Sometimes I can't figure the U.S. Army out.
With all of the negative crap coming out of Iraq and Afghanistan via the MSM, the Army, in its infinite wisdom, has decided to put a stop to military bloggers. Revised Army Regulation 530-1 requires all soldiers, contractors and family members to check with their superior officer before blogging, posting in forums and even sending e-mail messages, and subjects violators to UCMJ prosecution. Haven't they read this?
Trust me when I say that I am for OPSEC in all of its glory and manifestations. I don't want anyone posting anything that might get any of our troops hurt or killed. It shouldn't be a surprise to anyone that our enemies - be they terrorists or foreign governments - are using the internet to gain intelligence that they can use against us.
But there are wonderful military blogs out there that really do show the positive side of what our troops are doing in Iraq and elsewhere. The MSM, for the most part, refuses to engage in open and honest reporting, so why not let us hear from those actually doing the fighting? It's their story, shouldn't they be telling it?
I will continue to post on military matters from the comfort of my home. Not from the war zone, where I can actually see what is happening, but from a quiet, sunny room with Toby Keith playing softly in the background. When you read my blog, that's what you get: the opinion of an American watching the world from the outside (and occasionally, the inside).
And any military folks who want to share their feelings and experiences are welcome here, even if it has to be handled confidentially.
And I hope that the Army will reconsider.
More at:
- BLACKFIVE: The END of Military Blogging
- Michelle Malkin: Army crack down on bloggers
- Mudville Gazette
- Captain's Quarters
- MKH: How to Lose the Information War for Good: The Death of Combat Blogging
UPDATED 5/4/07: Hot Air updates and clarifies.
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