Troops in Afghanistan

Cameras and Combat.

I often wonder whether combat is a suitable place for Marines and soldiers with cameras. Do professional journalists do a better job photographing the reality of combat? Is it safe for troops to be focused on captuiring the action of a firefight?

I don't think journalists necessarily do a better job capturing the reality of combat--if he or she has a camera, and he or she is present when rounds come from down range, then it's real. But I feel like it's unneccessary for journalists to be attached to units when individual troops are fully capable of filming events themselves as events unfold.

There are risks of course for the troops recording (as they should probably be better focused on carrying out the mission). But I feel with the facility of taking a chip from a camera, posting the video on YouTube and allowing the world to see is a way to see how policies play on the ground in far away places from young men and women who would be there in the first place.

I feel like the world needs professional journalists, I just feel like it is an unneccesary risk in combat situations. The public is often anxious to seek out evidence (positive or negative) of how policies are playing out in Afghanistan or Iraq, but I feel like the coverage troops provide themselves is adequate.