Anne Curry IDs Pilot on Air

FR ^ | 10/29/01 | Freeper

[Amerigomag]

I think the point that everyone is making is very serious. I don't think these folks are hysterical. I think they're justifiably damned angry.

[DAnconia55]

Cheddar.Cheese@msnbc.com

[Senator Cleghorn]

Reminds me of when an EC-130 was shot down over Iraq and the media swarmed over a crewman's brother's home. The top story of the hour were the words of the missing crewman's brother, "He was involved in a lot of secret stuff. I hope he's OK".
Thanks bro. I hope the electrodes to my testicles kill me sooner.

[snorkeler]

That is so sad. It's understandable (maybe) that his brother, in his grief, didn't think about what he was saying. But the newspeople are supposed to be profesional and should have a clearer grasp of the implications and possible results of that statement.

[max61]

And precisely how would airing one pilots full name endanger operational security?.

---max

[snorkeler]

The man said his brother was engaged in "secret" stuff. This would likely get his brother special treatment by the enemy as they sought to learn the secrets.

In general, my objection to making identities know stems from incidents reported in previous conflicts in which the families of the service people were harassed by peacniks and cranks. IIRC, there was one episode in particular where a phone call, announcing the serviceman's death scared the family until they could confirm otherwise.

In this current war, the families could be likewise targeted for harrasment or retaliation.

[cricket]

"I'm sure it was inadvertant, but it was his full name."

. . . . Liberals cannot be separated from their ignorance. . .'inadvertant' is too kind and way too accomodating.

[caseyblane]

Is this the same interview where she asked the pilot how he felt about killing innocent civillians?

I steamed with anger when I heard about this on the radio!

[HoweverComma]

Actually, IIRC, squadron COs and those senior to them are required BY LAW to not have their identities kept secret.

[snorkeler]

There is a difference between kept secret and publicized on a national TV news show, IMHO.

[HoweverComma]

OK, so you're saying that the only way those terrorists could learn this information is from a TV news show.

I have news for you--by your lights, we should be screaming at Congress. The disclosure on ABC-TV is absolutely trivial compared to what information is publicly available (because the law MANDATES such availability) to anyone who stops by a college library.

The terrorists are not a bunch of fools; they no doubt had this data long before you heard it on the TV.

[snorkeler]

Please read my earlier posts. Previous conflicts resulted in families being harrased by peacniks and creeps.

[HoweverComma]

And please note that peaceniks and creeps have access to the same information.

[snorkeler]

OK.tell me precisely how I can find the name of a serviceman and his family's hometown. And then tell me that it's just as easy as seeing it on TV. This is silly. Are you saying it's a good thing to have our people's names advertised? If so, why? What is the up side of this practice?

[packrat01]

First name and call sign; unless they're commanders. Full names for commanders are given. You can bet your last nickel that Mrs. Commander sleeps with a 1911 or an 870 while hubby is away.

UNLESS she's on-post; at which point the USMC takes a dim view of disrupting commander's wives sweet dreams.

[KSCITYBOY]

It's all just fun and games for the media. Just one big ratings game; so some guys wife and kids are now the target for terrorists. It's the ratings that count.

[Junior]

Commanding officers can be identified by full name. As the guy is a captain, odds are he's a commanding officer. Get a grip. There is a public affairs officer right off camera there to remind her of the rules and let her know if she violates them she's on the next COD flight home.

[Junior]

OK.tell me precisely how I can find the name of a serviceman and his family's hometown.

Boy, you ain't never been in the newspaper biz, have you? The favorite tactic of a number of reporters I've had the "pleasure" to meet is to stake out one of the ubiquitous ("all over the place" for you in South Florida) drinking establishments located outside any military base and eavesdrop on conversations. If the reporter hears anything interesting, he simply buys a round for the group doing the talking, and pretty soon he's got a good lead on a story. It's even easier if the reporter is a young, attractive female. This technique was used fairly effectively right after the Cole bombing when reporters wanted to get the "how do you feel about being a target" angle from deckplate sailors without the interference of public affairs officers.

The idea of not releasing the last names of pilots is really only effective in keeping their identities secret from anti-war protestors and the media. Any intelligence service worth its pay will have perused unit internet sites, hit units up for gedunk items (welcome-aboard pamphlets for a unit often list the CO, XO and CMC of a unit), and clipped items from base or unit publications and will have fairly complete unit rosters for any give squadron or surface ship. For the Taliban to access this information may simply consist of them calling in a few chips with the Iraqis or Syrians.

I swear, this forum is slowly degenerating into a group of nervous nellies seeing evil everywhere and proto-nazis willing to institute a fascist police state to "get them there rag heads."

BTW, I've been in the Navy public affairs community now for nearly 14 years, with more than four years at sea. I've been through this drill before with Desert Shield.

[cibco]

Not just terrorists, or at least not terrorists of the international type. I think the policy came into effect because peacniks were harrassing and 'terrorizing' the families in a previous conflict, maybe the Gulf War?

Try Vietnam.