Another light goes out in the MilBlogger universe

We have seen this before.

One of the brightest voices in the "primary source" MilBlogger universe has been silenced. Not by a bullet, not by law, not by an order - but by professional intimidation.

Not a bad reflection on the author. He is doing what he feels he needs to do to maintain his viability and protect the thing he loves, His Army. It is a good decision. His nation needs him more than he realizes.

ARMOR GEDDON has gone cold iron. Here is his post, all of it. You can hear the sadness in this warrior's post. This is so wrong in so many ways.

Suddenly my entries are all over AKO OPSEC websites. I would argue the ways they say it violates OPSEC except for the fact that OPSEC is very vague and can be defined in any which way by the entity enforcing it. Nobody has shut me down yet, but I figure it is just a matter of time. And I really don't want to do the Army any harm sooooo....

What I want to do is put this blog on hold without actually deleting it. The solution seems to be to put this on an FTP server. Anyone know how to do that? Or does anyone have any suggestions? email at neil.prakash@gmail.com Thanks. If I can't do that, then I will just delete every entry on Armor Geddon except for the ones like: Corn Syrup vs. Tabasco, soldiers getting awards, build-up to Election Day, and coming soon - "What Happens to 2 Sergeants when they make PV2 Hutto do an Atomic Sit-Up and SSG Terry decides to help Hutto seek Revenge"
Neil
p.s. At the end of my senior year at college, I fell for the Atomic Sit-up at a Brotherhood camping trip, so don't feel bad, SPC Hutto. I guess I'm that gullible too.

Shame on those are AKO OPSEC that have brought this to pass. There are more OPSEC issues in free open source professional journals, embed reporters, NATO, and exchange programs than anything Neil Prakash has put out.

There are good reasons I remain ANON. I may be outed at sometime, then I too will go silent. One of the many reasons I started CDR Salamander was that after getting initial publication success in Proceedings, I found that anything else I had to publish needed to be reviewed by Commodore/Flag staff due to the positions I held/hold. The "community" didn't want off party line opinions out there. A professional threat is a professional threat. I didn't need a memo. Instead of being a ghost writer for others' opinions, I just backed away from professional publications. I edited others' work (wouldn't know it by some of the posts here), but besides that I kept my name out of things. There are brave souls out there, but I'm not one of them. I know what that mine field looks like. My draft is too deep.

Opinion pieces I wrote? Didn't even bother. I had spent enough time in Dodge. Circular file for those.

Based on my experience, anything I read in professional publication I look at with a view of, "What is the spin..." That is why MilBlogs are so important. To a vast degree, you are getting the base opinion and primary source reporting. Do away with MilBlogs and all you have left is party line and spin...mostly.

The sad thing is, most of what Neil wrote brought glory to his men and his unit. If he did not write as he did - in the open, the stories would have never made it to the wider public. The taxpayer would not see what their military is really about; who the people are that protect what we all enjoy. General stories like I do can't give you the depth you would find at ARMOR GEDDON and sites like it.

Shame on us all. And don't even bother with any comments about OPSEC. I am sick of that argument. This has nothing to do with OPSEC. This has everything to do with LTC and COL types worried that someone will ruin their chance for the next promotion board if someone writes something bad about them (see "Capt. America" in Generation Kill by Rolling Stone embed Evan Wright or Neil's post about canister rounds). I know it because I have been at the table of beers with CDR and CAPT talking about it.

Fear-filled careerists are after the MilBlogs, and they will go after dead-tree publications by active duty folks next - but they don't have to. Kill one person; you scare the shit out of dozens. Any sniper will tell you that.

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UPDATE: Sounds like there is a lot of action in the IO and OPSEC trenches opposite the MilBlog world. Check out John's post over at Argghhh!!! for his perspective. Me, I'm pissed that I need an Army sponsor to log onto AKO - blowing my cover in the process to see the briefs. Ain't happening. I'll just listen to the gossip, but the Army is taking serious MilBlogs. These are the good guys trying to keep the bad guys from learning too much from MilBlogs - but there is so much more out there to be gained from official publicantion, open press, and exchange personnel that they are really missing the boat on MilBlogs. I fear the shadow of a blunt instrument....

BTW, I am not having quite the hissy fit over Armor Geddon....but I am still pissed at loosing Neil's perspective. I am sure the OPSEC folks at AKO are just doing what they feel is their job, but really. Picking apart blogs is easier than going after the harder and more dangerous OPSEC issues. If it was that bad, Neil's site would be dark, and he would be talking to the JAG and thinking again about medical school. IMAO.