Interview with MAJ Matthew Yandura

A former presidential correspondence writer in the White House of President George W. Bush while serving in the US Army Reserves Major Matthew Yandura spent his 2003-2004 deployment in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom initially as a plans officer with the 11th PSYOP Battalion and then as special assistant to Brigadier General Mark Kimmitt - the deputy director of operations and the military spokesman for MNC-I - and speechwriter for the commanding general of MNF-I: first Lieutenant General Ricardo Sanchez and then General George Casey. In this interview he discusses his remarkably unique deployed experiences as well as his own unique background; his insider''s view of these two commanding generals especially Casey whom Yandura describes in very praiseful terms; the challenge posed in the Army by what he calls rank-ism; his experiences working with Middle Eastern media and his thoughts more broadly on how we can develop more media-savvy soldiers and officers; and also the important differences between psychological and information operations.