2/26 Undoing Bush: Respecting the Wishes of Military Families

2009: Defense Secretary Robert Gates announced today that the Pentagon will no longer automatically prohibit media coverage of the return to the US of the flag draped caskets of fallen military members.   The Bush administration had favored the media restriction (many believe showing the caskets could weaken public support for Bush’s war).  President Obama ordered Gates, who had also served in the Bush administration, to review the policy; Gates said the review “makes all kinds of sense”. 

Today Gates announced a reversal of Bush policy.   The decision on media coverage will now be made by the families involved.  Gates admitted that he was “never comfortable” with the  media ban.