off of the TV.

Veteran Vs. Veteran: A Visit to Washington

David Botti — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 17:03:59 GMT

Thirty-seven years after John Kerry and the Vietnam Veterans Against the War (VVAW) descended upon Washington, D.C. to protest against U.S. atrocities in Vietnam, a new generation of veterans will do the same later this week. The group Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW) is heading to the Capital as part of an event called Winter Soldier: Iraq & Afghanistan, named after the similar VVAW event four decades ago. As IVAW puts it:

The four-day event will bring together veterans from across the country to testify about their experiences in Iraq and Afghanistan - and present video and photographic evidence. In addition, there will be panels of scholars, veterans, journalists, and other specialists to give context to the testimony. These panels will cover everything from the history of the GI resistance movement to the fight for veterans' health benefits and support.

There hasn't been much U.S. press coverage on the event, but the UK's Sunday Times, using the headline of "Patriot Missiles," had a lengthy magazine story on the subject:

The veterans are not against the military and seek not to indict it – instead they seek to shine a light on the bigger picture: that the Abu Ghraib prison regime and the Haditha massacre of innocent Iraqis are not isolated incidents perpetrated by “bad seeds” as the military suggests, but evidence of an endemic problem. They will say they were tasked to do terrible things and point the finger up the chain of command, which ignores, diminishes or covers up routine abuse and atrocities.

Other veterans, and vet bloggers, aren't thrilled with this event. A group called "Stop the Slander," described as a "coalition of concerned veterans, family members, and friends," has even published a guide for reporter's covering IVAW. The guide warns journalists that claims made by IVAW may be untrue. The guide even provides an acronym to follow of questions to ask:

D: Date(s) – When did the incident occur?
U: Unit(s) – What military units were involved?
P: Personnel – What are the names of the participants and witnesses?
E: Event(s) – What exactly happened exactly where?
S: Signature(s) – Was this reported at the time or later and were reports, affidavits or depositions signed, or will they now be signed?

Veterans For Freedom blogger, Mark Seavey, took his own critical look at the IVAW's preparations for the Winter Soldier event, but in the end wrote that both sides of the debate should be heard -- without unnecessary contest or debate:

I think it speaks well of IVAW that they expect all testimony to be true and verifiable. And there will plenty of eyes there to ensure that. Hopefully we can all say our piece, discuss our views and then go home with no violence on anyone’s part.

The term "Winter Soldier" is derived from Thomas Paine's passage intended to motivate George Washington's troops suffering at Valley Forge:

“These are the times that try men’s souls. The summer soldier and sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of his country; but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman.”

This is generating a huge amount of debate within the vocal veterans community. What's interesting to note is that perhaps the only demographic who can debate IVAW, without being called-out on their lack of service, is other veterans. The issues goes above someone's service record, and shows how the fabled, and perhaps cliched, military bond can only go so far in such times of controversy. Or, is it still there, above all the ruckus? We'll soon find out.

An Iraqi Mourns His Friend's Death

David Botti — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 17:01:35 GMT

The New York Times Baghdad blog posted a moving account from an Iraq employee of the paper writing of his close friend's death as the victim took an evening stroll with his wife. Even though my blog is about U.S. troops and veterans, I posted this passage because it presents one man's rumination of the situation they all face. Whether you sympathize with him or not, his view is one to take into account. Here is a selection from the piece [via Intel Dump]:

How long should we strive? Who is going to help us here at this critical stage, apart from God? It is too much.

Iraqi security forces all over the country and specifically in Baghdad have done their best to crack down on violence. However, what they are doing is like a tug of war. They tighten their grip some of the time against the militias and Qaeda, but let it go or unleash it most of the time. It is not because they deliberately want this to happen, but they are still new, and they want to protect their own lives.

They are fighting ghosts who set up I.E.D.s and appear from nowhere without warning, and then disappear. The battle is much harder than Mr. Bush expected. His own army, the strongest in the world, could not cope with the situation. The Iraqi government doesn’t tell the real numbers of the dead.

In Baghdad, no one knows when he will die. It is like a line we are standing in. One day a friend dies, another day a relative, and so on.

I have started to ask myself, is this country cursed? I should go back, sink into the history, and look for answers. Some Shiites say it could be so, because it was the people of this country who killed and mutilated Imam Hussein, grandson of Prophet Muhammad. Some Sunnis would say it could be the curse of the monarchy during the 1950s that the people were not satisfied with, and were happy when it was toppled.

God, are we all bad people here? If so, why do you not use your superior power to terminate this country. Or if not, why don’t you help people to stay alive, next to their beloved.

At some moments, a thought comes to my mind, and I become at this moment a disbeliever, when I believe that God does not care for Iraqis anymore. What is true are Oliver Goldsmith’s famous words, that “one half of the world are ignorant how the other half lives.”

Whatever the reasons behind this killing were, this country kills people’s hopes.