Is there anybody on the planet who does NOT know of the terrible loss we all witnessed last weekend (August 6th) when a Chinook helicopter went down in Afghanistan, costing the lives of both American and Afghanistan Heroes? I didn't think so. As word starting coming out in the very early hours of last Saturday morning, I watched in horror and yes, disgust as first, the msm and then the Media Whore in Chief did their usual disrespectful, dishonourable routines, and raced to be first to capitalise on the not-yet-cold bodies of our Fallen Heroes.
Over the time since the Mouth In Chief temporary resident at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue first started campaigning for the highest office in the land of the US, he and his wife have decided that their own cause can be served by public displays (preferably with cameras and mics there, too) of support for our troops. Needless to say, not too many of us even remotely connected to our militaries buy their "reach out to our military men and women and their families" bs. If I have learned nothing else, I know how finely tuned the bs meter is in any of our troops/veterans and their families. I have seen and heard from various military and their families, the disdain they feel for the MIC, as he uses our troops as photo op material.
Most of the time our troops/families tend to *SPIT* at MIC's almost daily hypocritcal manipulation of our troops - aided and abetted by the usual msm vultures - and carry on with their daily lives with quiet grace and dignity.. (Yes, concepts totally foreign to MIC)
Once in a while, though, the MIC behaves so far outside the realm of decency, that even our normally reticent families/veterans/troops come out on the record in their condemnation.
If you remember when Osama Bin Laden was reduced to room temperature by our warriors, it took mere minutes for BHO and his msm lackeys to start hitting the airwaves with information about the Team that performed that service to the world..Many of us watched in horror, as BHO raced to the nearest microphone and camera in his attempt to look 'presidential,' and supportive of our brave men whose successful mission rid the world of OBL. Within minutes the whole world - including terrorists with murder on their mind (singular) - knew where these guys are stationed and more details than we - or terrorists - need to know. Not only did we not need to know, but the general rush to publicise details of a usually clandestine team, also placed these Hero's families at risk. But never mind: MIC made it all about HIM, and damn the consequences to anybody else..
The condemnation from the military community was rapier sharp, swift and very public.
And so now we come to the Chinook downing last weekend. Again, FHIC (figure it out) rushed to cameras and mics to share details about the Fallen Heroes that none of us need to know. EVER!
Again, within minutes, and yes, way before the DoD Notifications had been made public, dread ran torrent-like through the military community as they waited for the knock on their door. Even as ISAF released a public statement: "...ISAF is still in the process of assessing the circumstances to determine the facts of the incident. Additional details will be released as appropriate...," in the immediate aftermath, there was the msm and MIC racing to share speculations and inappropriate details that serve nobody, least of all the fallen nor their loved ones. My column on this here.
Again, as I have in the past, I have to ask 'Who does it serve?' The answer to that question when related to the MIC is all too obvious, and once again, he makes it all about HIM. Once again, he hogs the media spotlight and demonstrates his ongoing lack of respect for our military OR their families.
As previously, the military community responded, hard on the heels of MIC's rush to share information that should NEVER be shared.
War on Terror News had this:
Thursday, August 11, 2011
All Men are Created Equal... But are Not Equal in Life
They did not ask for their deaths to become a campaign stop and photo opportunity for a politician. Their families specifically asked that it not become a media event. ...
Like most of America, I cringed when I heard that a Chinook with many members of Seal Team 6 had exploded in Afghanistan. The enemy had gotten lucky on that day. These men had known the risks. They have a long history of successes that we won't likely know. Their names are not classified, but their missions have been.
I cringed because someone decided to report the information that it was Seal Team 6. Someone else decided to claim to know and tell the world how many members of Seal Team 6 there are. Experts filled the space on the idiot box proving how much they knew about things no one else knew. I don't know how many men serve on Seal Team 6, how many have served on it, or how many missions they've successfully completed. I do know they exist, that they live a life of danger, and routinely defeat the enemy.
There was no need for DoD to release that it was ST6. There was no need for the media to speculate that it was ST6. It would have been sufficient to say they were Navy, or perhaps even that they were Seals. They lived their lives in secrecy. They risked their lives in secrecy. They did not accept fame for their deeds. They preferred success to fame.
You just know he has much more. It is the usual to the point response that we have come to expect from WOTN, and you must read it here.
WOTN was not alone. From BlackFive:
Obama campaigns on dead SEALs
Posted By Uncle Jimbo • [August 11, 2011]
In case you wondered, of course Barry O is trying to use the deaths of the SEALs and air crew in Afghanistan for his own aggrandizement. Even though most of the families specifically requested no media coverage of the return of the remains of the fallen, that doesn't apply to the campaign staff WH photographer. So we get a pic of Barry trying his damndest to look like a leader.
Anyone with an dime's worth of decency would have known better than to use such an event, but that is simply part of Obama's lack of character. He couldn't just attend, he had to make sure that all the voting public knew he was there. It is sad to watch such a complete tool use the military, and worse our war dead, to attempt to create an image of a serious Commander in Chief. I don't doubt that on some level Obama cares about the dead troops, but just a whole lot less than he cares about himself. His spokestool used this collection of sorry lies to fail miserably in justifying the pitiful self-promotion...
Yes, UJ has more of his usual on target commentary right here. Go read.
Then we have One Marine's View who poses the rhetorical question:
August 11, 2011
Who is the focus at this dignified transfer?
[There follows the same picture that has been used to show MIC attempting to salute. Not reprinting it here again.]
He begins:
“A White House photographer (the only photographer there) was allowed to take and widely distribute a photo from the ceremony Tuesday for the return of the remains of 30 American troops killed in a weekend helicopter crash in Afghanistan despite the Pentagon's claim that any public depiction of the scene would violate the wishes of bereaved families.”
Under the Pentagon policy spelled out in March 2009, the option to allow media access is explained to family members when they are notified of their loved one's death, and "primary next of kin will make the family decision regarding media access to dignified transfers at Dover."
I have to ask the obvious question apparently. If the Pentagon respected the requests of the family members (19 out of the 30) that didn’t want the event photographed, why didn’t the White House respect those 19 family members’ requests?
The photograph wasn’t of “caskets” but it was of the President and was posted on the White House website as the "Photo of the Day." It showed Obama and other officials in silhouette and did not depict caskets, family members or anything that brought respect to those fallen.
Was the White House photographer there to focus on the heroes killed in action and the event at hand or was this a staged event that was focused on the POTUS? The picture result (above) answers that one....
Read the rest here.
Do I need to point out the emphasis up there? No, I didn't think so, but for those who apparently need it spelled out (looking at YOU, MIC) : " ... would violate the wishes of bereaved families.” But hey, he and the missus are all about 'reaching out to the military families..' as he demonstrates, yet again, that he has NO idea what 'dignified' means. (My regular readers know exactly what comes next. Have at it.)
Bad enough that personal details of these fallen heroes is all over the friggin msm, (reminder: details that can endanger not only the ongoing US military mission but, more importantly these fallen heroes' families,) here we have MIC again making it all, and always, about him and damn the consequences to anybody else.
As soon as the details hit the internet and went international, you just know our coalition partners read about it too. Of course, they already knew of the event because such news travels among the coalition troops with the speed of lightening, and so it was last Saturday night.
From one of our coalition troops (yes, a friend who gave me permission to quote him):
Are they going to release their hometowns?.....better yet, release their home address & where their children go to school.....I'm sure Team 6 has no enemies in the world & bad guys are always looking to add names to their Christmas card list. Better publish the names of a few moving companies while they're @ it......Sure all over America today there will be sentries....volunteer sentries posted @ their homes...with some serious weapons....call before your visit. Jeeze, what a world.
This is US Navy SEAL Team 6, the guys that took out Osama bin laden. SEALs names or their hometowns are not usually released, "training accident in Eastern Afghanistan" is usually the public story while not tying them to USN SEALs.....sure the "community" will protect the families & hope no crackpots or real bad guys come for them. This whole situation has had too much press & info released, imagine quite a few bad guys have been watching the news, ... (there was more, but you get the idea)
As you can see, men who serve, or have served, our countries have been universal in their condemnation at the way this whole sad event has been handled by both the MIC and the msm. As usual, they are absolutely correct. As usual, our troops and veterans understand the concept of service in a way the MIC obviously does not - and never will.
As WOTN points out, the men who carry out these missions are interested only in mission accomplished, and have less than zero interest in public recognition or accolades. They serve a higher calling than themselves. Therein lies the stark contrast with the MIC. Time and again BHO shows he has NO idea of what 'service to country' means. Time and again, he proves that his only interest is in serving himSELF.
In the President of the United States, the Commander in Chief of our military, this behaviour is not only obscene, it is intolerable.
