Kane Farabaugh's Kanestergram

KUWAIT – It’s a word that, by now, if you’re watching any sort of news coverage about Operation Iraqi Freedom, you’ve heard hundreds of times. “Embed.” “We now go to our embedded reporter…” “…who is embedded with…” More than five hundred members of the media, and close to ten of our own AFN correspondents (including myself, embedded with V Corps out of Germany), are also members of this elite group of journalists that is the new catch phrase of the media. Operation Iraq Freedom is the biggest campaign ever to involve members of the media in a war, as it happens. It’s the chance of a lifetime that one journalist for the New York Times relishes. “Well, I just read about it and it sounded like a very interesting idea. I was quite frankly pleased to get out here, see what it was like, and do it.” Harold Weinarub is actually an entertainment correspondent for the Times out of Los Angeles. He got the call from his editor several months ago to see if he was willing to trade in the bright ligh...

USAREUR News Release Judging for the 2002 Keith L. Ware Journalism Awards Competition was conducted March 5-6, 2003, in Alexandria, Va. A panel of 23 professionals from the commercial media, academia and Department of Defense community personnel reviewed 230 print and 80 broadcast submissions. Comments from the judges will be released to the field in the future. Examples of placing print entries will also be made available on the new KLW Web site. Top entries will be forwarded to DoD for the Thomas Jefferson Competition April 22-25. American Forces Information Service is scheduled to announce results May 5. The following is a list of Department of the Army winners in broadcast categories: The John T. Anderson Military Broadcast Journalist is SGT Eric Shadowens, AFN South, Italy (ABS) The Civilian Broadcast Journalist is Kane Richard Farabaugh, AFN Europe, Germany (ABS) The second “Rising Star” for Outstanding New Broadcaster is SPC Krestin Harrington, AFN Korea (ABS)

KUWAIT – It’s o’ dark thirty somewhere near the airport. In our large tent, hundreds of soldiers are playing cards, talking, getting ready for a night’s rest on the plywood floor. Most are stuck here, just passing the time while they wait to move “forward.” Many of the soldiers that we’re with are from the 300 Quartermaster Company from Peru, Illinois, deployed here to help in Operation Iraq Freedom. They’re here waiting to get to the front lines. The steady hum of cargo and passenger aircraft traffic on the nearby tarmac has a soothing effect as this background noise drifts into the dark Kuwait night. It’s all suddenly drowned out by the piercing scream of an air raid siren. “Lightning…Lightning” comes the voice over the loudspeaker, and in an instant, the tent comes to life. Everyone springs for their gas mask. It’s something they’ve been training for, but here in Kuwait, it’s not a drill. “There will be no more SCUD EXCERCISES,” reads a sign on the entrance to the chow hall. “If you...

KUWAIT - Before the bombs start falling and the bullets start flying, they first have to get to the battlefield. It’s part of the massive military airlift that falls on the wings of the U.S. Air Force, and it keeps the war-fighter in business. “These planes are constantly running,” says flying crew chief SSgt Michael Hojnicki, as he points out the window during a flight into the Middle East. “It’s the road to Kuwait.” Out the cockpit window is a line of U.S. Air Force C-17 cargo planes spewing contrails into the afternoon sky somewhere above Europe. We’re on board a KC-10 refueler, the military version of the McDonnell Douglas DC-10. The plane has a dual mission when heading into Central Command’s battlefield. “Our primary mission is refueling, but we can carry almost as much cargo as a C-5,” says Airman First Class Carl Wise II, referring to the C-5 Galaxy – the biggest plane in the Air Force inventory. Airman Wise entered the Air Force nineteen months ago, and just got certified as a...