DENVER- The operator of a popular military blogging site says new Army rules will inhibit soldiers from blogging.
“The old regulation said you had to register your blog, and if you had any questions about operational security you were supposed to inform your commander,” said former Army Maj. Matthew Burden, who served in the Gulf War and in intelligence.
In announcing the new regulations, the Army said the intention of the new rule is not to have soldiers clear every public posting with commanders. “Not only is that impractical, but we are trusting the soldiers to protect critical information,” said Army Maj. Ray M. Ceralde on May 2.” The Army also said rules published in 2005 already required solders to clear postings with security officers.
However, the 2005 regulation, provided to The Associated Press by Burden, requires solders to “Consult with their immediate supervisor and their Operational Security program manager, prior to publishing or posting information that might contain sensitive and/or critical information in a public forum—this includes, but is not limited to letters, e-mail, Web site postings, Web log (Blog) postings, discussion in Internet information forums, discussion in Internet message boards, or other forms of dissemination or documentation.”
The new rule says soldiers must “Consult with their immediate supervisor and their OPSEC officer for an OPSEC review prior to publishing or posting information in a public forum.”
Burden said no commander can ignore the new regulation or liberally interpret it. “He’s going to read it black and white.”
Iraq-based soldiers are disappearing from Burden’s blog since the new rule was announced, though many soldiers still e-mail him and he posts their comments under different names, he said. His Web site, , has 3 million hits a year.
A two-day posting on Sunday from a soldier in Iraq, who name was withheld, said he was astonished support for the war has declined so much because no one in America was being asked to sacrifice anything except soldiers and their families. “The only ones who have TRULY sacrificed are my brothers and sisters in arms who have been killed or wounded and their families that live with that pain everyday. For the rest of America what has been given up? I saw in the news that the stock market is at record levels.”
Noah Shachtman, who runs a national security blog for Wired Magazine, said no one questions the Army’s right to protect intelligence and soldiers wouldn’t purposely endanger themselves or their buddies. “This is as much an information war as it is bombs and bullets. And they are muzzling their best voices. The functional result is any solder who blogs will have a sword of his head. And he can be busted for anything he says.”
John Noonan, a U.S. Air Force captain blogger who declined to be further identified, said, “Officers will just say you can’t blog because that is the safest way to do it. It will have a chilling effect.”
Burden said the Army had initially welcomed e-mail because it was such a morale booster. Army public affairs officers e-mail reporters in their hometowns with news of their successful campaigns.
The Army’s 2005 Review said: “Internet blog sites and troops’ letters home are full of anecdotes about the gratification U.S. service members get from helping people who have suffered so much.”
Recently, the Army began posting videos on YouTube.com showing soldiers defeating insurgents and befriending Iraqis. Iraqi insurgents or their supporters have been posting videos on the site since last fall.
