10 POW's

[catman]

Iraqi soldiers and Fox news claim that the Iraqi's have taken 10 Americans including one female POW. Pray gentlemen. Pray for their safe return and pray that the commanders unleash a storm the likes have never been seen.

Problem with "Shock and Awe" or as they said in GWI "Haul ass and bypass" is the follow on forces can not protect their selfs. They have not had the training or do they posses the weapons to deal with platoon size enemy elements.

Fox news now reporting 4 American POWs shoot in head, execution style.

Trav

[Arrow]

Praying and watching Trav. I have a question. What do you and the rest of the vets think of the live coverage?


At first I thought it was ok as they could record for the world our actions towards any that surrender. Tina had said in a phone conversation that her dad and her felt that they should not have it. As we have got farther in and seeing Marines shot at and shooting backI am concerned about the families that have men and women on the ground. What happens if they see their own killed before their eyes? I am sure many have turned off their television. I remember spending my time away from the tv while many in the military community were gathered around it.

I am also concerned about all you vets out there already suffering from PTSD being triggered on a moment to moment basis. Some may get through this ok but somewill not. I know how most of you are. If you can't be there in person you may feel that you need to keep the TV on 24/7 and in so doing you are standing with them. I am having the same problem. But I don't have a family member in the Gulf. I know if they were there I couldn't handle it.

I want you all to know that I am thinking of you every day and praying for everyone of you and your emotional well being through this thing.


I really want to hear from you guys before I call the White House. That is exactly what I am getting ready to do but I will stand down for a bit and wait for your response. Sis

[catman]

Sis...I can only speak for myself. The media coverage is a true two sided sword.

I think that they could be more sympathetic to the families that have lost loved ones, the father on national tv showing pictures of his dead son. I am quite sure that he felt this at first and later on he would realize that it was his son's choice to join and he died doing what he was trained to do and died for a cause greater than himself. God cares for the liberators of the oppressed. Now with his new found fame the reporters and antiwar types will hound this guy relentlessly and the seed of contempt have been firmly planted and will grow and grow. The entire family will take up signs and travel the country speaking for the antiwar movement.

As a veteran unable to be there, I can not turn the tv off. I have slept very little and found myself channel surfing for the latest news. I have all the leading news sites from the US, England and Russia bookmarked. I have several different maps that I can reference at a glance. This is my first tv war that I am not a part of and am very unsure how to act. I was but a wee lad during Vietnam and Dad was stationed in Germany during the early 70's so all we heard was Armed Forces Radio and not much else.

I guess that i am quite the hypocrite as I feel as though I can not get enough news while at the same time think that the general public does not have the need to know.

As for the PTSD, I have not had any trouble since the war began. The days leading up to the fighting were very tough. Wife even told me that I am doing much better.

Trav

[Arrow]

Trav,

I agree with every one of your points. And even the fact that you feel more comfortable with your need to know over the general public. It's understandable.

In speaking with my daughter while waiting on your response she was telling me of seeing our troops pick up a 14 or 15 year old girl wandering around out there in need of medical attention and alone. They ministered to her immediate needs then had her flown out by chopper to a medical facility. She was also commenting about the fine men and women we have in force there and how proud she was of them. We talked about this question of media coverage and both agreed as you said it is a two edge sword keeping in mind that the media is documenting and recording for all the world to see our conduct which we can be more than proud of. We have shown great restraint and patience through out this whole process.

God Bless You Trav..

God Bless All Of Our Warriors Past And Present...

God Bless the families of our Warriors Past and Present...

God Bless America...

Sis

[catman]

I may have given the wrong idea that I am entitled to more information than the general public. That is not what I intended to say, I meant to say that I can not turn off the news coverage and am glad for the coverage on on hand. On the other hand, I do not feel that the general public has a need to know all that is going on. hence the two sided sword.

Trav

[Arrow]

Your clear brother...understood..Sis

[DMZ-LT]

Rocket killed 29 one day at C-2 by the Z. Never Heard a word about it written or told any where. Bless our troops.

[David]

The whole thing is surreal, I am not watching TV.

[David]

DMZ-LT I hope everyones story will eventually be told. Thank you and your generation for standing up for the rest of us. Your sacrifices and lessons learned in Vietnam have given every trooper since much better odds of returned in one piece. I hope the troops in the field today heed those lessons as well.

[MORTARDUDE]

fragging of our officers, dead..maybe executed POWs on live TV, being involved in firefights in realtime, watching a city being bombed in realtime..... I try not to watch, but it is hard. If one of my sons were in harms way, I can only imagine how this would be. It seems DOD is getting info out in a ragged manner. Every news channel seems to have different info. If indeed the Iraqis are pulling ambushes when they are to surrender and are executing our POWs.... this is all going to get very bad. My fear at the outset was that we do not have enough trigger-pullers on the ground. I hope I am wrong. The 173rd Airborne is coming into Kirkuk in the North from Italy....Yes, this all just creeps me out big-time.

Larry