General Petraeus on the conditions on the ground in Iraq

A STATEMENT FROM SCOTT THOMAS BEAUCHAMP:

As we've noted in this space, some have questioned details that appeared in the Diarist "Shock Troops," published under the pseudonym Scott Thomas. According to Major Kirk Luedeke, a public affairs officer at Forward Operating Base Falcon, a formal military investigation has also been launched into the incidents described in the piece.

from the TNR article you linked to, mysteryman:

Quote:

A STATEMENT FROM SCOTT THOMAS BEAUCHAMP:

As we've noted in this space, some have questioned details that appeared in the Diarist "Shock Troops," published under the pseudonym Scott Thomas. According to Major Kirk Luedeke, a public affairs officer at Forward Operating Base Falcon, a formal military investigation has also been launched into the incidents described in the piece.

(emphasis added)


So. Uhm. If it's a pseudonym, wouldn't it be rather unlikely that the name was to be found on the DoD website?

Just wondering...

My Diarist, "Shock Troops," and the two other pieces I wrote for the New Republic have stirred more controversy than I could ever have anticipated. They were written under a pseudonym, because I wanted to write honestly about my experiences, without fear of reprisal. Unfortunately, my pseudonym has caused confusion. And there seems to be one major way in which I can clarify the debate over my pieces: I'm willing to stand by the entirety of my articles for the New Republic using my real name.

I am Private Scott Thomas Beauchamp, a member of Alpha Company, 1/18 Infantry, Second Brigade Combat Team, First Infantry Division.

My pieces were always intended to provide my discreet view of the war; they were never intended as a reflection of the entire U.S. Military. I wanted Americans to have one soldier's view of events in Iraq.

It's been maddening, to say the least, to see the plausibility of events that I witnessed questioned by people who have never served in Iraq. I was initially reluctant to take the time out of my already insane schedule fighting an actual war in order to play some role in an ideological battle that I never wanted to join. That being said, my character, my experiences, and those of my comrades in arms have been called into question, and I believe that it is important to stand by my writing under my real name.

--Private Scott Thomas Beauchamp

validated by this email from Michelle Malkin's blog:

I'm active Army & an Iraq vet.

I just pulled up "Scott Thomas Beauchamp" on the secure "Army Knowledge Online" website. It lists his current rank as "PV2″. (That data is kept accurate via pay records on that website.)

In his Sep 06 blog post he listed his rank as "Private First Class". That indicates that without a doubt he was busted at least one rank as part of Article 15 proceedings under the Uniform Code of Military Justice, and he likely has a strong ax to grind with his chain of command.


Here's the thing about milbloggers. We're usually right about this stuff.

So here we have this "soldier" using his real name.

It was never about whether or not Thomas was a soldier. Most of us were "nearly certain" he was. It was the stories that smelled, not Thomas' identity. And those stories still need to be verified. This is the same way that the AP skated on Jamil Hussein, they were able to shift the debate away from Hussein's reports and onto whether or not he was an Iraqi police officer.

Scott Thomas, Where Are You? [John Podhoretz]

It has now been six days since the first doubts about the veracity of the New Republic diarist written by the pseudonymous Scott Thomas were raised in the blogosphere. The magazine is evidently still conducting its investigation. I am going to go out on a limb here and say that if what's in there is in any way true, TNR would know it by now. Or maybe TNR is just too busy getting the New York Times to change its copy around multiple times on the question of the epistemological certainty of Editor Franklin Foer's knowledge of whether Scott Thomas is actually a soldier.

Well MM.. it seems you lied about him not being in the military database.

Now we should just let you skate on that lie and move on to your next round of making up stuff?

Now,are you willing to address the things that he says happened that could NOT have happened,either because the things he mentioned dont exist or are not physically possible?

parados wrote:

Well MM.. it seems you lied about him not being in the military database.

Now we should just let you skate on that lie and move on to your next round of making up stuff?

I did not lie.
I did not find his name when I did a quick look.
There is a difference.
IF this person actually is in the military,then I will admit I was wrong.

Now,are you willing to address the things that he says happened that could NOT have happened,either because the things he mentioned dont exist or are not physically possible?

I will be glad to post the articles he wrote and let you try and defend obvious lies,like when he claims that someone picked up a 9 millimeter round with a "square back" that he claims came from a Glock?

MM, Keep in mind that the guy represents everything people like Cycloptichorn want to believe and nothing you say with influence that a bit. They will excuse, reconsider, theorize and admire everything about him.

So ,what do you think he described that a Bradley can't do MM?

I know another private who really only enjoyed driving Bradley Fighting Vehicles because it gave him the opportunity to run things over. He took out curbs, concrete barriers, corners of buildings, stands in the market, and his favorite target: dogs. Occasionally, the brave ones would chase the Bradleys, barking at them like they bark at trash trucks in America--providing him with the perfect opportunity to suddenly swerve and catch a leg or a tail in the vehicle's tracks. He kept a tally of his kills in a little green notebook that sat on the dashboard of the driver's hatch. One particular day, he killed three dogs. He slowed the Bradley down to lure the first kill in, and, as the diesel engine grew quieter, the dog walked close enough for him to jerk the machine hard to the right and snag its leg under the tracks