Tactical Bloggers?

[Rob Thornton]

I looked around for a moment and saw several places that this could be inserted into an existing thread, but then thought since there were so many places - better to start one where it would be a seperate conversation.

I was looking at a DVD narrarated by Tom Hanks about the combat cameramen during WWII and the role they played within the Signal Corps. In many ways not much has changed. Thecombat reporters that occassionally come out on patrols or make it out this way are smart young men and women. They seem more focused on collecting IAW much higher echelon themes. Its a shame - they shoot some really good footage that could be used in local IO efforts - even if they did not come with their own interpreter (which mostly they don't), a sharp IO team at BN level could edit the footage on commercial software with a Local interpreter an produce somthing worthwhile. They could even assist the ISF (or whatever Host Nation we are currently working in) with managing their own site.This is something we could do right now.

Now, take it a step further. There was one WWII Marine who landed with a BN CDR on and atoll who was told by the BN CDR, "I don't like having any Hollywood Marines along!". The reporter replied to the BN CDR, "Sir, I shot expert, I can handle my rifle." How important is the information war? How important is it to "be firstest with the mostest" when it comes to getting your message out in a form that is not just seen, but understood? Is it worth trading out other capabilities at different levels? When I was working FCS there were contractors telling us that robotics operator for the big 10 tons where going to be an "additional duty" - Having done the field tests, I told them they were barking up the tree of one thing well, or many things badly.

You can't just add something I've found. Even small decisions impact all kinds of other things. Everything is a trade unless somebody is willing to start changing platforms for tactical through strategic mobility (it gets cummulative real fast). So how important would it be for example to have tactical bloggers who were trained and equipped (think of them as kind of a platoon FO in terms of low density MOS) and could tie in with the other higher echelons like functions/capabilities? They would not just be passive in the manner of "hey check this out", but active as in they'd be placed with the right element to collect on the event that fit the best with what the overall task and purpose was, and actively engage the enemy's IO, or create our desired IO effects. Its possible, but not a given by any stretch due to wireless bandwith constraints and competition, that they could even be given a window to upload immediately - where they or someone else (could even be at an HSOC) could manipulate it, thread it, hyperlink it, spam it, etc.

This is in effect what the bad guys are doing, but could we do it better an faster then them by recognizing the importance and making adjustments & trades? Thoughts? Thoughts on trades? Thoughts on where our resources are best spent? Work arounds?

Since the squad in my book is the most fundamental of organizations (the fire team is important, but does not have two elements to support maneuver - there is no battle drill - 'team attack', although there is a 'single team-single room'), this and questions like it should cause us to consider the nature of how we fight. Is information worth considering as a forms of contact, in a combined arms line of thought that merits changes at basic levels?