I am retracting “Sick of the Spectacle” and that post will now re-direct readers to this one. If you got the essay in your inbox, feel free to hold on your limited edition copy.
While my opinions expressed in the essay have not changed, my appreciation of the environment has. I have deemed that “Sick of the Spectacle” falls below the standard of discourse that MILSTACK writers are trying hard to establish. The essay was honest but cynical and it strayed outside the arcs of professional discourse into smoke pit bitching.
Many moons ago, Combat Camera published a photo of me with full name, rank, and unit. The photo was used in official imagery, PAO joke posts, and memes by anons with names like XxCanadianPatriot420xX. What the PAOs and Image Techs didn’t consider was that they had effectively doxxed me. My socials were flooded with DMs and friend requests from catfish and bot accounts. There was simply no way dozens of hot Russian singles in my area were interested in my pics of Wainwright, so I deleted everything and moved on.
The CAF retains the right to use members’ likenesses this way and we don’t have much say in the matter. That’s not on the members, it’s on the PA staff who choose what to post. Commanders have legal responsibility for all this of course, but in reality they’re not really concerned about what the PAOs are putting out there so long as it doesn’t violate any bright red lines. The CCA is a public figure and that comes with public scrutiny, but most members of the CAF are not and they shouldn’t be the model for institution’s problems without having some say in the matter.
While I think whoever is coaching the CCA on corporate comms should be posted to Alert, inasmuch as this Substack is public facing it’s my obligation to try make the situation better, not worse. Anger is easy, you just let go and fall into it. That’s why it’s so much easier to tear down what other’s have made than to make something better yourself.
Scan and breath.
I hope you reconsider! I don't think the piece came off as bitching. It's a matter of perspective, and so of course the institution that may not share your views could label it as unprofessional. What you shared was insight, and that can never be reached from within the boundaries that the institution sets. That insight that you had is necessary.
There's plenty of bitch posts on the internet, I did not read yours as one of them.
Good on you for holding yourself to a high standard. Keep writing!