thedrifter
08-25-08, 11:30 AM
Defending Blackwater, its men and its mission
By C. Daniel Manrique
Special to the Star-Banner
Published: Sunday, August 24, 2008 at 8:53 a.m.
Last Modified: Sunday, August 24, 2008 at 8:54 a.m.
Mark Twain nailed it when he said: "The old saw says let a sleeping dog lie. Still, when there is much at stake it is better to get a newspaper to do it."
Ken Addison of Dunnellon did just that with his highly defamatory, grossly inaccurate and intentionally misleading diatribe against Blackwater USA ("Blackwater coming to your backyard?" Star-Banner, July 6).
By his own admission, Mr. Addison's malicious and partisan political references to Blackwater employees as "mercenaries, hired killers and President Bush and VP Cheney's secret and very private army" were based on things he'd read "in numerous published accounts of the actions of Blackwater and other defense contractors" — all churned out by politically biased "anti-war" and "anti-Bush" publications — and on "a library book he'd read."
For all his bluster and self-promotion as an authority on Search and Rescue Operations, he failed to provide any verifiable facts to support the scurrilous and patently false accusations he so recklessly spewed.
What he did provide was a caricature of someone who is totally clueless about the highly specialized training conducted by Blackwater's elite cadre of instructors and the sensitive, complex and vitally important field operations being carried out by their employees in the world's most hostile and inhospitable environments, operations requiring far more than the "average 30-minute briefing and assignment of search sectors" he received when likely searching for missing aircraft, lost hikers and overdue fishermen.
Whether by design or owing to his obvious lack of subject knowledge, Mr. Addison denied his readers relevant information they hould consider before deciding whether or not to welcome a Blackwater training facility into their midst — things like that company's narrowly focused and unambiguous mission statement; self-policing and quality assurance programs, second-to-none in the corporate world; their zero tolerance of improper personal and professional employee conduct; the numerous and stringent contract provisions and performance benchmarks they must satisfy; and the unfortunate necessity for the services both they and their civilian law enforcement SWAT trainees provide.
Whereas Mr. Addison's malodorous research nuggets were mined from a mountain of liberal media manure, my opinion of Blackwater is based upon "factual firsthand knowledge" of that company's inner workings, highly ethical corporate mindset, employment criteria and intensely patriotic view of their limited but vital role in defending the precious freedoms Mr. Addison obviously takes for granted.
That said, allow me to set the record straight by offering the following verifiable and indisputable facts:
For starters, the term "mercenary" refers to a soldier of fortune who bears no allegiance to any country or cause other than himself and who'd sell his services to the Devil for the right price. Fact: Blackwater employees are as loyal and patriotic as they come. All are either former military or law enforcement personnel who have served their country and home communities with honor and distinction. They've also survived Blackwater's exhaustive background investigation into their criminal history, military and police service records, moral character, personal finances, medical history and psychological profile.
Another fact puts the lie to his depiction of Blackwater employees as being "unaccountable hired soldiers." Once they've been trained to their former Navy Seal CEO's exacting standards, they undergo intensive "assignment specific" training contractually mandated by the U.S. State Department. Those who successfully complete that rigorous training then travel to the State Department's "proving ground" where government security experts administer a comprehensive "final exam," including numerous live-fire scenarios designed to simulate the situations they'll encounter in Iraq and Afghanistan.
It's also a fact that at any point during said process, those security experts have (and do not hesitate to exercise) the right to reject any individual whose job knowledge, attitude, physical performance or decision-making fails to meet their exacting standards. And despite what you've read in Mr. Addison's article and favorite library book, that intense government scrutiny (and right of termination) continues once they are deployed to the field.
As to the Star-Banner photo intended to bolster Mr. Addison's false assertions, here's the real story: A squad of Marines had been ambushed and forced to take refuge on a roof top. They'd suffered serious casualties, had nearly exhausted their supply of ammunition and fully expected that at any moment they'd be overrun by an enemy whose inhumane treatment of their captives is well documented.
When they radioed for help, they were advised that their nearest rescuers were at least 20 minutes away. Fortunately, several of Blackwater's diplomatic security personnel heard their distress call and realized that they would all be dead or worse by the time military reinforcements arrived.
Without a moment's hesitation and with total disregard for their own safety, they commandeered a Blackwater-owned helicopter, tossed on a crate of Blackwater-owned ammunition and medical supplies and flew to the embattled Marines' location. Once there, they rappelled onto the rooftop with their lifesaving cargo and fought alongside those forever grateful Marines until "official" reinforcements arrived.
Shame on you for misusing that photo of a heroic "rescue operation" to cast aspersion on those gallant men (and the many others like them) in Blackwater's employ.
And for your information, Blackwater never billed the military for their employees' services, ammunition, medical supplies or repairs to their helicopter, which was riddled with bullets. Their only compensation was in knowing they'd done the right thing and the patriotic thing.
Next time do your homework!
C. Daniel Manrique is a small horse farm owner and Pulitzer-nominated novelist who has lived in Marion County since 1989. His oldest son, a former Marine sergeant, spent two years guarding U.S. diplomats in Iraq while employed by Blackwater USA and was decorated for gallantry by the State Department. Another son is currently deployed to Iraq with the US Army's 101st Airborne Division.
Ellie
By C. Daniel Manrique
Special to the Star-Banner
Published: Sunday, August 24, 2008 at 8:53 a.m.
Last Modified: Sunday, August 24, 2008 at 8:54 a.m.
Mark Twain nailed it when he said: "The old saw says let a sleeping dog lie. Still, when there is much at stake it is better to get a newspaper to do it."
Ken Addison of Dunnellon did just that with his highly defamatory, grossly inaccurate and intentionally misleading diatribe against Blackwater USA ("Blackwater coming to your backyard?" Star-Banner, July 6).
By his own admission, Mr. Addison's malicious and partisan political references to Blackwater employees as "mercenaries, hired killers and President Bush and VP Cheney's secret and very private army" were based on things he'd read "in numerous published accounts of the actions of Blackwater and other defense contractors" — all churned out by politically biased "anti-war" and "anti-Bush" publications — and on "a library book he'd read."
For all his bluster and self-promotion as an authority on Search and Rescue Operations, he failed to provide any verifiable facts to support the scurrilous and patently false accusations he so recklessly spewed.
What he did provide was a caricature of someone who is totally clueless about the highly specialized training conducted by Blackwater's elite cadre of instructors and the sensitive, complex and vitally important field operations being carried out by their employees in the world's most hostile and inhospitable environments, operations requiring far more than the "average 30-minute briefing and assignment of search sectors" he received when likely searching for missing aircraft, lost hikers and overdue fishermen.
Whether by design or owing to his obvious lack of subject knowledge, Mr. Addison denied his readers relevant information they hould consider before deciding whether or not to welcome a Blackwater training facility into their midst — things like that company's narrowly focused and unambiguous mission statement; self-policing and quality assurance programs, second-to-none in the corporate world; their zero tolerance of improper personal and professional employee conduct; the numerous and stringent contract provisions and performance benchmarks they must satisfy; and the unfortunate necessity for the services both they and their civilian law enforcement SWAT trainees provide.
Whereas Mr. Addison's malodorous research nuggets were mined from a mountain of liberal media manure, my opinion of Blackwater is based upon "factual firsthand knowledge" of that company's inner workings, highly ethical corporate mindset, employment criteria and intensely patriotic view of their limited but vital role in defending the precious freedoms Mr. Addison obviously takes for granted.
That said, allow me to set the record straight by offering the following verifiable and indisputable facts:
For starters, the term "mercenary" refers to a soldier of fortune who bears no allegiance to any country or cause other than himself and who'd sell his services to the Devil for the right price. Fact: Blackwater employees are as loyal and patriotic as they come. All are either former military or law enforcement personnel who have served their country and home communities with honor and distinction. They've also survived Blackwater's exhaustive background investigation into their criminal history, military and police service records, moral character, personal finances, medical history and psychological profile.
Another fact puts the lie to his depiction of Blackwater employees as being "unaccountable hired soldiers." Once they've been trained to their former Navy Seal CEO's exacting standards, they undergo intensive "assignment specific" training contractually mandated by the U.S. State Department. Those who successfully complete that rigorous training then travel to the State Department's "proving ground" where government security experts administer a comprehensive "final exam," including numerous live-fire scenarios designed to simulate the situations they'll encounter in Iraq and Afghanistan.
It's also a fact that at any point during said process, those security experts have (and do not hesitate to exercise) the right to reject any individual whose job knowledge, attitude, physical performance or decision-making fails to meet their exacting standards. And despite what you've read in Mr. Addison's article and favorite library book, that intense government scrutiny (and right of termination) continues once they are deployed to the field.
As to the Star-Banner photo intended to bolster Mr. Addison's false assertions, here's the real story: A squad of Marines had been ambushed and forced to take refuge on a roof top. They'd suffered serious casualties, had nearly exhausted their supply of ammunition and fully expected that at any moment they'd be overrun by an enemy whose inhumane treatment of their captives is well documented.
When they radioed for help, they were advised that their nearest rescuers were at least 20 minutes away. Fortunately, several of Blackwater's diplomatic security personnel heard their distress call and realized that they would all be dead or worse by the time military reinforcements arrived.
Without a moment's hesitation and with total disregard for their own safety, they commandeered a Blackwater-owned helicopter, tossed on a crate of Blackwater-owned ammunition and medical supplies and flew to the embattled Marines' location. Once there, they rappelled onto the rooftop with their lifesaving cargo and fought alongside those forever grateful Marines until "official" reinforcements arrived.
Shame on you for misusing that photo of a heroic "rescue operation" to cast aspersion on those gallant men (and the many others like them) in Blackwater's employ.
And for your information, Blackwater never billed the military for their employees' services, ammunition, medical supplies or repairs to their helicopter, which was riddled with bullets. Their only compensation was in knowing they'd done the right thing and the patriotic thing.
Next time do your homework!
C. Daniel Manrique is a small horse farm owner and Pulitzer-nominated novelist who has lived in Marion County since 1989. His oldest son, a former Marine sergeant, spent two years guarding U.S. diplomats in Iraq while employed by Blackwater USA and was decorated for gallantry by the State Department. Another son is currently deployed to Iraq with the US Army's 101st Airborne Division.
Ellie