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From a USAF member of 1911auto.com w/ his permission. Stuff like this enfuriates me w/ our news media. There were several in our church last night that remembered the news quip over the pizzas but had no idea of the event they were sent for.
His story.

Those who serve have made the most significant statement on their nation and the war in Iraq — and American didn’t hear or see it — Pass this along!


Re-enlistment Ceremony--Where was NBC,CBS,ABC & CNN ALSO PBS Here is a reenlistment ceremony from Baghdad . The ceremony was held July 4, 2008 , at Al Faw Palace, Baghdad , Iraq . General Petraeus officiated. Somehow this did not make it into network news broadcasts. Attached are pictures of what is reputedly the 'largest re-enlistment ceremony ever held in military history.'






As usual, the good news goes unreported.
Tremendous re-enlistment in Baghdad ......never made mainstream media...guess it doesn't fit with their reporting of the hollow force, poor morale, etc. For those who have been in the Al Faw Palace you'll have a better estimation of the number of people crammed in the rotunda.
A pizzeria in Chicago donated 2000 pizzas that were made (frozen), shipped on Sunday, arrived in Baghdad Wednesday and were fed to the troops on the 4th. Oh, by the way, the media did report on the 2000 pizzas...just not what they were for.

This was on Fox NNews yesterday morning.

This is impressive and I wonder why this was not mentioned last night at the GOP convention??

Anygunanywhere

After being in the military for close to ten years, I am not surprised. The media has a habit of not showing anything positive about the military.

ScubaSigGuy wrote:After being in the military for close to ten years, I am not surprised. The media has a habit of not showing anything positive about the military.

They tend to look at things negatively...especially when it comes to the military.

ScubaSigGuy wrote:After being in the military for close to ten years, I am not surprised. The media has a habit of not showing anything positive about the military.

When I was in Paktika province of Afghanistan (on the border with Pakistan) there was fighting on almost a daily basis, and Coalition forces always came out ahead.
Yet when I checked with folks back home for any word on those successes, I was invariably told that they only heard about the deaths of soldiers/Marines in Iraq or the "abuse" of civilians in the south of Afghanistan.
The media of today does not want to recognize the successes of our military forces. It isn't "good press" to them.

I agree with Scuba.

Looks like one heck of a reenlistment! Part of me wishes I was there in person. I always consider reenlisting every 6 months or so. To bad it doesn't pay better.

Such an event doesn't fit the agenda and therefore will not be reported.

You can count on the major media to do three things: lie, lie, and lie.

Everyone wants to feel like a victim.

If people would turn on the news to see every plane land safely then that is what the media would show us because they want to sell advertising for as much money as they can and the price is determined by viewership. People dont turn on the TV for good news though because that stuff is boring, the good news is what we expect.

Soldiers volunteer to keep being soldiers? Yup, thats what we expect because thats how they got there in the first place. Not much news there, maybe a quick blurb about it somewhere but its not going to sell any advertising.

It kills me to hear both the left and the right claiming "media bias" is whats keeping YOUR favorite news story from getting any attention. Both sides cant be right, and Ill wager that neither one is its just the lack of interest from your fellow man. The results from some stupid show where people who cant sing well compete for a CD deal, thats interesting to the masses, those same masses are not likely to share your interest in military reenlistments or melting arctic ice sheets.

Yep, everyone wants to feel like a victim but you arent so just stop pretending already.

Video is here: http://www.rightpundits.com/?p=1681

Pretty impressive ceremony.

tallmike wrote:Everyone wants to feel like a victim.

If people would turn on the news to see every plane land safely then that is what the media would show us because they want to sell advertising for as much money as they can and the price is determined by viewership. People dont turn on the TV for good news though because that stuff is boring, the good news is what we expect.

Soldiers volunteer to keep being soldiers? Yup, thats what we expect because thats how they got there in the first place. Not much news there, maybe a quick blurb about it somewhere but its not going to sell any advertising.

It kills me to hear both the left and the right claiming "media bias" is whats keeping YOUR favorite news story from getting any attention. Both sides cant be right, and Ill wager that neither one is its just the lack of interest from your fellow man. The results from some stupid show where people who cant sing well compete for a CD deal, thats interesting to the masses, those same masses are not likely to share your interest in military reenlistments or melting arctic ice sheets.

Yep, everyone wants to feel like a victim but you arent so just stop pretending already.

I think that you are off base here. While I agree that the media likes over-sensationalistic pieces to sell to their viewers and ad clients, there are plenty of public interest pieces that they air as well, but rarely about our volunteer soldiers.

The media has historically been unsympathetic to military members once we are entrenched in a conflict. They are all about the fantastic footage of precision weapons at the beginning of a war, but after that they are all negative. If it’s allegations of prisoner abuse, or accidental death by friendly fire they are happy to cover it. along with the litany of speculations by so called experts. That sells air time and newspapers.

The problem is that sometimes it not just about the dollars generated, it about recognition to your fellow countrymen for their bravery and service. While these stories sometimes make the airwaves or print, they are far too scarce.

I am not sure if you ever served, and while I wasn’t getting shot at myself, I can tell you that military service is a pretty isolated environment where you can be sheltered from some of the good and bad things in the world. The good being a decent wage, remotely comparable to your civilian counterpart to support your family on, the bad being unemployment, lack of medical care...etc. It wouldn’t hurt for the media to support them and say thanks more often. This should have been front page news. As a country, in a lot of ways, we seem to have lost the unity and patriotism that made us great. It’s a reversible process, but the media doesn’t help.

The majority of the media is biased, there bias does play a huge part in the court of public opinion. People that argue that there is no such thing as media bias do so because they don’t want to believe that have been manipulated. Most of us make it easy, because we listen to what we hear on the radio or news, or read in whatever magazine is at our doctor’s office instead of doing a little research on our own. I’m not claiming a conspiracy, it’s just the way it is and we are all subject to it in some form. I don’t think anyone is claiming to be a victim.

In my opinion military members, law enforcement, and teachers are grossly underpaid, and under-praised.


Just my .02

rant over.

ScubaSigGuy wrote:

tallmike wrote:Everyone wants to feel like a victim.

If people would turn on the news to see every plane land safely then that is what the media would show us because they want to sell advertising for as much money as they can and the price is determined by viewership. People dont turn on the TV for good news though because that stuff is boring, the good news is what we expect.

Soldiers volunteer to keep being soldiers? Yup, thats what we expect because thats how they got there in the first place. Not much news there, maybe a quick blurb about it somewhere but its not going to sell any advertising.

It kills me to hear both the left and the right claiming "media bias" is whats keeping YOUR favorite news story from getting any attention. Both sides cant be right, and Ill wager that neither one is its just the lack of interest from your fellow man. The results from some stupid show where people who cant sing well compete for a CD deal, thats interesting to the masses, those same masses are not likely to share your interest in military reenlistments or melting arctic ice sheets.

Yep, everyone wants to feel like a victim but you arent so just stop pretending already.

I think that you are off base here. While I agree that the media likes over-sensationalistic pieces to sell to their viewers and ad clients, there are plenty of public interest pieces that they air as well, but rarely about our volunteer soldiers.

The media has historically been unsympathetic to military members once we are entrenched in a conflict. They are all about the fantastic footage of precision weapons at the beginning of a war, but after that they are all negative. If it’s allegations of prisoner abuse, or accidental death by friendly fire they are happy to cover it. along with the litany of speculations by so called experts. That sells air time and newspapers.

The problem is that sometimes it not just about the dollars generated, it about recognition to your fellow countrymen for their bravery and service. While these stories sometimes make the airwaves or print, they are far too scarce.

I am not sure if you ever served, and while I wasn’t getting shot at myself, I can tell you that military service is a pretty isolated world where you can be sheltered from some of the good and bad things in the world. The good being a decent wage remotely comparable to your civilian counterpart to support your family on, the bad being unemployment, lack of medical care...etc. It wouldn’t hurt for the media to support them and say thanks more often. This should have been front page news. As a country, in a lot of ways, we seem to have lost the unity and patriotism that made us great. It’s a reversible process, but the media doesn’t help.

The majority of the media is biased there bias does play a huge part in the court of public opinion. People that argue that there is no such thing as media bias do so because they don’t want to believe that have been manipulated. Most of us make it easy, because we listen to what we hear on the radio or news, or read in whatever magazine is at our doctor’s office instead of doing a little research on our own. I’m not claiming a conspiracy, it’s just the way it is and we are all subject to it in some form. I don’t think anyone is claiming to be a victim.

In my opinion military members, law enforcement, and teachers are grossly underpaid, and under-praised.


Just my .02

rant over.

Amen to that!!!

ScubaSigGuy wrote:After being in the military for close to ten years, I am not surprised. The media has a habit of not showing anything positive about the military.

This has been the case for a while, but the major reason that today's reporting is so overwhelmingly negative is pretty straightforward: Bad news hurts Bush.

Reporting the news sells papers and as long as the ratings are good, they'll report anything that draws a crowd. Not only did the military adopt "Shock and Awe" tactics, the media does as well. Death, destruction, sex and top stories that attract the most people possible are what mainstream media is all about.

What you'll see in the news tomorrow:

Hurricane updates
Latest info on Obama's speeches or McCain's running mate
How to help your kids avoid getting cell phone elbow
How local roads need improving
How a new medication will help you lose weight, help you sleep and make you look like a bodybuilder overnight

What you won't see:

How our soldiers are still working 16 hours a day to deliver steel on target overseas or the most recent KIA
What our Military really needs to get their job done and how we're failing them
How the US as a whole fails to fly a US Flag that's not ripped or tattered
The tear jerking rendition of the Star Spangled Banner by the Cactus Cuties


Society doesn't want to be made to feel guilty or hear the truth about how greedy, self centered and selfish society is or how they take everything for granted. The mere mention of it would cause massive retaliation and probably lawsuits from people who feel the information has violated them in some way.
Bah, the problem is that there's only so much time to report the news and the Military is always put on the back burner.

ScubaSigGuy wrote:

tallmike wrote:Everyone wants to feel like a victim.

If people would turn on the news to see every plane land safely then that is what the media would show us because they want to sell advertising for as much money as they can and the price is determined by viewership. People dont turn on the TV for good news though because that stuff is boring, the good news is what we expect.

Soldiers volunteer to keep being soldiers? Yup, thats what we expect because thats how they got there in the first place. Not much news there, maybe a quick blurb about it somewhere but its not going to sell any advertising.

It kills me to hear both the left and the right claiming "media bias" is whats keeping YOUR favorite news story from getting any attention. Both sides cant be right, and Ill wager that neither one is its just the lack of interest from your fellow man. The results from some stupid show where people who cant sing well compete for a CD deal, thats interesting to the masses, those same masses are not likely to share your interest in military reenlistments or melting arctic ice sheets.

Yep, everyone wants to feel like a victim but you arent so just stop pretending already.

I think that you are off base here. While I agree that the media likes over-sensationalistic pieces to sell to their viewers and ad clients, there are plenty of public interest pieces that they air as well, but rarely about our volunteer soldiers.

The media has historically been unsympathetic to military members once we are entrenched in a conflict. They are all about the fantastic footage of precision weapons at the beginning of a war, but after that they are all negative. If it’s allegations of prisoner abuse, or accidental death by friendly fire they are happy to cover it. along with the litany of speculations by so called experts. That sells air time and newspapers.

The problem is that sometimes it not just about the dollars generated, it about recognition to your fellow countrymen for their bravery and service. While these stories sometimes make the airwaves or print, they are far too scarce.

I am not sure if you ever served, and while I wasn’t getting shot at myself, I can tell you that military service is a pretty isolated environment where you can be sheltered from some of the good and bad things in the world. The good being a decent wage, remotely comparable to your civilian counterpart to support your family on, the bad being unemployment, lack of medical care...etc. It wouldn’t hurt for the media to support them and say thanks more often. This should have been front page news. As a country, in a lot of ways, we seem to have lost the unity and patriotism that made us great. It’s a reversible process, but the media doesn’t help.

The majority of the media is biased, there bias does play a huge part in the court of public opinion. People that argue that there is no such thing as media bias do so because they don’t want to believe that have been manipulated. Most of us make it easy, because we listen to what we hear on the radio or news, or read in whatever magazine is at our doctor’s office instead of doing a little research on our own. I’m not claiming a conspiracy, it’s just the way it is and we are all subject to it in some form. I don’t think anyone is claiming to be a victim.

In my opinion military members, law enforcement, and teachers are grossly underpaid, and under-praised.


Just my .02

rant over.

Good Post.

paadams wrote:I agree with Scuba.

Looks like one heck of a reenlistment! Part of me wishes I was there in person. I always consider reenlisting every 6 months or so. To bad it doesn't pay better.

Check out the current pay scales. I was extremely surprised when I was recalled to Active Duty. The pay was much higher than when I left Active Duty the first time. Senior NCO's had gotten some incredible boosts in pay.