Memoirs Of A Muzzled Milblogger

There were a few headlines last week about a change with regard to the Army’s regulations on milbloggers.  Well, just a few days ago, I noticed that one of the blogs in my blogroll is no longer active: Another trip to The Peoples Republic Of Halliburton

So, I sent Ed (the milblogger) an email to see what was up, and he posted a response in my comment section.  I thought I’d reprint it here, and I’ll be his voice. 

Ok so I sent you an email explaining it a little, and then I seen this comment. So I think I should copy and paste the email here as well. I think that is a crime that they can argue that gays should be allowed in the military because they have the freedom of speech, but that we dont have the freedom of speech when it comes to anything else.

I am more then likely going to make the blog active again really soon. This is a fight that I really didnt want to take up, but what have I got to lose at this point? What more can they do to me? Im already in Iraq again.

Besides, if I end up in jail, at least my family can visit once in awhile. And I would be able to watch cable tv. And I cant imagine the food being worse.

So give me a day or two, and I will see what kind of fight I will be up against.

They changed the rules regarding military blogs. Basically we are not allowed
to post anything anymore without first sending a copy of it to the commander
and the security officer for review and approval.

In other words I look at it the same as I do abu graib. The problem wasn’t
that the soldiers were stacking naked prisoners, or torturing them. The
problem was that the soldiers had cameras. So now they are no longer allowed
to have cameras at the prison. It is a lot easier to control the information
than the behaviour.

And with the blogs, it is a lot easier to quiet the soldiers that are pissed
off about the changes to the deployment periods and the ability to redeploy
the guard units as often as they wish. And as long as the people back home don’t
hear the truth about what we think of this war, then they can try and convince
the american people that we are all just happy and that we are proud that we
get extensions to our deployments, and we now get deployed more often, and
that they are taking away our extra money for longer deployments with less
time at home in return for 2 extra days off a month when we get home.

As the old saying goes, the beatings will stop when the morale improves.

I am considering putting it back up anyway. Just because Fuck Them

Ed

by Ed May 7th, 2007 at 3:29 am

Call me progressive, but I find the idea of muzzling a guy who is putting it on the line in the Iraqi desert to be a little insensitive (to say the least).  These are people who could literally die tomorrow, and have used blogs as diaries.  Diaries that can’t be destroyed by an IED.  There must be some comfort for these guys to know that their thoughts will be there forever. 

Well Ed, they were there. 

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