Combat Camera: Video in the Military

Julie DeForest
October 1999

When America goes to war, hundreds of military videographers go along to capture the campaign for history. NATO's battle in the Balkans was no exception. The conflict in Kosovo played every night on the evening news and much of what we see is military video, released to the news media. Combat Camera units are tackling this tough assignment using the latest technology, bringing us up-to-the-minute images like never before. Using classified Internet and satellite technology, images from the battlefield move within hours from the theater of war to dozens of military departments and the network news.

The 1st Combat Camera Squadron covered everything there was to shoot for the U.S. Air Force and had about 40 videographers in Albania telling the Air Force story to decision makers. Mike Funk is Chief of Video for the squadron. Funk says the visual impact of refugees and the camps helps those in charge decide how to improve conditions. And conditions in the Balkans are tough. Videographers and their gear have to endure muddy and wet terrain while living in tents.

"Being on the road has an element of excitement," Funk says. "But it's also very difficult." Commanders can see, via video, just how tough it is for service people and refugees.

The conflict in Yugoslavia is putting men, women and equipment to the test and is giving combat camera operators their first chance to put the latest digital video equipment to use. While still shooting with Hi8 units, the squadron is also armed with Sony VX-1000s and Panasonic cameras in the DVCPRO50 format. Video is cut at Aviano Air Base in Italy using Avid systems and PC based editing systems with Adobe Premiere software.

Air Force cameras endure a special set of trials. The environment inside an aircraft is controlled until cargo doors open for a drop and then rapid changes in temperature and humidity could be a challenge. High altitude flying also puts cameras through pressure changes they never encounter on the ground. So far, there have been no major problems.

Images are sent by satellite to Image Express, a brand new Air Force agency at the Pentagon. Visual information is then sent out to internal departments and the media. Using new compression schemes and the latest satellite technology, images of events half a world away are showing up on our television screens faster than ever before. "For years we've been saying that we're an immediate imagery group," says Lt. John Protz. "Now that's true."

Protz is the Officer-in-Charge of the Fleet Combat Camera Group - Pacific, one of two Navy Combat Camera units, where the move to new digital video gear is putting combat videographers ahead of network superstars.

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