Posted on 12/23/2004 8:53:47 AM PST by thebiggestdog
My wife got an e-mail today from a friend who is a member of the B Company Warhawks of the California National Guard. The 'Hawks are getting ready to move into Iraq in the near future. They had a great little website going, but the California National Guard ordered them to take it down. I am more than a little bit peeved, because one of the goals of this site was to have the readers stand up and support these troops with something more than a bumper sticker. The warhawks had a wish list of item to make their life a little better while they are deployed. If you would like to get the list, please e-mail Francis Betz at francis.betz@vncap.org
I understand that the war on terror has many fronts, including the information superhighway. This has been the first war in history in which soldiers have been able to write about their experiences, and instantly send them to anyone in the world. I have read several bloggers who were asked very forcefully by the DoD to stop their blogging. But what is to prevent a soldier from sending an e-mail to a friend back home who then posts it on the internet? The fact is, we live in an information age, and soldiers do have access through websites and e-mail to speak their mind.
One problem is that a soldier who is writing about the events of his or her day, may unwittingly be providing intelligence information to the enemy. Do not think for one second that Zarqawi and his buddies don't scan the internet for tidbits of information coming from US troops. So where do we draw the line? It is my belief that all the Warhawks wanted to do was to show their friends and families that they are ok, and that they are making the best of their circumstances. Instead of entirely stopping the flow of information, why doesn't the DoD offer to host the site of any group stationed overseas, providing that certain security measures are met?
The war on terror isn't going away any time soon, and neither is the internet. The California National Guard and the DoD should realize that the best way to keep morale high is to allow for the exchange of information between the troops and the outside world, as long as it meets national security requirements.
Too bad, but I guess the checks and balances necessary to keep sensitive info (tactical, personal, etc) from being posted would be too daunting, especially 24/7 and the instantaneous nature of the internet.
Unfortunately, we can't assume that everyone will abide by the rules. Military members routinely give up their rights while protecting the rights of the many.
Welcome to the military. This is just another example of how the troops sacrifice their liberties and rights to protect the rest of us. I know it seems harsh, but the reality is that there are many occupations which, for various reasons, require that people not discuss their work or, in extreme cases, are isloated from contact with their loved-ones. It has also been the practice of the military for decades to control the flow of information to and from its people, for very obvious reasons.
While terrorists may be able to obtain reams of info. from the internet, we don't need to give them any help. I can tell you from experience, though it is extremely hard on those serving, it's much better than the thought that some careless remark might give the terrorists information which could lead to many deaths, both military and civilian. It's also for the serving-members' and their families' saftey: if terrorists are monitoring these communications, they could obtain info on where the soldiers and their families' live.
During WWII, letters home were all routinely opened and censored. Why would today's Army do any differently with e-mail?
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