IO Morality Play

Compare these two articles:

First: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/27/wo...-delta.html?hp

Quote:

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“In 2003, 2004, 100 percent of the soldiers wanted to be here, to fight this war,” said Sgt. First Class David Moore, a self-described “conservative Texas Republican” and platoon sergeant who strongly advocates an American withdrawal. “Now, 95 percent of my platoon agrees with me.”

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Second: http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/fea....ackerman.html

Quote:

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From Wellman’s perspective, the war was going well. “For this district we’re at right now, we’re past the storm,” he told me. Many of his fellow troops in the 57th agreed. Small-arms fire and car bombs were still plaguing Wellman’s soldiers, but there had been a measurable drop in violence over the past thirty days. “Now, with the security plan,” said Wellman, “my district, it’s settling down. And it’s only going to get better.”

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The first unit clearly did no preparation for handling the press. Everyone quoted speaks out of their lane - since when do soldiers or Marines at the company level talk about strategic withdrawal plans? The second unit stays in their lane - even the optimism is restricted to their AO.

Saint,

No idea who you are but good catch and excellent observation.

I think "big sarge" is going to catch an earful. In my experience with the media over there, soldiers forget that they are on the record 24/7. We had a problem in 03 with our embed because of this. So who knows, maybe the 325 guys had been going through a bad stretch when the NYT reporter got the comments, who knows. I would definately have to agree that the second unit has a better media plan than the first. Good job at pointing out the contrasting stories.

Look what else is in the Times article:

It has not worked out that way. Still, Captain Rogers says their mission in Kadhimiya has been “an amazing success.”

“We’ve captured 4 of the top 10 most-wanted guys in this area,” he said. And the streets of Kadhimiya are filled with shoppers and the stores are open, he said, a rarity in Baghdad due partly to Delta Company’s patrols.


That's alone with one of the troop's concluding that the problems probably mean we need to stay, not go.