Thread by @DefenseBaron

@MarkThompson_DC @ChaseMSpears "For reporters who truly want to engage the military, there are commanders and public affairs officers all over the world who have been competing for your time. Take those leaders up on their invitations." ... Hey @ChaseMSpears, guess what...

@MarkThompson_DC @ChaseMSpears I've asked your PAO peers to let us cover US combat ops in Afghanistan Syria, Somalia, Yemen, all over Africa, for several years. Denied. Denied. Denied. Our "national reporter" friends cover other issues. DOD won't let military reporters cover ops, shrouded in SOF over-secrecy.

@MarkThompson_DC @ChaseMSpears Arctic ops? Are you kidding? That photo op fluff piece a dozen outlets have covered where we expend a valuable week of time and money for our limited reporters on a sub joy ride?

@MarkThompson_DC @ChaseMSpears Leavenworth? You want us to cover...the next field manual? Classrooms? Yeah, we'll get to that, as soon as DOD and PAOs eagerly put reporters alongside SOF units in Somalia, Yemen, Mali, Chad, wherever Americans are fighting and dying (sorry.."advising") in the name of taxpayers.

@MarkThompson_DC @ChaseMSpears Or is your complaint the military doesn't make the "national" news more? Well, you're the military, but you're JUST the military. If it's a problem more Americans -- and journalists -- are interested in the border, economy, jobs, healthcare, measles, Muller, who's fault is that?

@MarkThompson_DC @ChaseMSpears Your piece seems to demonstrate a lack of understanding of editorial decision-making, but also media business operations. I'd love to send a battalion of reporters out there. I'd be bankrupt and nobody "national" would read most of it. Rightfully.

@MarkThompson_DC @ChaseMSpears But, let's return to your purpose, which is push onto reporters the blame for the Trump administration's Pentagon leader's (and Gen. Dunford's) choice to stay off camera. They've admitted on record theyre afraid of speaking crosswise with the president and our coverage of them.

@MarkThompson_DC @ChaseMSpears The fact is, they are Cabinet members and 4-star GOFOs. They are trained and capable of speaking to the public. And they have an obligation to do so. Period. Some make that choice -- like Gen. Votel and CNO Richardson. Even Dunford is beginning to soften in his final months.

@MarkThompson_DC @ChaseMSpears So, while we'd love to hear more about Leavenworth. Maybe, since you're at West Point, in your next piece ask honorary grad Gen. Milley @ArmyChiefStaff to consider setting a new commander's influence when he becomes the CJCS.

@MarkThompson_DC @ChaseMSpears @ArmyChiefStaff Ask Milley to 1) open the briefing room and use it; 2) begin the downrange embeds Odierno once promised in Syria but never happened, to cover units -- especially SOF -- wherever the US sends them: Syria, Somalia, yes, Afghanistan.

@MarkThompson_DC @ChaseMSpears @ArmyChiefStaff Ask @ActingSecDef and @thejointstaff to rescind their 1-per-day restriction on public appearances for top DOD civilian leaders and GOFO officers, and restore those important public engagements, from global policy conferences to late night talk shows.

@MarkThompson_DC @ChaseMSpears @ArmyChiefStaff @ActingSecDef @thejointstaff And, most importantly, ask your commander in chief to stop calling journalists the "enemy of the people" and maybe, just maybe, the small cadre of Pentagon reporters won't have to waste time on that storyline so we can focus on telling the stories you want... the military's. ✌️