The U.S. Army has ordered soldiers to stop posting to blogs or sending personal e-mail messages, without first clearing the content with a superior officer, Wired News has learned. The directive, issued April 19, is the sharpest restriction on troops' online activities since the start of the Iraq war. And it could mean the end of military blogs, observers say.
Some would argue that this is an attempt by the present administration to snuff out the voice of our soldiers in the guise of operational security in order to manipulate the publics perception of what is really going on in Iraq and Afganistan. But is it really? In past wars we have never had the kind of embedded media with instant satellite communications or soldiers who are able to post blogs and email while fighting a war. During World War II the only communication a soldier had with their loved ones back home were hand written letters that often arrived six months after they were written. We can't rely on history to teach us what to do here and the Army is trying to make the best out of a bad situation. It may be an inconvienience but if it saves even one soldiers life, it will be worth it.
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i think that the news media presents a skewed perspective of the war in their effort to raise the ratings of their respective stations. to order a soldier to stop email or blogging under the guise of security is a clear violation of our first amendment right to free speech. as the wife of a soldier, i believe that he should be able to communicate his personal opinions in an unrestrained manner as long he does not violate security or the UCMJ. my husband will be going to war soon and i want every opportunity to communicate whether he has good or bad things to say is irrelevant but cutting off contact between military service men and women and their families will be seriously detrimental to an already low morale. timely communication between soldiers and their families is imperative to the mental health and well being of our soldiers; as well as the daily lives of the families they leave behind when they go to war!!!
When did GIs ever have First Amendment rights. What thaticle did not state about past war mail is that one of the many reasons it took 6 months to get home was because of censoring. Each letter was read over by a CO or comm staff to ensure no secrets could get out. Many stories are told about how embarassed some of these Censors got when reading of a soldier's love for his girl back home, etc. I do not like censorship, I am an American. But it has been a fact of life for war time GIs, and one of the many sacrafices we chose to make to serve this country. Heck, I am surprised any GI is allowed internet access at all for personal reasons while in combat zones. Thankfully they are able to reach out, and in less than 6 months.
one thing i have learned about the army is that you cannont disagree with them on anything. they become angry, combatative and defensive. the use of fear and intimidation on new recruits is shameful and any one who questions an action will be personally attacked. they refuse to accept that there are problems in their medical system. i have personal experience with their 'it's not an injury', 'take a couple of ibuprofen' and 'its all in your head'mentality even when there is physical evidence of broken bones and other injuries. i cannot understand why the army treats its own so disrespectfully and then justifies by lying about what the neglect. walter reed is just the tip of the iceberg, the real abuse and neglect of injured soldiers starts on the first day of basic. the army needs to wise up and realize that if they were honest in their recruiting practices and treated their service members fairly while they are active then they would not have to resort to bonuses, lying and deceit to get people to enlist. i am ashamed of what my army has become.
