There was an article today on soldiers and their blogs, and it occurred to me that, for many people, blogs are still a new and rather novel idea.  What is a blog anyway?

For those of you who knew my husband before he was ArmySteve, this seems like a simple, almost quaint question.  You blog because it is what you do.  Blogs are a way to share technical information, ideas, and opinions.  They facilitate international discussion and make the world a much smaller place.  But, for those who are less well acquainted with this media form, what exactly is a blog?

Blog is short for “web log.”  It is an online diary of sorts, to share ideas and opinions.  It is much like a web page, but is more interactive.  Usually blogs are updated frequently, and often include some means of providing feedback to have a “discussion” with the blog’s creator.  They might be used to share technical facts, personal feelings and opinions, or anything in between.

In my opinion, blogs are something that should be embraced by the military, and, since this is my blog, I would like to give you a few reasons why I feel that way!

First of all, let me acknowledge that there are certainly OPSEC considerations here, as with any form of communication.  OPSEC has been a concern since the times when soldiers first took up paper and pencil to write to their sweethearts back home (and long before that, but I couldn’t come up with a clever analogy for the Romans or the cavemen), and blogs are no exception.  If anything, they are a little scarier, because they are much more instantaneous (like email).  However, there are already rules in place to deal with these issues for ANY communications, so OPSEC considerations alone are not a reason to reject blogs and all of their positive effects.

Blogs are a great way to put a face on our troops.  Many people today don’t know anyone in the military.  If they do, it is often a distant connection, like their cousin’s friend’s daughter, who lives in another state.  Worse, the face that they see is the one the media gives them, like Lyndie England.  Blogs are a great way for the average person (all over the world) to connect with the soldiers and to get a real sense of what they are doing.   Even if they don’t necessarily agree with the reasons for soldiers to be deployed, they are a lot more likely to support “their guys” in uniform.

Blogs tell the stories that need to be told, that you don’t find elsewhere.  Did you know that troops often take candy and toys to throw to the children when they leave the base?  Did you know that the average Iraqi is just like us and just wants to watch his children grow up with out fear of them getting killed by an IED?  You do if you read the blogs here.  But these aren’t the “sexy” stories, so they aren’t often covered by the media.  But they need to be told, and blogs offer a great opportunity to do just that.

Blogs are a great way to share information.  Often, there is little information on a topic because it is so new, or because it is a detail that hasn’t been widely shared because it applies to such a small group. (IRR recalls are a great example of both of these issues, which made this site one of the few out there with any information on the topic for a long time!)  And while the fact that IRR soldiers should bring their own towels when they report to Ft. Leonard Wood may not seem like vital information to most people, it can relieve just a little bit of the stress for that soldier who is already in a very stressful situation.  Blogs can also be a great way to share information with others in a similar situation; soldiers who report to Ft. Bliss, for example, may have a slightly different experience, but a general idea of what to expect from the process at Ft. Leonard Wood might be of great help nonetheless.

Blogs are a great way to share experience.  This is a take off on the last idea, but expanded a bit.  We learn from our mistakes, but we can learn faster if we consider the experiences of others.  Much of what I know about how to send things to the sandbox I have learned from others (wrap cookies in small stacks in foil, then place in a gladware container, and then seal in a Ziploc bag to keep them as fresh and unbroken as possible), but other things I have learned myself that I can pass along (usually there is no difference in delivery time between packages shipped priority or parcel post).  Similarly, blogs are a great way for commanders to get feedback on conditions affecting their soldiers that they might not get through official reports, and for soldiers to prepare for their deployments.  Fear of the unknown is the worst part of a deployment; your experience won’t be exactly like that of any other soldier, but knowing a little bit more about what to expect helps you to prepare and to better focus on accomplishing your mission.

Blogs aren’t just for today.  One of the fantastic things about blogs is that they let EVERYONE tell their story.  Right now, we are hearing a lot about projects to help preserve the stories of WWII veterans.  Blogs are a great way to preserve history in the making.  And since everyone’s story is a little different, they are ALL worth reading.  And they are not just for today – there is as much place for people to share their past experience as to write about what happened this afternoon.  Yes, some of today’s soldiers have it great – with internet access and downtime to write blogs of all things. But rather than resent their good fortune, write about your own challenges, such as having to build the bases from scratch when you were deployed last year.  We need to hear them.  (And if there are any WWII veterans with an interest in blogging, I am sure there is a place here for that too!)

Blogs are a great release for soldiers to talk about their experiences.  We are hearing a lot, unfortunately, about post traumatic stress and how it is affecting our soldiers returning from Iraq.  One of the biggest issues, it seems, is the lack of a “safe” venue for soldiers to talk about their experiences.  I am not saying that blogs are a replacement for professional therapy, but they do offer soldiers the chance to talk about some of these things on a regular basis, instead of keeping them internalized.  And, as more soldiers come forward to talk about their feelings, there will be less stigma associated with them.  Blogs are also a great way for families to read and understand a bit more about what their loved one was going through while they were away, which can reduce some of the stress associated with long separations.  And this goes both ways:  soldiers can benefit greatly from understanding how difficult it was for their spouse to keep things going at home while they were gone, too.

Blogs help keep open communications for families who are dealing with extended separations.  One of the hardest things for most of our soldiers is being apart from their loved ones for so long.  A spouse’s blog can help update him on what the family is doing, while his blog can help his family to understand why Daddy needs to go away for so long.  And since time is often limited, a blog is a good way to maximize communication so that many people can be updated on a soldier without the need to write/call/email each family member.

Blogs help people feel like they are part of a community and not alone.  One of the most difficult things for our family was being among the first with an activated IRR soldier and having no one else who understood our situation.  This blog helped us to connect with families in the same situation that we could never have contacted otherwise.  This is an especially important consideration as National Guard and Reserve troops are being activated in unprecedented numbers, many of whom know few, if any, other military families.  The internet, with its forums and blogs, is becoming THE source of support and information for these families. 

Blogs are a great independent source of information and support for the military.  Blogs have a great deal of credibility because they are told by the individual soldiers themselves, without the flowery words of the media or the stiff formality of the bureaucrats.  Yes, they include some negative things as well, but for the most part, they are positive stories of what their authors have accomplished and the simple, yet profound things that they have seen.  We have all seen press conferences where a Pentagon official (whose polished shoes have never seen the ground of Iraq) speaks without emotion about how the forces of the American military are bringing prosperity and democracy to the Iraqi people, having removed the ruthless dictator from power.  But how much more powerful is the description by the infantry sergeant of the Iraqi man who, with tears in his eyes and in broken English, shook the soldier’s hand and thanked him for building a school so that his children could learn to read?

Blogs are important for pride, for the individual soldier and his community.  We are hearing about problems with retention and recruitment, from all facets of the military.  Because of all the factors I have already discussed (people who are unfamiliar with any service people, the lack of positive military stories in the media, the difficulty in finding out information about military life, the long separations from friends and family), men and women are less likely to join the military and less likely to stay in if they do.  However, by giving soldiers a sense of pride, by letting them tell their own stories in their own words, by giving them the means to communicate with their families, and by helping those at home to understand what our men and women in uniform are doing and why it is important, it is possible to bring back that sense of camaraderie and honor that comes with wearing the uniform.  And THAT is why I think that the military should embrace blogs, not fear them.