The Embeds

[Kathleen E. Miller]

This is from Brian Whitman, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Public 
Affairs,  speaking at a briefing to the press, January 14th: “... the ideal 
situation to me is that you would get an embed opportunity with a unit 
that’s leaving from the United States, you would go with that unit, you 
would be there through their load-out, through their deployment, through 
their send-offs. You’d follow them into their staging area, You’d be with 
them when they prepare for combat. You’d go into combat with them. You’d 
march on whatever capital we happen to march on with them
 You would return 
to the United States with then or to their home base, wherever they might 
be, and you’d cover their victory parade. That’s embed for life. 
”

SO, some reporters are now "embeds."

Kathleen E. Miller
Research Assistant to William Safire
The New York Times

Gratuitous Opinion Follows: I’m all for freedom of the press and all but 
really, embed for life? What would have happened if the 17th Bombardment 
Group had an embed in 1942?  Would Doolittle’s raid have been that much of 
a surprise? This is reality TV gone WAY too far, IMHO.