The U.S. armed forces have joined the Internet's fast-growing blogosphere.
U.S. Central Command is working with more than 250 bloggers "to try to disseminate news about the good work being done by U.S. forces in the global war on terror." (www.defenselink.mil/news).
That effort says CENTCOM--which has its own website for news releases, data and imagery--has reached more than 17 million online readers to date.
From his desk at CENTCOM headquarters, army Reserve Spc. Claude Flowers of the 304th Mobile Public affairs Detachment from Kent, Wash., fights in the global war on terrorism daily in his own way. It is an effort that is making a big difference in the communications arena in the online world.
"We were given the mission to do electronic media engagement," Flowers said. "The idea was put forth that so many people are getting their news from online sources that we would be remiss if we neglected that audience."
Flowers is one of three soldiers who read blogs and try to drive Internet readers to the CENTCOM website, where readers can learn more about operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom.
"We needed to do something to make people aware of the fact that we had this clearinghouse of photos and information," Flowers said. "We can get the whole story out there. We let them know we have a website."
Flowers explained that the website is filled with informative facts, figures, imagery, data and information that readers can digest before a third party processes and presents the information for them through other media.
Team members have been busy contacting a full spectrum of bloggers. In one instance, a blogger was writing about the opening of a water treatment plant in Iraq. The writer was presenting the information as a positive milestone for the U.S. military in Iraq, but the information was not complete. The team contacted the writer and offered information via the CENTCOM website, and more information was added to the blog to make the article more accurate.
In another blog contact, the team wrote a blogger who had written untrue information about U.S. military tactics The blogger stated that the U.S. military routinely used children in Iraq and afghanistan as human shields during their operations by using candy to entice and lure kids near them. The team posted a comment on the writer's blog stating that the U.S. military did not use human shield tactics and explained the full circumstances of the incident where Iraqi children died in 2004 when insurgents attacked U.S. forces in Baghdad.
Most blogs ordinarily have a feature that enables them to contact the writer or allows readers to post comments. When the team "reaches out" to a blogger, the team members do not conceal their identity. They fully disclose that they are public affairs personnel and identify themselves accordingly. They are there to correct information, no more.
"We don't go in there and get into a debate," said army Reserve Maj. Richard J. McNorton.
It is estimated that there are more than 21 million blogs posted on the World Wide Web today. Many military personnel have become bloggers during their deployments.
Proving to be an antidote against loneliness and worry, blogs are used by military personnel to keep family and friends back home informed on their activities while serving in the war.
"People really are interested in what soldiers are doing," said Flowers. "Blogs are individual statements. They're the voices of individuals. They're a way of understanding this war on a very human level."
The longtime lament "I never would have heard this story in the mainstream media" is being covered by Internet websites and bloggers.
Stories like the ones to be found on Defend america (www.defenselink.mil/news/) are both interesting and well-written.
They're everyday stories of the good works conducted by men and women in the armed forces defending freedom in places like Iraq and afghanistan.
Just like the one written about the "Mayor of Normandy Iraq", written by Staff Sgt. Mark Wojciechowski, 133rd Mobile Public affairs Dept.
This is the story of a mayor by demand rather than command. In real life, the Mayor of Normandy is Sgt. Kevin Statam, 1st Squadron, 32nd Calvary, 101st airborne Division.
While conventional mayors come dressed in robes and preside over town hall meetings, Sgt. Statum wears a helmet and works mostly in the great outdoors.
Busy as most mayors tend to be, Sgt. Statum is on call to perform a host of duties 24-7.
"I get knocks on my door every couple of hours every night," he says. "I'll go deal with it…whatever has to be done."
"Whatever has to be done" lately involved his having to lay out gravel and protective cement, including protective cement barriers for a landing zone for medical evacuation helicopters.
Peacetime mayors worry about fixing potholes; Mayor Sgt. Statum conducts cater analysis.
Sgt. Statum, who has seen many things during 20 years of service in the army, including being a veteran of Desert Storm, catches up on his sleep whenever he can, and has to keep his mayoral humour at the ready.
This very much in demand Mayor of the Sands is a small but integral part of the good work being done by U.S. forces and coalition team members in the war against terrorism.
Iraq and afghanistan aren't so far away when you can catch up with the troops online.
Canada Free Press founding editor Most recent by Judi McLeod is an award-winning journalist with 30 years experience in the print media. Her work has appeared on Newsmax.com, Drudge Report, Foxnews.com, Glenn Beck. Judi can be reached at: judi@canadafreepress.com
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