Censorship Threat from US Army Public Affairs
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28 September 2011
A US Army Captain named Carbone barged into my tent and physically assaulted me. The interesting backstory is studded with ill-discipline inside the 443rd Civil Affairs Battalion here in Afghanistan. The 443rd might need some intervention from general officer level. In any case, that ill-discipline manifested when Captain Chris "AbulMajed" Carbone (his Facebook name) verbally threatened and physically assaulted me. This happened yesterday. Today the Army threatened to end my embed. They then ended it. And now have restarted it again. (All this in less than 36 hours).
Email from Army:
[To] Michael Yon
Classification: UNCLASSIFIED
Caveats: FOUO
Michael,
I've got to be frank with you, and let you know that your embed is tenuous as of now. This issue with CPT Carbone and SFC Coleman is bringing a lot of negative attention not only to you, but also to RC-South from ISAF Joint Command. LTC Connolly, the new RC-South PAO, has only been in office for ~10 days, and has already gotten two calls from his higher HQs about your postings. While we certainly do not condone any unprofessional conduct by TF Spartan Soldiers, we feel that this whole issue is drawing negative attention to the command.
Therefore, Michael, I'm asking you to please consider removing the FB posts about CPT Carbone, SFC Coleman, and MSG Grisham. These are incidents that should be dealt with among the four of you, and not to a worldwide audience. Your readers do not need to read about personal conflicts. That being said, I am not downplaying the seriousness of any of these allegations against the aforementioned Soldiers, and we will continue putting a "full court press" into investigating these incidents. We take these allegations extremely seriously, as well as the reputations of our Soldiers and task forces.
I will speak with MAJ Casiano about the next course of action here, but want you to understand where this may lead. Please let me know if you have any questions.
v/r,
CPT Sandell
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Michael
Comments
Don't let them end up hurting you Mike. You're the only one who tells us the truth about what's happening over there and we depend on you.
Take care my friend.
Go get them.
Oversight is obviously called for.
And this physical stuff is way over the top. This guy must really be full of himself to think he could get away with it.
i am a retired army lt col, and its the same old cya.
you want the most effective resolution
as quickly as possible
as these dogs of war
bite themselves in the ass
instead of the enemy.
don't let them bit you.
access your contacts
holding the strings of power.
one call from a friendly general officer
will put the snarling curs
back in their cages.
the cost?
they will find subtle ways to sabotage you.
look over the horizon.
I think Mr. Yon knows what can and can not be released to the public.
On the other hand, by treating it publicly, he is being transparent, and his transparency is forcing those responsible to be transparent as well. If it were classified, I'd feel otherwise about it. But you apparently have a small number (maybe 2 or 3) rogue individuals there who are clearly not in command of their faculties, as demonstrated by their treatment of Michael, and if they are not in command of their faculties, then they ought not to be in command of anything in a war zone.
As for removing said posts, don't buckle. It's there for us to see.
Swift and Bold, keep it up. And a big thank you from the Brits.
Seriosuly, I second Bug's comment - hang in there because we, USA and the world, need your honest and insightful coverage, but do watch your back too. God bless!
Papa Ray
Very Respectfully,
MAJ (RET), US Army
Bill Coffey
coffeybil
This was no personal interaction with Captain Chris "AbulMajed" Carbone (his Facebook name). I had never met him and did not know him. He barged into my tent without introduction. He verbally and physically assaulted me. Captain Carbone committed a criminal act while wearing a US Army uniform and captain's bars. A US Army officer committed a crime right here in this tent. The United States Army should prosecute Carbone.
For Official Use Only (FOUO) is a document designation, not a classification. This designation is used by Department of Defense and a number of other federal agencies to identify information or material which, although unclassified, may not be appropriate for public release.
There is no national policy governing use of the For Official Use Only designation. DoD Directive 5400.7 defines For Official Use Only information as "unclassified information that may be exempt from mandatory release to the public under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)." The policy is implemented by DoD Regulation 5400.7-R and 5200.1-R.
http://www.wright.edu/rsp/Security/S2unclas/Fouo.htm
Mr. Yon is well within both his rights and responsibilitie s regarding FOUO. One only needs go down to the corner Army Surplus store to see FOUO Field Manuals available to the general public.
There is not such a "information deployment" in support of this war.
Thank you for being there. Thanks to all that support you (it is left as a given the gratitude I have for our armed forces).
Anyway, good job Michael.
Why did your man classified the message FOUO? Feels like a trap to me. If you talk about it, "you've released classified information." Remember, Nixon didn't go down for the break-in. He went down for the cover-up.
Bill
It obviously was already out of hand or he wouldn't have posted this. And I question your comment of what you think a true professional is. Again obviously your idea and mine are different. The fact Michael is out with these men risking his life says it all.
Think about it for a minute. If it is "for official use only", then why is he sending it the military's most prolific and respected blogger? Michael is embedded. He reports on "official" stuff all the time. THAT'S HIS OFFICIAL JOB! If your man wanted to keep it "on the down-low" then he should have gotten away from his keyboard and did a little face-time with Michael.
Did you ever consider the possibility that he made it FOUO- not to protect our valiant warfighters, but to protect his own/his command's backside? If he is attempting to "classify" his way out of this mess, then he should be brought up on charges. That's how I see it from the sidelines.
Bill
As always, stay safe and may your god look over you.
Why did he assault you? What did he think had happened that resulted in this altrication. What was said when you reported it to the MP's? You know the score- get it written down and follow the paper trail. Keep safe and a wise man know when to cut a run?
jon
I don't know you but I think we all get a feel for your character from your reporting - that you call a spade a spade regardless of the outcome. I admire that but from experience I can say that it's not always the best choice sometimes - that there can be blowback - as I'm sure you're aware. However, if you've tried to bring it to the attention of senior officers regarding the threats from MSG Grisham and they haven't done anything, what other options do you have? Are you supposed to go home? Are you supposed to just be quiet and take it? No, you're not. I think alot of us would have done the same thing if we were in the same position - to not have done anything would have been irresponsible.
You mean that they don't want bad press because it makes them look...what "bad?"
This unfortunately means that the people in command don't want to do anything about the situation. Obviously they don't get it or this would have been resolved a long time ago. And if there was a way for you to resolve things I'm sure you would have done so. To say it's between the 4 of you is absurd. It has everything to do with the men higher rank who are looking the other way while this happens not only to you but probably others.
They need to do something about the major "Problems" instead of making you their scapegoat!!
The army is a microcosm of society... good and bad. This should not cast a negative light on the army in general. The longer they delay in doing so, the more negative attention will be generated. They do not have the time nor should they have to deal with something like this.. so take action and nip it n the bud NOW and be done with it!
Remember when the Command burned Bibles? They will honor the Quran and burn Bibles with the same General Order.
Hang in there - All the Way!
Best Regards,
Jon
I've been told the whole "full court curse" is May you live in interesting times, and come to the attention of important people!
I too have followed Michael's dispatches from around our troubled sphere, and been impressed that he keeps a very even keel in his dealings with all sides. Other times he has noted, after the fact, of other 'problems' created by other overbearing and officious personnel that have been resolved without naming names. Those times he's had to put them out were proven necessary after the dust settled, and I expect this will prove so too.
Thank you for all you do - stay strong, stay safe.
Semper Fi and don't let the bastards wear you down
I've never read anything disparaging about US Forces in your write ups. You've always made them out to be heroes which indeed they are. Individual bullies, however, are something else and need to be exposed. Most of your readers have served the colours and know exactly what you are talking about.
Your articles inspire confidence and affection for the US Forces in Afghanistan and elsewhere. If the US brass get super sensitive about what you write and try to muzzle you then they'll become the enemy too.
Let your concience be your guide. As far as many of us are concerned you are a US patriot and to be trusted.
Power to your right hand, son.
1. The actual circumstances of the (alleged) assault. (Remember, innocent until proven guilty under UCMJ, not guilty as written about on MY. Fairness works both ways.)
2. More details on being kicked off the embed, then being reinstated. I don't see that in the e-mail. What exactly was your response to the Captain? They DO have a point. The ongoing feud is a distraction from what COULD be fine reporting.
A good reporter will assemble his facts and then lay out his story. Please do.
~ Power Point Ranger
Hmmmmm... "running in the Special Olympics" is quite an achievement, to my way of thinking. I know a few Special Olympians that you would have great difficulty keeping up with.
That notwithstanding , arguing on the Internet is probably one of the few ways Michael can keep himself safe out there. He is unarmed, with Danger Close -- disturbingly, from "friendly" forces. Naming names is an excellent technique for deterring opportunistic "problem-solvin g" by way of fragmentation grenade or other similar "accident". The potential lines of enquiry would be obvious.
Stay safe Michael. We all look forward to each of your stories and photos. You're a rare breed and we appreciate all that you do.
Leadership requires decisive action which was not taken. Furthermore, there are more lives at stake than Mr. Yon's.
These transgressions were taken by motivated individuals with plenty of forethought. Not a spur of the moment emotional reaction. Conversations had to have take place prior to action and the target was sought out to create opportunity. Without immediate remedy and based on threats and actions, Mr. Yon acted in the best interests of himself and the Army.
Which in your eyes would be the worse scenario? Officer kills unarmed American journalist in Afghanistan or Army takes decisive action to save lives?
If the Army were to dis-embed Mr. Yon, they would lose a major advocate in the public relations war. As yourself, who else is covering the war?... this way?
Throwing the names out here might be putting off some people from coming to your aid.
We have an MSM that basically has been playing the enemy's propaganda game virtually from the start of the War Against Islamic Terrorism. You've been putting your life on the line for years now to let those on the side of freedom know what's happening and the huge sacrifices being made for us. If that doesn't earn you the benefit of the doubt on your judgement, I dont know what will.
Just dont seek asylum with the Taliban!
I'm not sure how much of an assault it was. Did he beat you, or what? In any case Captain Carbone may find that he's really not officer material. In the civilian sphere (cops, firemen, airline pilots, FBI etc.), such behavior gets you suspended pending termination. I would expect no less in this case, unless the military standards for such behavior in their officer corp don't cover assault of US civilians.
Is the US Army now so lose on this behavior that they don't come down on it immediately? If so, then we've fallen quite a ways.
While I sympathize with the stress of the tenuous nature of your embed, I'm glad you're back.
God Bless you.
The same can't be said for military PAOs from any branch.
Nor have I ever seen Yon name names like this unless he had reason to believe the threat was serious - and to date, every time he's believed the threat was serious it was, in fact, serious.
Good work son. It is time to come home.
Ted F. Nugent
My concern is that this is not only about M Yon's treatment and safety. (Without belittling that - as it is very important). This is about the safety of all the soldiers under these officers.
Best of luck to you, and our prayers are with you for your safety, and wisdom to handle this situation.
God Bless! and Thank you for your service.
I read your every report and have read your books, and I send money when I can. We rely on you over here in the states for the G2 on what is going on over there. Without your hard work we would be missing an important and honest source of information regarding our military and our mission in that part of the world. You help me understand what our military needs from us in order to succeed and what we can do to help keep their morale up, and you absolutely insist that we know when they operate without integrity at any level. I cannot tell you how important this work you do is in a free society like ours with a volunteer military. Without the financial and moral support and oversight from and by the citizens of the United States of Aamerica our military would be nowhere. I have searched far and wide on the Internet and I have not found a journalist like you working in that theatre, ever. You're the best, truly. Keep up the excellent work and be safe.
Bruce
Keep doing what you're doing. It's your only insurance.
While airing grievances is not appropriate in all types of work, interference with doing your job as a member of the press is itself a story. How many times (lately!) have we heard that the foreign press has been kicked out of some dictatorship suddenly getting a protest movement, and that action alone is worthy of reporting, as it's a bad sign for everyone. How are we not to hold the USG to the same standard?
If the CoC doesn't want their unit to be seen in a bad light, they shouldn't do stupid things, and own up when they do (shit happens). Well-respected, well-read reporters like you are not going to have their career ruined because some PAO guy said you are lying or vindictive or should man up and take the abuse.
Best, BB
All the best to you and yours,
RJ
Have you considered - maybe he WANTS the American military to have a negative reputation?
Or maybe he just wants his nanosecond of fame a la Mark Chapman?
I too think you should leave this Carbone character's vicinity - come to London, the weather is shockingly good at the moment!
The world is now watching Cpt Sandell to see what he does. Whatever action he chooses to take will follow him for the rest of his days.
I took this very seriously and had excellent relations with the media (except for one reporter who nobody liked, not even at his paper).
It's not your reporting of the incidents that attracts the negative attention - it's the actions of these so called 'Civil Affairs' (the word civil appears totally inappropriate?) personnel. Now we'll see how good the US Army PR machine is......maybe?
Now an officer makes Captain and enlisted makes E-6 on first contract almost all of that time in reserve status. In 2009-10 the teams I saw at Dix were being lead but month old 2nd LTs and E-5s. Few have any significate civilian skills. Worse yet most have little interest in the culture or government structure of the country they are going to. The system puts on a good show, but as long as you do not fail the piss test you will be promoted when you put in your promotion packet.
You state that you were assaulted by MSgt CJ Grisham but provide no details on this. Now you state you were assauted by this Capt Carbone both verbally (what???) and physically...Ho w? Did he punch, kick, strike,? Were there any witnesses to back up your side of the story? Do you have any marks or wounds? Has the IG or Mil Police began an investigation?....
Sorry to appear so skeptical here, I really do like your work...when your doing your work...ya know? But lately you seem to be doing this Dr. Jekyll/Mr Hyde thing- doing awesome reporting and great pictures in the field, yet getting into these confrontations back at the FOB. Anway, I am praying for a peaceful resolution for all parties concerned. Good luck!
Some people are just pricks, no matter how we look at it. I recall reports during Vietnam about people who flaunted their authority. Hang tough, we on the home front don't waver from such insanity and always look forward to your dispatches.
Stay low and safe...
Kindest regards,
Larry
Or maybe you are just another one of those tools who wants to hear themselves talk and feel the best way to be heard is to use incendiary word and accusations.
But if I was 'drafted' into CA like you (IRR, yeah?) I'd probably have a pissy attitude as well. 10% of my company on my first deployment was IRR so I can see where that would be coming from. However the draft is done, dude.
Order to Chaos!
Yes there are two components to CA, the AD and USAR side, but the mission is the same. Remember that the Reserve side makes-up about 98% of the total CA force. You're right though, the training is different. Mostly due to Reserve component time constraints. The AD guys go in initially to set things up and are "usually" out within a month or so. The USAR guys go in for the standard one-year tour and are the ones who really accomplish the "hearts and minds" stuff . . .
Concerned mother!!!!
What triggered this highly unprofessional display? Why did this 'civil affairs' officer actually jump you? Back story is vital.
Obviously I don't know the facts regarding your situation with him so I can't fairly judge. However, I have seen this man in person and have known him to be a douche, and I like your style of reporting from the battlespace so I will side with you on this.
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