BLOGS OF WAR
The long recovery
(August 2008)
On Dec. 19, 2006, Minnesota Army National Guardsman J.R. Salzman was leading a convoy to Tallil Air Base in southern Baghdad when an explosively formed penetrator tore through his truck. The...
BY CHRISTOPHER GRIFFIN
On Dec. 19, 2006, Minnesota Army National Guardsman J.R. Salzman was leading a convoy to Tallil Air Base in southern Baghdad when an explosively formed penetrator tore through his truck. The...
BY CHRISTOPHER GRIFFIN
The war we have
(June 2008)
The appointments of Gens. David Petraeus and Raymond Odierno to the head of Central Command and of Multi-National Force-Iraq, respectively, send one clear message: The surge will go on. Its...
BY CHRISTOPHER GRIFFIN
The appointments of Gens. David Petraeus and Raymond Odierno to the head of Central Command and of Multi-National Force-Iraq, respectively, send one clear message: The surge will go on. Its...
BY CHRISTOPHER GRIFFIN
Not so fast
(May 2008)
As dissatisfaction with the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan has grown, the policy of “stop-lossing,” or the involuntary extension of a service member’s duty commitment, has...
BY CHRISTOPHER GRIFFIN
As dissatisfaction with the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan has grown, the policy of “stop-lossing,” or the involuntary extension of a service member’s duty commitment, has...
BY CHRISTOPHER GRIFFIN
Hope and skepticism
(April 2008)
Last April, this column described initial responses by Iraqi bloggers to the “surge” of American troops in their country. Writing from shattered Baghdad and exile in Damascus,...
BY CHRISTOPHER GRIFFIN
Last April, this column described initial responses by Iraqi bloggers to the “surge” of American troops in their country. Writing from shattered Baghdad and exile in Damascus,...
BY CHRISTOPHER GRIFFIN
Small wars, big ideas
(October 2007)
As summer ended and Washington prepared for Gen. David Petraeus’ Iraq progress report, two pieces of conventional wisdom settled over the capital. First, the surge of troops and...
By Christopher Griffin
As summer ended and Washington prepared for Gen. David Petraeus’ Iraq progress report, two pieces of conventional wisdom settled over the capital. First, the surge of troops and...
By Christopher Griffin
Following the Strykers
(August 2007)
On the night of June 18 and the early morning of June 19, U.S. and Iraqi forces launched Operation Arrowhead Ripper in Iraq’s Diyala province. Targeted at the city of Baqubah, which...
BY CHRISTOPHER GRIFFIN
On the night of June 18 and the early morning of June 19, U.S. and Iraqi forces launched Operation Arrowhead Ripper in Iraq’s Diyala province. Targeted at the city of Baqubah, which...
BY CHRISTOPHER GRIFFIN
Web tangle
(July 2007)
The military and the milbloggers have settled into a predictable, if not altogether comfortable pattern: A new regulation is issued to provide greater official control over milblogs, which...
By CHRISTOPHER GRIFFIN
The military and the milbloggers have settled into a predictable, if not altogether comfortable pattern: A new regulation is issued to provide greater official control over milblogs, which...
By CHRISTOPHER GRIFFIN
Internet insecurity
(June 2007)
In the opening pages of “Catch-22,” the bombardier Yossarian spends his time in the hospital censoring letters from enlisted men back to their families, sequentially redacting...
BY CHRISTOPHER GRIFFIN
In the opening pages of “Catch-22,” the bombardier Yossarian spends his time in the hospital censoring letters from enlisted men back to their families, sequentially redacting...
BY CHRISTOPHER GRIFFIN
Fighting words
(May 2007)
A vibrant milblogging community in the People’s Republic of China, where all manners of speech are closely monitored and controlled, may seem unlikely. Chinese milbloggers, however,...
By Christopher Griffin and Joseph E. Lin
A vibrant milblogging community in the People’s Republic of China, where all manners of speech are closely monitored and controlled, may seem unlikely. Chinese milbloggers, however,...
By Christopher Griffin and Joseph E. Lin
(April 2007)
One of the perennial difficulties of evaluating military operations lies in finding useful metrics of success by which to judge the effort. This is especially so in a battle for the hearts...
By Christopher Griffin
One of the perennial difficulties of evaluating military operations lies in finding useful metrics of success by which to judge the effort. This is especially so in a battle for the hearts...
By Christopher Griffin
Gray Lady in winter
(March 2007)
A recurring theme in this column is the relationship between the blogosphere and the mainstream media, one that could be politely described as “strained.” To put a finer point on...
BY CHRISTOPHER GRIFFIN
A recurring theme in this column is the relationship between the blogosphere and the mainstream media, one that could be politely described as “strained.” To put a finer point on...
BY CHRISTOPHER GRIFFIN
Theater of war
(February 2007)
At some risk to my position at AFJ, I must observe that reading milblogs sometimes feels hopelessly out of date — the online scene nowadays is all about video. Recent bounds in data...
By Christopher Griffin
At some risk to my position at AFJ, I must observe that reading milblogs sometimes feels hopelessly out of date — the online scene nowadays is all about video. Recent bounds in data...
By Christopher Griffin
After Rumsfeld
(January 2007)
For all the invective targeted at Donald Rumsfeld during his final year in office, nobody ever accused him of being a soft touch. And it’s no surprise that the milblog community never...
By Christopher Griffin
For all the invective targeted at Donald Rumsfeld during his final year in office, nobody ever accused him of being a soft touch. And it’s no surprise that the milblog community never...
By Christopher Griffin
Under attack
(December 2006)
I never expected to write this: One of the best milblogs out there was launched by “Doonesbury,” the comic strip that has mocked American politics for more than three decades...
BY CHRISTOPHER GRIFFIN
I never expected to write this: One of the best milblogs out there was launched by “Doonesbury,” the comic strip that has mocked American politics for more than three decades...
BY CHRISTOPHER GRIFFIN
Revenge of the staff weenie
(October 2006)
If patriotism is the last refuge of the scoundrel, the long history of military humor proves that satire may well be the last refuge of the patriot. Perhaps the single best source for...
By Christopher Griffin
If patriotism is the last refuge of the scoundrel, the long history of military humor proves that satire may well be the last refuge of the patriot. Perhaps the single best source for...
By Christopher Griffin
War birds
(September 2006)
The story of the soldier has long been one of suffering seemingly endless boredom interrupted by bouts of extreme danger and stress.
By Christopher Griffin
The story of the soldier has long been one of suffering seemingly endless boredom interrupted by bouts of extreme danger and stress.
By Christopher Griffin
Driven to print
(August 2006)
One of the most striking features of military blogs is their short life spans. As many of the best milbloggers return from combat in Iraq and Afghanistan, they stop posting and leave their...
BY CHRISTOPHER GRIFFIN
One of the most striking features of military blogs is their short life spans. As many of the best milbloggers return from combat in Iraq and Afghanistan, they stop posting and leave their...
BY CHRISTOPHER GRIFFIN
Mind the gap
(July 2006)
The alleged massacre of civilians by U.S. Marines in Hadithah, Iraq, touched off a firestorm of accusations in the American press and body politic. Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa., said the Marines...
By Christopher Griffin
The alleged massacre of civilians by U.S. Marines in Hadithah, Iraq, touched off a firestorm of accusations in the American press and body politic. Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa., said the Marines...
By Christopher Griffin
View from the FOB
(June 2006)
The conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan have introduced a large, new vocabulary of acronyms and abbreviations into the American experience of war: GWOT, GSAVE, IED, SVBIED, MOAB, OEF, OIF and...
By Christopher Griffin
The conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan have introduced a large, new vocabulary of acronyms and abbreviations into the American experience of war: GWOT, GSAVE, IED, SVBIED, MOAB, OEF, OIF and...
By Christopher Griffin
An imperiled mission?
(April 2006)
Interrupting his long-planned trips to India and Pakistan for a “surprise” March 1 visit to Kabul, President Bush reiterated the U.S. commitment to the country: “We want to...
By Christopher Griffin
Interrupting his long-planned trips to India and Pakistan for a “surprise” March 1 visit to Kabul, President Bush reiterated the U.S. commitment to the country: “We want to...
By Christopher Griffin
The war at home
(March 2006)
As the U.S. enters the third year of its war in Iraq, there is mounting concern about its impact on the health of the American armed forces. In late January, The Associated Press leaked a...
By Christopher Griffin
As the U.S. enters the third year of its war in Iraq, there is mounting concern about its impact on the health of the American armed forces. In late January, The Associated Press leaked a...
By Christopher Griffin
A vote for victory
(February 2006)
This is the first installment in a regular series on the blogs — personal Web logs — maintained by U.S. servicemen and women fighting in the war on terrorism. The proliferation...
By Christopher Griffin
This is the first installment in a regular series on the blogs — personal Web logs — maintained by U.S. servicemen and women fighting in the war on terrorism. The proliferation...
By Christopher Griffin
Party time
With the Republican congressional leadership mired in scandal, the Democratic Party is in as strong a position as it has been in a decade to reclaim control of the House of Representatives,...
By Christopher Griffin
By Christopher Griffin
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Destroyer flip-flop
Posted 9/2/2008 by Administrator
Posted 9/2/2008 by Administrator
Audacious blueprint
Posted 9/2/2008 by Administrator
Posted 9/2/2008 by Administrator