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Paxton, Michael (Video interview)

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Title	Paxton, Michael (Video interview)
Transcript of interview (PDF)	http://www.library.ohiou.edu/cdm/images/cantigny/pdf/paxton_michael_transcript.pdf
Collection	Cantigny First Division Oral Histories II
Interviewee	Paxton, Michael
Highest Rank/Grade Held	Major
Subject-People	Paxton, Michael
Subject-Name	Ohio. -- Army National Guard United States. -- Army. -- Psychological Operations Company (Fort Bragg, N.C.) United States. -- Army. -- Infantry Division, 1st -- History United States. -- Army. -- Infantry Division, 1st -- Biography United States. -- Army. -- Infantry Division, 1st -- Interviews
Subject-Place	Iraq United States
Subject-LCSH	Iraq War, 2003- Soldiers -- United States -- Interviews
Run Time	1:20:34
Description	Major Michael Paxton grew up in Stow, Ohio, and enlisted in the National Guard in 1985 in order to pay for college. While attending the University of Akron, he joined the ROTC program there. Paxton notes some frustration from having guys who had never been enlisted telling him about how the military is. He learned a lot about leadership, though, from the Vietnam veterans he served with in the National Guard. Paxton makes a few other observations concerning the Guard, notably about how out-if-date its equipment was at the time he joined, "we still had jeeps" Major Paxton laments. Asked about racial issues, Paxton asserts that the army is probably the most integrated, non-racially-divisive area in American society. After earning his commission, Paxton was moved around to a few different assignments with the National Guard, ending up as commander in Ravenna. This was his last post as an armor officer; Paxton moved into Psychological Operations (PSYOP) in 1996. Paxton's unit was activated after the 9/11 attacks and was sent to Fort Bragg. From there, he shipped to Saudi Arabia to plan leaflet air drops into Afghanistan and Iraq. Paxton speaks about his first deployment in Iraq; he arrived in Tikrit on September 11, 2004. He describes his mission in Iraq commanding a PSYOP detachment of the 2nd Brigade Combat Team of the 1st Infantry Division by comparing it to "McGruff the Crime Dog." Specifically, collecting actionable information about insurgents and assuring informants that they can remain anonymous; convincing the Iraqi citizenry that the insurgents are terrible at killing American soldiers (killing more innocent Iraqis than Americans); and that the insurgency is wrong for Iraq. Major Paxton describes two different types of typical days in Iraq: days outside the wire and days not outside the wire. According to Paxton, both types of days were characterized by terrible food, inside the wire had more office work (as well as occasional opportunities to use the internet and sometimes a sat phone), and outside the wire required body armor. Paxton talks about being attached to the 1st Infantry Division, stating that even though his was a National Guard unit, the Big Red One made them feel 100 percent welcome. Paxton also asserts that the 1st Infantry Division is the standard to which he would hold everybody; they performed staff operations, combat operations, and logistic operations the way you're supposed to. "If I had to pick a unit to go with it would always be the 1st ID." Major Paxton, when asked about the one female under his command, his driver, describes many of the constant hardships she had to face on a daily basis. Paxton refers to her as "The greatest. She just never complained, you know, she was just a really great soldier." Major Paxton was set to retire on September 1, 2009; he plans to continue on with his regular life at the Cleveland Clinic, run the Akron Marathon, build models with his son and go to father/daughter dances with his daughters.
Collection finding aid	http://alice.library.ohiou.edu/record=b4677159~S7
Interviewer	Balmert, Daniel
Videographer	Triplett, Christopher
Producer	Falk, Jonathan
Location Recorded	Hudson (Ohio)
Original Date	2009-07-30
Acknowledgements	Cantigny First Division Foundation WOUB Center for Public Media
More Info	http://libx.bsu.edu/cdm4/collection.php?CISOROOT=/CtgnyOrHis http://www.firstdivisionmuseum.org/
Copyright Info	Copyright for oral history interviews resides with both the interviewee and interviewer. Reproduced here with permission.
Copyright Holder	Paxton, Michael Balmert, Daniel
Media Type	Moving Image
Original Format	DV - NTSC
File Format	Adobe Flash
Digital Identifier	cantigny_paxton_michael_20090730.mpg.FLV
Language	English
Publisher	Ohio University Libraries. Mahn Center for Archives and Special Collections

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Paxton, Michael (Video interview)

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