Officer was the one behind 500 letters

[Darranar]

WASHINGTON — An Army battalion commander has taken responsibility for a public-relations campaign that sent hundreds of identical letters to hometown newspapers promoting his soldiers' rebuilding efforts in Iraq.

Lt. Col. Dominic Caraccilo said he wanted to highlight his unit's work and "share that pride with people back home."

Army officials revealed Tuesday that 500 identical form letters were sent to newspapers across the country with different signatures. They said the mass mailing was the wrong way of getting the message out, but they didn't know whether the commander would be disciplined.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/iraq/2003-10-14-letters-usat_x.htm

[cthrumatrix]

1. Hey ...Lt. .... I got a bridge for you to buy as well.

Boy...they certainly found a fall guy quick enough.

[0007]

17. Like to see a picture of this shmuck!

....but maybe the shmuck doesn't even exist?

[0007]

18. Well, I did find some photos

see if you can find the schmuck.

http://www.hqusareur.army.mil/htmlinks/Press_Releases/2002/Jan2002/30Jan2002-01.htm

[Media_Lies_Daily]

24. He's in the second picture down...he's the guy facing the camera...

...handing the colors to the Command Sgt Major.

[IndianaGreen]

19. There is a very good picture of him in Amazon books

It is in the book flap of a book that he edited:

"Major Dominic J. Caraccilo is a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and holds a master's degree in National Security and Strategic Studies from the Naval War College. He is the author of The Ready Brigade of the 82nd Airborne in Desert Storm and has contributed to the award winning Faces of Victory, a two-volume World War II commemorative sponsored by the Veterans of Foreign Wars. Major Caraccilo is currently the operations officer for the 3rd Brigade, 101st Airborne (Air Assault) Division at Fort Campbell, Kentucky"

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0811715965/ref=lib_rd_ss_TBFL/103-1517633-8375051?v=glance&s=books&vi=reader&img=28#reader-link

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=532081

[chromotone]

43. Don't be too hard on him...

As an author/editor of several books, it's apparent he always wanted to be a "Man of Letters"

[saigon68]

38. THIS GUY IS A REAL PIECE OF WORK

Rather than lead his troops---Rather than follow orders---Rather than do his job as a battalion commander of infantry, this fruitcake decided to take a little frolic and detour, into the art of hearts and minds propaganda exploitation.

A job he was apparently either untrained for, or not very skilled at accomplishing. Now he is exposed for the idiot that he is. 500 letters and all the same.

Worse he is an embarrassment to the corporate handlers who are running the government. There is no way to shed a good light on all of this. He was sent to be an infantry commander in Iraq--apparently he had too much free time on his hands.

Unfortunately, for him, he will be judged as a military meddler in civilian affairs, a forger and an outright liar. He is soon going to be held up as an incompetent interloper, based on his now failed attempt to influence public opinion by very dubious and dishonest means.

[tabasco]

2. A letter of reprimand is in order.

For bad judgment. I doubt if there's any UCMJ action. A letter of reprimand makes it 99% certain this guy doesn't make bird colonel. But I wouldn't be surprised to see it swept under the rug.

[0rganism]

3. Don't you mean "a promotion"?

C'mon, this isn't your granddaddy's non-partisan military we're dealing with anymore, this is the neo-military, serving the interests of the neo-conservatives and neo-imperialism. As such, publicity campaigns of the sort this officer undertook are a vital part of maintaining groupthink in the homeland.

[truthisfreedom]

4. a promotion and a medal!

by keeping "on message" unlike the "liberal media" here in the states, this man singlehandedly did more for the iraqi invasion's cause than anything chimpy's been able to ape for the past few weeks.

[benfranklin1776]

6. Exactly.

The prospects of career advancement will be directly proportional to the degree of complete undivided fealty shown to the imperious leader. Participating in domestic psyops to further the neocon PNAC agenda is therefore a career builder not a hindrance.

[saigon68]

13. NEW DIRECTOR OF HOMELAND MORALE DEPT

This just sucks. How would you like this loose cannon doing anything at all for your school, your business, or your community?

He's totally out of control.

Either Prozac or Lithium along with individual therapy is required for this nut-case.

500 letters--

I wonder who bought all the stamps, or had time to address the letters?

[trogdor]

30. MPS mail is free.

All you have to do is put "MPS" where the stamp would go, and throw the letter in the bag. It gets delivered to Miami, New York, or San Francisco, depending on where the theater of operations is, and the USPS takes it from there. Thus, it cost zero for the commander to spam the USA. We paid for it, as usual.

If you remember, this was one of the arguments given why many of the Florida military absentee ballots were not postmarked. They didn't bother, because there was no stamp to cancel.

[saigon68]

42. Didn't realise they all had free mail.

We had it, but only in Nam. And only during the WAR 1965-1973

If you were stationed in Thailand or anywhere else, you had to buy stamps. But the jerk still had to look up all the addresses and that must have been time consumming. Guess he had a lot of spare time, leading his airborne battalion.

[american_mutt]

36. there is a civil criminal law

about forgery that should be applied.

[Nevernose]

5. FAUX is still reporting it as fact

At least as of this morning, they were still reading the "letter" out loud. Not only have they not exposed it for the bullshit it is, they're still actively PROMOTING it.

"And listen to what one newspaper published in Podunk, Nowhere -- {reads form letter} -- heart-warming, isn't it?" :puke:

[Papa]

25. I know fox sucks, but they really take the cake this time

If the other news outlets want to compete against FOX, they are going to have to take em down a couple of notches. If I were running a news outlet, THIS WOULD BE NEWS....FOX is reporting lies. This is a news story that is black and white. Not one soldier wrote his own letter. It's not often this way where we get a black and white issue to bang the opposition with. Or if I were a Democrat, I would make this an issue. The Republicans have bashed the "liberal" media successfully, why can't we do it back to them?

[PartyPooper]

7. Are you kidding?

Of course, he won't be "disciplined". Rather, he'll likely receive a Karl Rove produced reception / photo op in the Rose Garden. And, Junior will honor him with some sort of medal for his 'unfiltered courage and pride'...and, for his 'distinguished effort and devotion to the commander-in-chief'.

:silly:

[The Zanti Regent]

8. This ass should be busted

But he won't

[Davis_X_Machina]

9. Bird colonel by Christmas...

...and a Brigadier General within six months of Bush's 're-election'.

Ollie North will die of envy.

[IndianaGreen]

10. Lt. Col. Caraccilo was also involved in "finding" WMD back in April

We have a full dossier from several posters, including yours truly, in this GD thread:

Meet Lt. Col. Dominic Caraccilo, the author of GI letters to newspapers

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=532081

[radwriter0555]

21. Is this guy a CIA operative? Seriously? A spook

then?

Sure sounds like it.. or at least a wanna-be.

Talk about being 'institutionalised'.

[DeepModem Mom]

11. Whoa -- 500 letters?

As Jon Stewart says, do they think we're idiots?

[onebigbadwulf]

12. You're all wrong...

Bush will make him the new secretary of defense.

[tom_paine]

35. Not idiots..."Fodder Units"

Ok, they also think we're idiots.

And Serfs amd slavish drooling celebrity-worshippers.

They might be right.

[tsakshaug]

14. Forgery?

From what I read, some of the solders contacted said they knew nothing of the letters, yet they were signed by these people. Isn't this forgery? Isn't that some sort of crime.

then agian, these are the people that made Oliver North a hero for his crimes

[teryang]

15. His actions were not authorized

The commander is subject to prosecution for violation of a lawful regulation, pertaining to the privacy act and forgery.


He is subject to suit by his men who's identities were stolen and signatures were forged. Therefore he should be relieved of his command which is prejudicial to good order and discipline.

[Nlighten1]

16. NPR had some lovely spin on this yesterday.

They claimed 5 enlisted soldiers were behind it.

[sendero]

22. Yeah,

I heard that. I could hardly believe my ears. You'd have to remove half your brain to believe that soldiers are into PR, and 3/4 to believe NPR would engage in such blatant transparent propaganda. Sad indeed.

[trogdor]

32. I debunked that a couple of days ago.

I wish I remembered where. Might have been here, but I can't find it.

Speaking from experience as a 'staff weenie', the only place where computer equipment (and someone who knows how to do a MS Word mail merge) might exist that could facilitate such an astroturf campaign would be at the battalion headquarters. Therefore, the likely culprit would have to be either the battalion commander, and/or one or more members of his staff. They just don't have those kind of resources where the rubber meets the road.

[ElsewheresDaughter]

20. yeah right!!! and my mother didn't make my science fair projects!

[bushisanidiot]

23. He's Just The Fall Guy. Rove Got Caught, But He Can't Have HIS Fingerprin

ts on this. This guy was chosen for his loyalty to be the fall guy.

bunch of comic book commando idiots.

[Cocoa]

26. the soldiers should sue the RNC for endorsement fees

plus damages for their being used unwittingly in Bush's PR offensive.

[leftofthedial]

27. By Jove, I think they've found the next Colin Powell

what a fucking tool

I want to move to a small, free country with no military.

[Aristus]

28. Seeya in Costa Rica, amigo!

:hi:

[Mountainman]

29. I went to Costa Rica a few years ago

Real nice poeple and affordable too if you have money to bring with you. It rains half the year though. I liked the place. Plan to to back if I ever get the chance.

[tom_paine]

31. Disciplined? This Bushveik gets a promotion!

For falling on his sword and covering for His Masters.

500 identical letters? Yeah, I'll bet his 500 soldiers sure had a chance to decline their Bushevik Kommandant's offer if they disagreed.

Sure they did.

Watch. When the spotlight is off him, Mr. Freeper gets a promotion.

You'll see.

[trogdor]

33. A light infantry battalion contains about 550 members.

Three line companies of about 130 each (three platoons of 40 plus 10 support people), the remainder belonging to the headquarters company - everyone from mechanics and truck drivers to medics to cooks to radio monkeys to logistics and admin.

[tom_paine]

34. Minus 50 wounded or rotated for other reasons

I say again...SURE they had a choice.

The Busheviks aren't about choice, in any way shape or form.

The Busheviks do the "choosing" for their "Fodder Units", civilian and military both.

We are all "Fodder Units" in the eyes of the Busheviks.

[ByeDick]

37. Fuzzy Military Policy: LIES + FRAUD = HONOR

There's no way in hell that a guy engaged in Iraq would be thinking about conducting a propaganda operation in the States. This guy was under orders.

And what's all this crap about, "his intentions were honorable?"

What is the military teaching these animals?

I don't think the propaganda is working on me. But then again, it's so smooth, subtle, and undetectable that it's hard to say for sure.

[bspence]

39. asshole

What a dick to be so devious. I wouldn't be surprised to find that this letter was responsible for an increase in the bolls for el presidente.

[DemonFighterLives]

40. This was still spinning on cspan this morning

Republican water carrier for the administration said that only 2 soldiers complained of a letter in their name. So it was an overall blessed event.
Schmuck will be seeing stars before long. General Schmuck.

[VLC98]

41. Yes, that idiot from Wyoming...

who was struggling to come up with answers, said the person responsible was "a low ranking officer".