A Combat Action Video Goes Viral

William E. Genereux; Zachary Allen Guillory

Download Paper | Permalink

Conference: 2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition
Location: Portland, Oregon
Publication Date: June 23, 2024
Start Date: June 23, 2024
End Date: July 12, 2024
Conference Session: Military and Veterans Division (MVD) Technical Session 1
Tagged Division: Military and Veterans Division (MVD)
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/46424

Request a correction

Paper Authors

biography

William E. Genereux Kansas State University, Salina orcid.org/0000-0002-2618-0201

visit author page

William Genereux is a Professor of Computer and Digital Media Technology at Kansas State University - Salina Campus. His research interests are in media literacy and the educational use of digital media technology. He is a US Navy combat veteran of Operation Desert Storm. He has been working with computers and technology for forty years.

visit author page

biography

Zachary Allen Guillory Kansas State University, Salina

visit author page

Zachary Guillory is a veteran student at Kansas State University Salina majoring in Machine Learning & Autonomous Systems.

visit author page

Download Paper | Permalink

Abstract

With the 30th anniversary of Operation Desert Storm approaching, a US Navy veteran turned computer technology professor posted a video recording to YouTube that was recorded aboard ship and stored away for nearly three decades. The video went largely unnoticed for more than a year before it began receiving a large number of views in only a few days.

The events depicted show sailors in action in the main battery plotting room for the 16” guns on the Battleship Missouri in February of 1991 as they prepare for the ground war phase of Operation Desert Storm. The unedited video shows forty of the most harrowing minutes experienced by the ship during that war when the sailors respond to an Iraqi missile attack and also a suspected chemical attack.

While the video itself is significant as a part of the historical record, there are some other aspects of this experience that should be of interest to educators and students of any field. Some scholars argue that making and posting videos is a form of writing and a kind of literacy. However, in academic settings, making and sharing videos is not widely held in the same regard as text-based writing.

This Desert Storm video had wide appeal for a large audience, gaining the attention of over three million viewers. However, it seems unlikely that a written account of the same event would be able to gain that sort of attention. This is basic media literacy; understanding the strengths and possibilities of different forms of media for communicating ideas and events.

Also worth considering are the interactions between the public and the combat veteran scholar that were made possible through the comments section of YouTube. Many commenters were supportive and others critical of what was shown in the video. With nearly 3,000 comments, this example provides a good sample of widely diverse points of view from an online group of viewers. There is a great deal to learn from a source of information such as this.

Scholars and educators are turning to new digital forms of scholarship and students are continually exploring new ways to learn in online environments. While traditional approaches to teaching and learning still appear to have the highest regard and credibility, we must be open to using the new ways as well.

Citation
Format

Genereux, W. E., & Guillory, Z. A. (2024, June), A Combat Action Video Goes Viral Paper presented at 2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Portland, Oregon. https://peer.asee.org/46424

TY - CPAPER
AB - With the 30th anniversary of Operation Desert Storm approaching, a US Navy veteran turned computer technology professor posted a video recording to YouTube that was recorded aboard ship and stored away for nearly three decades. The video went largely unnoticed for more than a year before it began receiving a large number of views in only a few days.

The events depicted show sailors in action in the main battery plotting room for the 16” guns on the Battleship Missouri in February of 1991 as they prepare for the ground war phase of Operation Desert Storm. The unedited video shows forty of the most harrowing minutes experienced by the ship during that war when the sailors respond to an Iraqi missile attack and also a suspected chemical attack.

While the video itself is significant as a part of the historical record, there are some other aspects of this experience that should be of interest to educators and students of any field. Some scholars argue that making and posting videos is a form of writing and a kind of literacy. However, in academic settings, making and sharing videos is not widely held in the same regard as text-based writing.

This Desert Storm video had wide appeal for a large audience, gaining the attention of over three million viewers. However, it seems unlikely that a written account of the same event would be able to gain that sort of attention. This is basic media literacy; understanding the strengths and possibilities of different forms of media for communicating ideas and events.

Also worth considering are the interactions between the public and the combat veteran scholar that were made possible through the comments section of YouTube. Many commenters were supportive and others critical of what was shown in the video. With nearly 3,000 comments, this example provides a good sample of widely diverse points of view from an online group of viewers. There is a great deal to learn from a source of information such as this.

Scholars and educators are turning to new digital forms of scholarship and students are continually exploring new ways to learn in online environments. While traditional approaches to teaching and learning still appear to have the highest regard and credibility, we must be open to using the new ways as well.
AU - William E. Genereux
AU - Zachary Allen Guillory
CY - Portland, Oregon
DA - 2024/06/23
PB - ASEE Conferences
TI - A Combat Action Video Goes Viral
UR - https://peer.asee.org/46424
ER -