Blogs of War
Dean deanesmay.com
One of the things that's been most amazing about the Global War on Terror has been the appearance of webloggers who are actual military personnel, working in combat zones and running weblogs where they report their personal experiences: sometimes heartbreaking, sometimes gutwrenching (we've seen a few military bloggers killed), and often inspiring.
It's difficult to express just how breathtaking the history importance of that has been. People actually up close and in the trenches (so to speak) able to report on their own, without any censors and without having to rely on "professional" reporters to tell their story. It's all been happening in the blogosphere, while the rest of the world seems not to notice.
We've witnessed lots of that in the last two years here on Dean's World. It's been one of the reasons why we've often chided or outright slammed the mainstream media for its endless reporting of negativity and its flat refusal to do its patriotic duty and work as hard to provide positive as well as negative coverage. The number of military personnel actually serving in-theater and registering such complaints about the media has been impossible to ignore (for any of us who cared enough to pay attention, anyway).
Anyway, looks like the brass is finally--finally!--starting to notice their own military bloggers
March 04, 2005
ARMY TIMES armytimes.com
Blogs of War
Soldiers are trying to make sure their version of the truth from Iraq gets out.
Even though for many, that truth doesn’t include revealing their identities, their online diaries are becoming an increasingly popular way for anyone with an Internet connection to “listen in” on the war zone.
Blogs provide a vehicle for soldiers to speak their minds and tell their personal stories. But the information medium also poses new dangers that the Army is still trying to come to terms with.
Some soldiers have found that blogging can have great benefits, and others have discovered the hard way that there can be consequences for posting things their commanders don’t approve of. Nonetheless, the number of soldiers who blog continues to grow.
Read more about the military blogosphere in the March 14 issue of Army Times.
Here are links to some of the most-read, military-related blogs:
• Mudville Gazette.
The de-facto hub for military bloggers is run by an active-duty service member who calls himself Greyhawk. Greyhawk founded the MilBlog Web ring. He told Army Times that a band in Seattle is creating a song from one of his posts about leaving his family behind and going to Iraq. The site hosts one of the most comprehensive lists of soldier bloggers.
• Blackfive.
The site is typically updated a few times per day. It was named the best military blog in the 2004 Blog Awards. Although Blackfive is a former Army officer posting from Chicago, just about every entry is military related. The site is home to a popular reoccurring feature called “Someone You Should Know,” which profiles service members with remarkable stories. This blogger, who is known only as Matt, says he is “on a mission to highlight the good that our military men and women do every day.”
• American Soldier.
A self-described gung-ho GI, this blogger is readying to deploy to Iraq for a second time. Although he refuses to divulge his real name, the blogger is a sniper assigned to a National Guard unit. He says he aims to enlighten his readers on what life as a soldier is really like, versus the misrepresentations he believes are shown by mainstream media.
• The Questing Cat.
Two specialists with the 1st Infantry Division share their lives with readers. Spc. Nick Cademartori, who is the Questing Cat, founded the site in April. His best friend, Spc. Michael Cotignola III, posts to the same blog using the handle Jersey Cowboy. The two men offer a candid look into the mental tribulations that soldiers battle in Iraq.
• My War.
A site often credited with jump-starting the “MilBlog revolution.” Colby Buzzell, who recently left the Army as a specialist, built a fan base that ranges from soccer moms and truck drivers to Jello Biafra, the leader of a punk band called The Dead Kennedys. His uncomplicated accounts of his time in Iraq continue to garner him attention as he works on a book due out in the fall. Esquire Magazine wrote of Buzzell’s work: “The most extraordinary writing yet produced by a soldier of the Iraq war.”
• Just Another Soldier.
Spc. Jason Hartley of the New York National Guard called his blog “Just Another Soldier” and wrote bluntly about everything from conditions on the base to his comrades’ high jinks. He said the Army busted him down to specialist, accusing him of operational security violations and disobeying an order to keep the blog offline.
• Life in this Girl’s Army.
The blogger refers to herself only as Sgt. Lizzie. The number of visitors to her blog spiked in early December, when she was wounded by a roadside bomb near Baghdad. Back in the United States, she continues to write about healing from her wounds and transitioning back to garrison life in the Army.
• Armor Geddon.
Tank platoon leader 1st Lt. Neil Prakash was awarded a Silver Star in January. He is assigned to 2nd Battalion, 63rd Armor Regiment, 1st Infantry Division, and his blog offers gripping, straightforward accounts with photos of battle and life in Iraq. Although he is redeploying back to Germany, he continues to post new, in-depth stories from his tour.
• Major K.
An infantry officer who recently arrived in Iraq, Major K has blogged throughout his mobilization and pre-deployment training. A recent post details the first casualties his unit took.
• Pass the Brass.
Pfc. Heath J. Coleman, a military policeman based at Camp Humphreys, South Korea, often writes humorously, invariably laughing at his own mistakes. His posts, which he says are all true, often end with a message or lesson.
Other services:
• The Green Side.
This site features e-mails from a Marine lieutenant colonel On his second tour in Iraq, Marine Lt. Col. David G. Bello of 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, e-mails his father, who in turn posts to the blog. The site features e-mails and photos from both of Bello’s tours, including accounts from Fallujah.
• Doc in the Box.
A Navy corpsman on his second tour in Iraq with a Marine helicopter squadron, Sean Dustman is Doc in the Box. He started blogging during his first tour after reading other MilBlogs.
• CDR Salamander.
This blogger, who will only say that he is a Navy commander, offers his observations of the war, politics and other varying topics. Salamander vehemently protects his true identity.
• Baldilocks.
A member of the Air Force who comments on just about everything except the Air Force. |
