A Note on MilBlogs

Hi folks. Not a lot of news out of Rory's camp right now, so I haven't posted in the past few days; but given all the other horrifying things the news has been reporting in other areas of Iraq, I am A-okay with that.

So, I thought I would write today about the MilBlog. First, for those of you who don't know, a "blog" is short for "web log", which is essentially an online diary (like this one). A blog often revolves around a particular topic, but may also be a person's thoughts on anything--it's really up to the blogger. Since the Blogger software became available, we really have a lot more information direct from our soldiers than in any other conflict. Many troops in the services have their own blogs that they initially started as a way to keep up with family and friends, but the general public started reading them. I have found their stories of Iraq incredibly interesting and it really helps me to hear their accounts of daily life. Unfortunately some of these troops have been censored because higher ups were worried about jeopardizing operational security.
Others continue to blog (thankfully), but are careful in the details that they post. The topic of Milblogs has been covered by NPR, the LA Times, the Washington Post and many others. Below are just a couple of the blogs that I visit on a daily basis in order to keep up with the situation over there.

Please read these only if you are prepared to hear details and the truth as each individual perceives it. Some may find the information in these overwhelming. If you do opt to "delve in", it is important to remember that each camp, branch, unit and general situation can be very different from the next, so what you read may or may not be similar to Rory's particular circumstance or environment. For example, some troops' living conditions are much better than others. What you can take away is that you will be a more educated person on the topic of this war--and in my book knowledge, though sometimes burdensome, has always been power.

My War
(This was by far my favorite and most informative blog by a soldier stationed in Mosul. Many of the original posts were removed, and now the soldier mostly posts commentary from other sources that he tends to agree with. I have all the orginal posts in a word document. If anybody wants to read them, you can email me.)

American Soldier
Posting by a soldier in the Army stationed in Iraq.

Dagger Jag
A blog by a lawyer stationed in Iraq with the 1st Infantry Division's, 2nd (DAGGER) Brigade

A Line in the Sand
A view of the war through the eyes of a signal soldier. Be sure to check out the photo gallery.

Life in This Girl's Army
A blog from the rare perspective of a female serving in the Army stationed in Iraq.

Being the typical Libra that I am, I always strive for a balanced view. There are also several Iraqi citizens (not insurgents) who have been chronicling the war. I don't always agree with or like what they say, but I have come to respect their perspective and to seek out the similarities in our goals as humans wanting to live in a peaceful world, instead of looking for our differences. It's important to remember that they do not represent all Iraqis, but they are opinions that can make you think about things from a different perspective. Here are two pretty popular blogs:

A Family In Baghdad
This family has been journalling about the war and the aftermath. The mother and three sons all write about it in separate blogs. Faiza, the mother's blog is my favorite. She blogs in both Arabic and English.

Baghdad Burning
A politcal opinion blog from a young Iraqi woman focusing on war, the occupation and politics.

I hope you all are enjoying your weekend. Take care.