GW Veterans presents a panel discussion featuring student veterans and members of the media in...

War in the Media: A Veteran's Perspective 

April 3rd

Marvin Center Amphitheater (3rd Floor)

800 21st Street NW, Washington, D.C. 20052

A panel discussion with veterans 

Mitchell Bent, U.S. Army

 Mitchell Bent graduated high school in May of 2004 and completed one academic year of college before joining the Army in 2005. Mitch joined with a Special Forces contract and ended up in 2nd Battalion 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division. His first combat deployment was to the Al Anbar Province of Iraq in July 2007. He operated in most of the major cities of the Province. He came home in August of 2008 and became an NCO in October of 2008. His second deployment was July 2009 to Ramadi, Iraq. He was part of the advise and assist mission of training Iraqi NCOs on how to lead troops in combat operations. He came home in August of 2010 and got out of the Army on December 3, 2010. Mitch began college immediately, completing a year and a half of his studies at community college and was accepted to GWU for the Fall 2012 semester. Mitch works at the Office of Veteran Services and serves as the Philanthropy Chair for GW Vets. 

Elena Kim, U.S. Army 

In 2005, Elena enlisted in the United States Army. While in the Army, Elena served as a Human Intelligence Collector and deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom during the troop surge. After a fifteen-month tour, she returned to the United States and studied Persian-Farsi at the Defense Language Institute. During her last year in the Army, Elena was stationed at Fort Bragg in North Carolina where she trained junior soldiers in deployment preparation. In 2010 Elena completed her five-year enlistment in the Army and moved to Washington, D.C. to attend the George Washington University.  

Dominic Amaral, U.S. Army

Dominic Amaral grew up in Newport, Rhode Island and joined the Army in April of 2001. He was assigned as an Armor Crewman to the 3^rd Battalion, 8^th Cavalry Regiment at Fort Hood, Texas. Following the 2004-2005 Iraq campaign he was reassigned to Schofield Barracks, Hawaii. He returned to Iraq in 2006 and the subsequent troop surge as a member of Task Force Troy where he was re-trained as a forensics specialist with 2 different Explosive Ordnance Disposal organizations. Upon return from Iraq, he received an honorable discharge in 2008 and spent a few years travelling the globe before starting school at the University of Minnesota. He transferred to the George Washington University in the spring of 2012. Here he spends his time writing countless papers, attempting to understand the language of 19 year olds, and is a member of the Beta Theta Pi Fraternity.

and journalists

Hannah Allam, McClatchy Newspapers

Hannah Allam is a national correspondent for McClatchy Newspapers, covering foreign affairs and the State Department. She formerly covered the Middle East and Islamic world as bureau chief in Cairo, Egypt. She also spent more than two years reporting on the war in Iraq as Baghdad bureau chief. She was named "Journalist of the Year 2004" by the National Association of Black Journalists. Knight Ridder recognized her war coverage with a Journalism Excellence Award in 2004 and the John S. Knight Gold Medal in 2005. The Overseas Press Club awarded Allam and two colleagues from the Baghdad bureau its Hal Boyle Award for best newspaper reporting from abroad in 2005. She joined the Washington bureau's foreign staff in 2003. 

Andrew Lubin, Leatherneck Magazine 

Andrew Lubin is a foreign policy-defense analyst who writes and speaks on military operations and international relations. A member of the Marine Corps Combat Correspondents Association, he’s embedded 14x with Marines, Army, and National Guard in Afghanistan, Haiti, Iraq, Guantanamo Bay, and Beirut. His work appears in such professional magazines as “Leatherneck”, “The Gazette,” “Jane’s Defense Weekly,” “Jane’s Intelligence Review,” and the Huffington Post. He served as the military consultant to Stephens Media Group for their “Valor Series” and wrote for PBS’s “Regarding War” and U.S. Naval Institute’s “Proceedings.” He’s appeared on ABC, CNN, CBS, FOX, and Patriot Media, and is a regular guest on VFW’s “The National Defense.” In November 2004 Andrew served as the Military Analyst for WPVI (ABC) Philadelphia during Fallujah-2. Currently he’s producing the documentary “Bootsteps: Marines & Afghans Together” for PBS and is the author of the award-wining book “Charlie Battery; A Marine Artillery Battery in Iraq” and the co-author of two others.

and moderated by

Professor Michael Shanahan 

The media has always had the responsibility of showing the public what goes on around the world, especially what goes on in the warzone. But how do members of the military feel about what is getting reported? 

This discussion will include: 

• The coverage of war and how it corresponds with what our veterans actually experienced overseas
• The depiction of the Iraq War by the media
• A veteran's response to media coverage
• What should be covered more (or less) by the media? 
• Other topics concerning the role of the media in warzones

The discussion will be followed by a short Q&A session. 

FAQs

Where can I contact the organizer with any questions?

For any questions, contact Sarah Mann at smann1208@gwu.edu. 

Do I have to bring my printed ticket to the event?

Yes, please print your ticket for this event.