The main problem is that when we talk to the media, confusion arises as to whether our statements are interpreted as personal opinions or official statements. We’re taught to leave the media stuff to the public affairs officials and commanders. They’re the ones taught how to distinguish between the two. Many soldier will defer to the “I don’t talk politics” argument as a way to stay out of possible trouble. I learned this first hand in Fallujah when one of my statements was completely misquoted. (http://www.rense.com/general39/shoclked.htm)

Then again, when was the last time a major news outlet stuck a microphone in a soldier’s face? I’ve heard a few soldiers and their families speak up. Bush’s recent town hall meeting and the Murtha town hall meeting are two instances I can think of off the top of my head.
http://www.exposetheleft.com/2006/03/22/bush-mediacoverage/
http://media.michellemalkin.com/videos/seaveyvideo.wmv

I always tell my soldiers that they can speak to the media any time they want. They just need to make sure that what the media knows what the soldier is passing off is personal opinion.

Great job, thanks for writing all this for us.

I’ve got a question though. You said “Soldiers are concerned about the anti-war protests being shown on television. The constant presence of people like Murtha spouting off at the mouth that this war is a lost cause is creating confusion. The soldiers see the great things they’re doing on a daily basis, but don’t hear about it when they listen to the news. Instead, they go around touting all the mistakes being made by a minority of soldiers and undermining their efforts on a daily basis,” and “Iraqis are approaching soldiers on a private basis begging them not to leave.” I believe in both of these statements. What I am confused about is the public reaction of our soldiers when given the chance to talk. There are few chances to do so, but every now and then one of the news networks sticks a camera and microphone in front of a soldier for a human interest type interview. Often the reporter will ask about morale and whether the news back home about protests bothers them. Invariably, the soldier will answer that they don’t pay attention to politics and protests, they just do their job and the protest news doesn’t bother them. They’ll may say something about doing good things in Iraq, but that’s about it.

My question is, why don’t the soldiers speak up when given the chance? If they were to say on national TV that the protests are bothering them and the protestors don’t seem to be in touch with what is happening on the ground, the protestors will have a much harder time claiming to support the troops but not the war. I know soldiers are not allowed to publicly criticize their leadership, but they should be able to respond when asked about the effect of the protests on their morale. Maybe it has something to do with their ages; young people may be hesitant to speak their mind and contradict what they perceive to be the majority view.

What do you think? I’d love to see some soldiers on TV saying that the protestors worsen the morale of those they claim to support.