Blanking out faces on soldier pictures

[Anonymous]

Here's a rather on-topic question.. What does everyone think about blacking out the faces of the soldier pictures? Apparently some people had given the creator of the site some grief about not doing it, mentioning that it potentially endangers them for future Ops... My opinion is that those pictures are publically available on many other websites, including the US governments own military websites. The need to black out the faces here is unwarranted. Thoughts?

[Anonymous]

I agree. Most of the pictures were already posted and therefor the damage , if any is already done. Besides your right. Those pictures are everywhere.

[virtualpender]

I won't be blacking out the faces on non-special operations units anymore.

Please don't hesitate to offer feedback here.

[Anonymous]

... seeing as 99 percent of the forces in OEF are special, that would still mean most of them would have the black bar... i was looking around yahoo.com and (i forget the name) and none of them had the black bars.. every single one just showed the regular one.. although i'd like to think we're getting really popular, those sites see TONS of traffic... it's really not necessary and it takes a lot away from the quality of the picture as a whole.

[virtualpender]

Good point. I'll start taking down the edited photos and replacing them with the originals when I get home next week.

Anyone else have input?

[Anonymous]

I don't see the reason to black out faces that weren't blacked out in the originals.
Pictures taken from the MoD website of the Para's for example.

[Anonymous]

Hi Ryan and others

I would still prefer the specwar units photographed to be facially obscured- at least the more dark side crews. Non specwar I don't have a problem with, for example the UK Paras Chris mentioned.

I have noticed a large number of images of 5/7/10th SFG guys who are non obscured in the civilian press so I understand that this is a bit of a predicament.
Perhaps if we restrict the infamous "black blocks" to Dev Group, CAG, Torn Victor, SASR, 22 SAS, SBS, KSK etc?

Regards
Chopper

[Anonymous]

well, if you'll notice, the guys that really care about not having their faces shown, have a cloth over their face or are wearing sunglasses.. these guys know what they're doing. if they care, then they'll do what it takes to make it happen.. as I said, when the regular non-blacked out pictures are getting literally millions of hits on those other major sites without black bars, what's the point here?

[Gunny]

I think that this blacking out is a waste of time, most joe bloggs wouldn't recognise any SAS/SBS/RECON/DELTA ETC member if they walked past them tomorrow after seeing them in a photo.
As someone else pointed out the originals are always available somewhere.

[Anonymous]

Funny answer for UK SF member. The UK specwar operators have always been in general agreement with obscuring faces in press photos- unless they're launching a new book! LMFAO. You got a book in the pipeline Gunny? ;)

[Andreas]

This thread seems to be the mother of all OPSEC/PERSEC discussion on MP.
Cheers Andreas

[fantassin]

Black bars are a feel good factor 99% of the time; If you don't have one, you are not important...soon, you'll have to put black bars on the Old Guard at Arlington because they are also deploying...

[easyand]

In Italy you must cover the faces of special forces soldiers, it's the law (since 1994).

[<Gypsum Fantastic>]

Fri Sep 13, 2002 7:26 pm

Nice bump.

[fantassin]

http://www.histoireetcollections.fr/images/produits/numero_1405_1098978240.jpg

Col Moschin on the cover of RAIDS a few months ago.



In Italy you must cover the faces of special forces soldiers, it's the law (since 1994).

It's obviously a different law in France....only joking, I think it applies to some units like the GIGN.

;)

[easyand]

In the French RAIDS the pics of Italian special forces aren't blacked, in the Italian version they are.

[pathfinder82]

The majority of "Operators" are not the quiet professionals they are made out to be, youd be suprised how many stupid bumper stickers you see around bragg and mcdill. If you want to remain anonymous then quite simply put something over your face. They are not type A++ personalities for nothing, they crave the attention. I have friends on the ground in central america as we speak (A-teams, one is my brother in law), those are in my eyes the "quiet perfessionals", no news coverage and they like it that way, in fact if our goverment can suppress what comes out of that country, even better.

[fantassin]

Very true; what I find funny in those times of "OPSEC madness" is to see pick up trucks on US bases with their contingent of "Hoohah" stickers on the back window.

-Ranger Tab
-AB wings
-SF Tab

Can't picture a Vauxhall with a winged dagger bumper sticker parked in downtown Hereford somehow.....

;)

[Andreas]

Hey this worked out good, I revived the third oldest post on MP.. :D