End of Milblogs or Blogging as Usual?
UPDATE: The Stars and Stripes has a follow up article on the milblog OPSEC issue which includes yours truly. The article also has quotes from servicemembers in Korea on this issue including this one from a Public Affairs NCO in Seoul I found interesting:
“I think there does need to be some control on the blogs. It’s making our jobs harder because a lot of what is in the blogs feeds into negative press coverage, especially when a soldier is perceived as speaking for the Army. As any American, I chafe against any curtailment of freedom of speech, but as a soldier sometimes you sacrifice your freedoms for the greater good.â€
I think this is an additional problem with the military, that some in the public affairs arena like this NCO, remain critical of milblogs even though the vast majority of milblogs are sending out a pro-military message much more effectively than the military public affairs offices are. I cannot think of one big milblog that is negative against the military, while the big milblogs like Mudville, Milblogs, Blackfive, OP-FOR, etc. continue to provide accurate information about the military and push a pro-troops message to the general public.Â
The Army justafiably has a concern about OPSEC that is addressed with the updated policy, but the solution that this public affairs NCO is suggesting will only surrender the information war that the military is already badly losing.
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I have received a number of e-mails today from people asking me how the new regulation on soldier blogs effects my blog after a lot of hysteria was created by this Wired magazine article claiming that the Pentagon is trying to shut down military bloggers due to concerns about operation security (OPSEC) reasons. To figure out exactly what all the concern is about it is always best to look at the regulations themselves. Here are some passages from the updated Chapter 2 of Army Regulation AR530-1, Operational Security that deals with military blogs:
Here is what the Army is defining sensitive information to be:
Okay I see no problems here with any of this. Now this next passage is where I think a lot of the controversy is coming from:
This passage in the regulation doesn’t make sense when you think about it. According to this passage every time you send out an e-mail much less update your blog you are supposed to get a OPSEC officer to review it? Commanders and OPSEC officers do not have time to check Private Tentpeg’s every single e-mail and stopping Private Tentpeg from sending e-mails to mom and dad is quick way to get a Congressional Inquiry opened on you.Â
Fortunately the Army is issuing a correction on this and clarifying what they meant by this regulation. Here are the highlights from the clarification:
• In no way will every blog post/update a Soldier makes on his or her blog need to be monitored or first approved by an immediate supervisor and Operations Security (OPSEC) officer. After receiving guidance and awareness training from the appointed OPSEC officer, that Soldier blogger is entrusted to practice OPSEC when posting in a public forum.
(…)
• Soldiers do not have to seek permission from a supervisor to send personal E-mails. Personal E-mails are considered private communication. However, AR 530-1 does mention if someone later posts an E-mail in a public forum containing information sensitive to OPSEC considerations, an issue may then arise.
I have had plenty of OPSEC training before and have always used to the rule of thumb to blog only about open source material from sites like Stars and Stripes, Chosun Ilbo, 2ID webpage, etc. I could make this blog a whole lot more interesting if I blogged about FOUO or classified information, but there is no reason for anyone reading this blog to know about these things from me first. If the Army wants to let the public know about these things then they will issue a press release to the media. It is not my responsibility to determine what information needs to be released to the public and if all military bloggers remember that, there shouldn’t be any OPSEC problems. Now back to blogging as usual.
You can read more about this issue at these sites:
Stars and Stripes
Blackfive
Milblogs
Michelle Malkin
OP-FOR
I had to wonder when I read the Wired article yesterday. Then I read the reg and knew that the first few lines of the Wired article were incorrect; it was all in the context of sensitive material, e.g., “FOUO†or “SBU†type data, not normal posts and/or emails.
Ironically, the reg itself is FOUO (for official use only), and should not be on the net.
I saw that too but someone gave the reg to Wired to put on the net. It just makes me wonder if someone was trying to manufacture a story to embarrass the Pentagon with.
On the update, I'd say, without any proof, that bloggers in general have most likely helped the US-SK relationship over the last few years. The K-blogring might not be known by the average Korean and actually read by few, but it is known in some form by people in media and elsewhere like that.
Inotherwords, some important people know that word is getting out beyond Korea's borders through avenues more than just the international press, and it was that press that had given Korea confidence in its inattention to Korea over the years time and time again.
I wouldn't say the expat blogs, several of whom are by GIs or ex-GIs or those who have the political/social bent to defend the US side of the alliance with vigor, have been the primary or even the 2nd or 3rd or so on most influencial element in the lull in anti-US activity that has been going on for some time now, especially within the Korean media, but I believe its influence (for the better) has clearly been felt in South Korean society.
I think it also has some (growing) affect on things like GI crimes. The more GIs going to the K-blogs and places like USFK Forums, the more are going to hear long-timers and pro-USFK/US expats saying, "Guys, we're on your side. But what the f– is up with these taxi cab incidents!! Are you guys not supposed to be more peer-influenced than civilians? How about telling assholes you know in the ranks to stop being such assholes?" or something similar.
And like GI Korea said, before the personalization of the internet, it was very much an environment in which the US/internatoinal media didn't have much of a clue what went on in Korea beyond Hyundai car sales and USFK's public relations department was less than a mouse……(And it was an environment in which the only time South Koreans worried about their anti-US culture was when it had gotten so out of control, someone in the US press would pay momentary attention to it — and the culture thrived)
Blogging is fun and all, but:
1. Blogging about fellow soldiers or their chain of command can have serious morale consequences. In Iraq, a fight almost broke out between two female soldiers after one read another's post on My Space.
2. The potential harm to the coalition effort from a soldier writing about his theater experiences is serious compared to any personal satisfaction a soldier may derive or perspective the public may glean from blogging. How can one avoid mentioning standard procedures or the constitution of their equipment when writing a diary? Even if aware of this danger, a quick, careless post after a difficult mission may lead to serious consequences.
A commander can't always rely on a soldier's discretion in these matters, either. Something a soldier may feel is acceptable may, in fact, not be. Remember, some soldiers in Iraq aren't old enough to drink in most states; a second, more mature opinion would aid them in exercising the appropriate level of restraint.
3. Not only operations, but families may be harmed or embarrassed. Does a wife or mother, already under great stress from their loved one's deployment, want to read a post about their family member on a blog? What if a soldier posts about an injury to his buddy and the injured soldier's family, after googling a name, reads it?
4. Soldiers are not reporters (unless you're job, specifically, is to release information to the press). A soldier's job is to execute the war.
5. Lastly, a soldier's opinion isn't necessarily more valuable than a civilian reporter's, although I understand when some, because of the great respect they give to military personnel (rightly, in my opinion), give more credence to a soldier's account than a to a reporter's, As natural a tendency as that is, a soldier's opinion may be as tainted by ideology or personal baggage as that of a civilian reporter.
In summary, in most cases, the proper time to write about one's combat experiences is after direct involvement in the conflict-like in a book.
http://www.nelsonguirado.com/index.php/Military/2…
[…] access anyway. It’ll be interesting to see where this leads, if anywhere. Check out GI Korea’s take and update on this as […]
I'm not buying it. This is a first amendment right and the arguement that one gives away his rights under the Constitution is totally flawed IMHO.
The "big" military blogs you cite are uniform in their positions: Iraq war is good, opposition to it is treason, conservative politics are the best. Sorry but that is not a good cross section of all the military blogs that are out there.
The Army should just leave well enough alone. Whats going to happen is that the smart guys will figure out ways around it and unless they are prepared to wholesale block IP's-you can be damn sure guys are still going to comment-on both sides of the fence.
What's really amazing to me is how fast cretins like Malkin, blamed this new ban on the Democrats-for trying to pass a bill that reflects the views of 54% of the American people. Its absurd that they can express that. If anything it seems to me the Army would want people criticizing Congress.
Bottom line-Stupid rule enacted by stupid people. Which cannot be enforced.
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[…] access anyway. It’ll be interesting to see where this leads, if anywhere. Check out GI Korea’s take and update on this as […]
[…] access anyway. It’ll be interesting to see where this leads, if anywhere. Check out GI Korea’s take and update on this as […]