going to war

[J. Pat Carter]

Rather than take the advice of someone who has not been to a combat zone and offers too much advice too freely, do your self a
favor first.


***when I refer to freelance here, I mean
going it on your own, no more military - just you and the sand*****


(1) insure that you are physically good condition. Can you hump a 35 to 50 back pack on your back and still carry your equipment.

(2) have some working knowledge of the military and some combat training. The British company, Centurion, has great courses in military prepareness. Currently the US military is offering a journalist boot camp, to teach what will be expected of you during a combat. During this course, you will be taught about chemicals, how to prepare and dress in your chemical suit. Know the military chain of command. That way you will not call the Captain a General and vice versa. Just know who is in charge and don't give them the "I am media" line. If you want their help, play their game. When you play your own game, then you can say "I am media".

know what a M16 sounds like versas a AK47 - there is major difference in sound. Or even what they look like. know the weapons of the locals. Know what a incoming artillery shell sounds like - great difference incoming and outgoing.

(3) before you go off to combat insure that you have a market. Getty, Black Star, AP, AFP, Reuters, etc, etc, etc, have people in place. You want some one to pay your way or to sell your photos if you are trying to sell your images rather than have someone send you.

(4) have some understanding that you are on your own often times. can and wil you paint the rental
vechicle camo-colors and take off to the desert. And do you have the guts to do it. Taking chances are good but know what you are doing. And can you play for the rental car if you paint. If you do the freelance bit, get a rental and head to the desert -- do you know how to patch a tire, know how much gas to carry in spare. how about water and etc.

(5) if you travel with the military they will be the ones to tell what to take. Last Jan, when I was on the aircraft carrier, I bought too much gear and it was me that lugged the equipment cases and etc up and down the eight
flights of ladders. On the aircraft carrier, you had to use the Navy's sat phone, your equipment will not reach out over the ship's electronics. I had to work my images on my laptop/powerbook, put them on a floppy disks and them put them in the Navy's computers. I was lucky to get a 9600 baud rate.

(6)get your shots. If you do the freelance thing, have some first equipment -- bandages, etc and for god's sake know some simple first aid. How do you carry a wounded comrade out of harm's way. know to purify water.

(7) If you are freelancing, take enough cash to get around - surprisingly few militia members take Master Card.

(8) Ask the military people that you expect to cover, what to bring -- that is why I suggested go to Centurion Training and the military boot camp.

(9) There is no comparison in covering drug battles in the US or Belfast (been there) and covering battles in the mideast. Covering a riot or spending time in Belfast is not on the same level as a true war, with chemicals, gases, diseases. So if you go, follow your heart, listen to the little voice inside.

(10) when you ask advice on lists like this ask for the back ground of the person offering the advice. Listen to some can get you in trouble very quickly.

(11) instead of reading books about the photographers who have been in war zones, learn some native phrases. Some native customs, the yes and no's of traditional life.

(12) don't be the ugly American

(13) remember curiousity killed the cat - it also kills stupid people. While that tank, house or etc may look so inviting - great photo ops from that window. That bottle of booze laying in the open, that enemy flag just laying there, that expensive camera just
laying beside the road, that cash - they may a surprise
hidden nearby. The landmine to get there, the bobbie-trap tied to the camera or the flag. Those innocent kids just waving so friendly accross the ditch, may be inviting you into a trap. A kidnapping, etc.

(14) learn to read a map, use gps, and let some one there know where you are going.

talk to people who have been there. And not just some one who knows someone or has read about it.

[ToddBuchanan]

Some good advice from J. Pat Carter

I'll add to your list if you don't mind...I was there during the last Gulf War and I learned a few things about being in the pool and out of it!

You can see a few of the images I shot Here

15- Knowledge is power...communications is power! So if you are embedded, they probably won't want you having anyway to send on your own. That was the whole design of the Pool system during the gulf war (Quiz: Remember that guy who was Sec. of Defense then? Hint: He's our VP now....Also, one of the other jerks who design the pool system? He's now a correspondant for NBC in DC: Pete Williams...I get pissed every time I see him...He did more to stop journalism during the Gulf War and now he parades around as one of us...I wanna throw up!).

Although there is communications with in all units that goes out, it has varying levels of priority and the pool wasn't even on that list...they literally hand carried the film and typed reports out of the battle field! (But I gotta hand it to the Marines, they had their act together....I got shots on the first day of the ground war of Iraqi's surrendering, handed film off to a Lance Cpl who hopped on a chopper back to Saudi and had some of the first images out of Day 1...made NYT Page 1) BUT THAT WAS THE EXCEPTION! So my guess is, no, they won't want your Sat phone around and they will cloak it with OpSec (Operational Security)...also, they are trying to control the airwaves surrounding and event like this, so stray transmissions (and think about it eminating near their troops would be highly suspect)...

On the other side of things, one of the tools you have when you leave is the ability to make a phone call to the outside world when the shooting is done...EVERY solider wants their family to know they made it through okay. That is a powerful tool for bargaining!

2A - On knowing the stucture of the Army/Marines/Airforce...if you aren't sure what rank the officer is, always give the guy a field promotion and say "Colonel" (he'll correct you)... or if he is a regular grunt,say sargent...Of course, you really should know ranks and structure...you're a journalist for god's sake!

4A- Wesley Boxe had a great idea during the gulf war, instead of painting the rental 4WD he got a crate of PAM or something like that, sprayed the car and threw the sand on the car! It worked! It stuck to the car. Also, carry several extra tires...Christopher Morris and I had 3 flat tires between Kuwait City and the Iraqi boarder....there is shrapnel all over the roads and the Humvees had the self correcting tires that allow them to continue traveling for a while without replacing them....oh and the jacks from Humvees are not compatible with Toyotas! (I had to hitch hike back to the Highway of Death outside Kuwait City to "borrow" four tires from a bombed out Land Cruiser).

Also, Chris learned a lesson when we tried to sneak into Iraq....I was able to dump some film to a sister paper's reporter before we tried to sneak into Iraq (now it would be a disk or two) but he didn't know the reporter and didn't trust him with the film, so we hid it in our 4WD (in the wheel wells, under seats, in the lining of the seats, etc) on the idea that if we got stopped, we would be serached, lectured, etc and turned away...little did we suspect they would take our vehicles, equipment and everything we had! So good bye to 3 days of work for Chirs! 6 days later, Chirs Morris, Ron Haviv, Luc Delahaye, etc. and I were released to the ICRC...

On a sub topic of transporation, I would be extremly cautious wandering around on your own in a 4WD....I was thinking that if I were doing it over again, I would see if there is some way to put heat tape (like thet stuff they use for wrapping pipes in winter) through some DC converter to the cigarette lighter and literally paste it to the outside of the vehicle in the V symbol or whatever the shape of the Allied vehicle symbol is this time around (and on side and top of vehicle) Maybe John Brasseaux can fill us in with his view point as an Ex Marine officer, but my impression is that everyone is useing thermal imaging as well as night vision and that a heat pattern symbol would help identify Friend or Foe...Also, you may want to see if you can lay your hands on an infrared strobe that could go on top of the vehicle...I recall that some M1A1's were outfitted with these to help in friend/foe identification and that the millitary was considering them, but may have passed on them. They were supposed to be the size of a beer can.

Also, I would try to lay your hands on the tape that can detect chemical exposure that the military uses...they wrap the tape on the outside of the suits and little specks of red start to show up if you have been exposed to checmical weapons...The Marines we were with taped it to the antenae of the Humvee so that hopefully you could see it change colors before it got into the compartment.

And that brings up night vision...what are other peoples thoughts on unilaterals needing it? If you are with the military, you won't need it, they'll have it, but if you are out there on your own?

On the clothing front...I would say you want about two chem bio suits...they dont last long...know your gas masks! Bring razor blades...it's not to look nice...you need a good tight air seal if you get hit with gas!

On the gas front: Most all of us in Saudi went out and bought some of the underwater cameras (35mm auto focus ones for about $200...Nikon stopped making them)...something that allows you to keep taking pictures once you get hit with gas, because, trust me, you aren't going to be using your other camera's again...but if you have the water tight ones, you can dunk them in bleach and Decon them and keep shooting. Your going to bury the other ones.

Oh and by the way, you are going to basically throw these cameras away when the war is over because the sand is so fine it gets in everything! Yeah the sand on the top layer of the desert is more of what we are used to, but when tank treads break that surface underneath, it is a extremely fine and powerdery dust! My camera's were basically trashed when I hit the end of the war...you could audibly hear them grind as you focused them! So it's probably best the Iraqi's took em, since Nikon wouldn't have been able to do much to them!

Oh and add bleach and an inflatable pool for Decon...let's just hope you have some water to do it with!

Boy the list is getting pretty long huh?

A few other random thoughts...Think of small little things that can be favors (bribes)...your operating in an environment where a simple thing that can't be found out there as a chit or bargaining chip.

On the know your customs front, always take time to have tea or coffee with the people you meet in the middle east. It's rude to not do so...to give you an idea how embedded this ritual is, when we were captured and taken to Bahgdad, despite the fact it was 3 AM were seated and give some tea (even at gun point, there are some courtsey's to follow!) I don't drink coffee, but I know the difference when to sit down and have coffee whether I like it or not!

Also, if people in the southwest might be familiar with the Mexican concept of "minyana" sp? (basically "tomorrow") then the phrase in Saudi/Kuwait/Iraq/Jordan, etc is "Inshalla" (or "god willling")...it has the same meaning, basically..."well, we'll see, but what is your hurry, you americans who are always in a hurry...we have our pace of doing things and don't try to rush it...the more you try to rush us, the longer it will take" You should learn to take a deep breath and learn some techniques of coming to your point slowly and politely but firmly and ingratiate yourself to them.

Again on the clothes front...when you are in the field, there are no showers! Loose the change of clothes...think of sitting in your chem bio suit during the day when it's about 100 degrees and oh, did anyone tell you it get's damn cold in the desert at night? Sweat all day, its damp inside your suit and you have the chills and sit and shiver all night. Did I mention that you'll get little or no sleep! The Army saying "Eat when you can, sleep when you can" is a good rule of thumb even if your not that hungry because it may be 24 hours before you can again...you just don't know. During the thick of the fighting you are going to be at MOP level 3 which means you wear the suit the whole time so that to be fully ready for getting hit by Bio's is to put your gas mask on...so you are going to go days or weeks before your next shower. Did I mention that fine dust that gets into everything?

Also think about how you see through your view finder while wearing a gas mask?

Okay...Now are you all pumped up about going to cover the war?

Hope this might help someone else....

best

Todd Buchanan
todd@toddbuchanan.com

[ February 11, 2003: Message edited by: toddbuchanan ]

[otto]

Very interesting to read about your experiences Todd. The tea incident is almost surreal.

"On the gas front: Most all of us in Saudi went out and bought some of the underwater cameras (35mm auto focus ones for about $200...Nikon stopped making them)"

There is an alternative to the discontinued Nikon PS underwater camera. It¥s the Canon AS-1, waterproof to app. 4 metres. The lens is not quite as good as the Nikon, but if all the rest oof your eq. is up the creek, it may work for you.

Pat:

Please note that I did not go into any on the ground in a combat zone discussion.

I have however been on the back end of research on getting photographers into these areas recently. I just spent about two weeks dealing with the Jordanian Embassy in regards to getting photographers unfettered access to the Jordan/Iraq boarder. In the past I have done similar work in getting info, and making arrangments for shooters who are going.

The question was "how does one become a combat photojournalist."

The answers are not as simple as they were. Most photogs are now freelancers. You are an AP staffer, you don't worry about your expenses, your gear replacement, cost of a SAT phone, visa, etc, that is taken care of.

The reality of someone going into an area today as a freelancer is they need to do a lot of leg work. For example the Iraqi government will only issue journalists a visa for two weeks, then they must leave. The renewal of the visa takes a few weeks, so you don't know if you'll be in Iraq when and if a war breaks out.

Airfare from the US to Jordan (easiest point of access) is about $1,000, hotel in Jordan while awaiting a visa into Iraq, or to wait out a wars begining is about $350 per week (if you stay cheap), rental car with driver (unless you read Arabic) is about $110 per day. Visas for travel in other countries in the region can be about $500. Sat Phone rental is about $400-$600 per week, or buy one from Iridum for about $1600 (phones go from about $1,200 to $10,000) at about $3.75 to $5 per minute to transmit images. You'll need at least three digital bodies (two to use, figure one will be toast quickly, so one spare), so about $10,000 for three EOS-1D bodies. Spare lenses because your lenses will be damaged by the sand, same goes for flash units.

So I am was NOT addressing the on the ground logistics. I was simply addressing what a photographer will need to do up front. Up front work includes figuring out if it is worth the expenses up front to go, can you make it back and turn a profit. Can you afford the vehicle while there, or get into the media pool. Have you contacted all your potential sales outlets, and figured out the logistics of getting your clients the images. Also the research into access, visa, access roads, etc.

Once all this is figured out, then a photog should look into what to do on the ground.


Below is a list of agencies in the U.S. which work with freelancers shooting combat that regulalry work with US and Euro magazines. I have excluded AP, AFP, Reuters, UPI.

- Corbis Sygma / Corbis SABA : www.corbis.com
(contact Rick Boeth)

- Polaris Images : www.polarisimages.com
(contact Peter Bolioli)

- Zuma Press : www.zumapress.com)
(contact Scott McKiernan)

- Sipa Press : www.sipapress.com
(contact Blake Sell, in the U.S. or Marie Chabosy in Paris)

- Black Starr
(contact Not Sure)

- Getty Images : www.gettyimages.com
(contact Patrick Whalen)

[Maudib]

For a " tiny " glimps of what you might encounter, check out the film " War Photographer ". It is about James Nachtwey and is doing the circuit of small " art " theatres. I'm sure that if too many young photographers see this film, the services will be over-run with would be war photojournalists, much the way fashion-advertising was over-run after the movie " Blowup " of the 60's.

[taufiq]

Hi Todd!

YOu mentioned abt the fine sand in Iraq. I've been to deserts in south afghanistan, and my canon eos 5 camera seemed to coped well. I've never been to Iraq so I don't know whehther the sand is finer over there than in Afghanistan. Do you know whether the environmental sealing in the canon 1d/1v will take the abuse of the sand in Iraq?

Thanks!
taufiq

[jamiemoncrief]

Just a quick update from our reporter in Kuwait.

After 13 days at Camp Fox in Northern Kuwait, our reporter was escorted to the Kuwait International Airport by her traveling companions from Camp Lejeune. A funny thing happened at the airport. Since she had arrived with the U.S. Marine Corps(and remained on base her entire visit) she had not passed thru customs at KIA. She soon discovered without an official "entry" stamp on her passport, she could not book a commercial flight out of Kuwait. No entry stamp meant she was illegally in the country according to the custom's officials.

The airport officials pointed her to the Kuwait Embassy where she was promptly told they could not help her...try the Foreign Mission. No luck there either (Tuesday was a national holiday in Kuwait). After a morning of driving around, she was finally dropped off at the Kuwait Marriott where her Marine escort politely told her "Have a nice day."

(FYI rooms are $179.00 per night at the Kuwait Marriott (Phone: 965-2455550). The "suites" at the media-packed Sheraton nine miles from KIA are a whopping $340. Most places are booked thru March 31, but the main press gathering place is indeed the Sheraton)

After an afternoon of phone calls, we're confident we'll get her back via military airlift on Wednesday or Thursday, but we learned a few lessons:
-If you travel into Kuwait with the military, get somebody, anybody, to stamp your passport with an "entry" stamp. The military reportedly has access to these stamps, but you must ask. We discovered that the military's "travel pass" won't cut the mustard with customs' officials at the airport. Obviously, if you're coming AND going with the military, the stamp isn't significant, but if you find yourself without a ride home, they'll ask at the airport why you have no entry stamp.

-Even if you hope to travel with the military exclusively, go ahead and get a work visa via the DC embassy (3 day wait) or Kuwait Embassy (unknown wait) just in case you find yourself "escorted" off a U.S. installation.

-We had terrible luck with StratosNet sat-phone software. Using the new Iridium 9505s, we were unable to make laptop-to-satellite connections using their software/interface in Kuwait, depsite the successful testing we did stateside before deploying. If you're hunting an internet provider, try GloCall with France Telecom. Rock solid support and connections for emailing with attachments. The Iridium 9505s are dirt slow sending data, but it beats dictating stories at $1.79 per minnute.

Jamie Moncrief
Chief Photographer
Wilmington (NC) Star-News