Art La Flamme

Guys,

It sounds like you’re on the verge of announcing a tour. That’s great news.

Please include Baghdad among the stops. It’d be a nice gesture, and it’d give me a hair of a chance of seeing you.

Otherwise, I’d have to look at using my R&R to fly somewhere to see you guys, instead of going to Hawaii to see my family. I’d much rather use that time to see my family.

Have you considered Honolulu? We’ve got a lanai — I could fire up the grill or something.

Please bring Dave Grohl with you. That’d be nice.

Thanks.

I mentioned awhile ago that I had to blog for this course. After some anguish, I ended up writing this — a piece about what I did during the ground war. Really, what we did during the ground war.

I chose that subject ultimately because, after reading everything I could about why they wanted us to blog during this course, I realized that what the Army wanted was a story like this. They think America needs to hear these things. And I think they’re right.

For the folks who are in the year-long version of this course, not only do they have to blog, but they have to do two other things: submit something for publication, and speak to a group (outside the military).

I sent the link for my piece, to the lady here at Ft Gordon why runs the on-post magazine. We went back and forth some on email, and they opted to print it. September has Patriot Day, and it fits well into that theme. I sent along a couple of photos I had with me — to include one with my dad, which I thought was super cool. I also asked for and got her agreement to include the copyright notice – that the piece is protected under the Creative Commons license, and that it was being published with permission. Viva Creative Commons.

When I got back from lunch today, there was a copy of the magazine on my doorstep. Sure enough, page 27 has the article. I think it came out pretty well.

The PDF for the magazine isn’t online yet. I’ll throw up the link when it’s online.

Now, the question is: Who in my school’s administration reads the post magazine? I’m not going to say anything to the school about this being published; I want to wait and see if they notice. If nothing else, I’ll tell them when I’m about to leave.

Yeah, it runs opposite a whole page of awesome ads. Hey, nothing says “Patriotism!” like self-storage, world poker leagues, and real estate agents!

I’m working on a research paper, so I’ll tell you all more about this later. But I’ve added some neat photos up on Flickr. Click here for more.

“You all.” Holy crap. I’ve been in the South tooooo long. I need to get out of here!

I’m starting in on an outline for a paper I will have to write for this course.

Here’s the thesis statement:

The American mismanagement of detainees during the initial phases of the Global War on Terror was caused by a misunderstanding of its own history. The American administration failed to capitalize on its own lessons learning during the establishment of Prisoner of War (POW) procedures during World War II (WWII), and the legal precedents established in Johnson v. Eisentraeger (1950).

I think this is going to be a sexy, sexy paper.

I’m not sure if I will post it here when I am done with it. If you’re interested in reading it, well, let me know and I’ll mull it over.

Georgia and the separatists in South Ossetia came to blows a couple of days ago, ending the de facto stalemate in the war there. Russia has had “peace keepers” there for some time, and this re-introduction of combat operations has dragged Mother Russia back into the fighting.

Russia and the Republic of Georgia are at war.

I realize that, for most of America, this is not a big deal. For me, this is news, with a capital N.

For Russia, this is a win-win situation.

Russia wins in exerting influence over South Ossetia when it comes at the expense of the Republic of Georgia. Russia comes out on top be re-exerting its control over what had been Soviet territories, and what is now territory in a pro-Western, US-leaning country like Georgia.

Russia wins because they can use this as justification for rolling in massive amounts of troops. and not just into South Ossetia, but also in Abkhazia, another break-away region in Georgia.

They win, because they might be able to influence the oil coming out of Azerbaijan en route to Turkey or the oil ports on the Georgia’s Black Sea ports, by right or by might.

And what can Georgia do? Call for US assistance? US troops? Repel the Russians themselves?

They’re going to bleed. They’re going to take as much of a beating as the Russians choose to give them. And there’s not a damn thing else they can do.

The Russians in South Ossetia win. More support, more autonomy, more business with Russia will only improve their lives. They aren’t viable as a state, but they can gain here with some more autonomy and more support from Mother Russia.

And Abkhazia will gain, the same way.

Russia wins. South Ossetia wins. Abkhazia wins.

Georgia loses. America is going to lose. And other western countries will lose, if the oil flow is disrupted or the price goes up.

This, by the way, is worth watching.

Really, I do.? Here it is: If I were to write one blog entry about my military service, what topic would you want me to cover?

I have been ordered to blog.? Stop laughing — this isn’t funny.? I have been ordered to blog, and I have been ordered to put my name and rank and role in the Army on what I write.? It’s suppose to be about my military service, and — no shit — I have to slap a disclaimer on the end of it specifying that what I say is my opinion and does not reflect blah blah blah of blah blah blah.

I have to put it on a reputable blog site (which probably rules out this one — yes, that’s sarcasm) that does not advocate racial hatred, violence, overthrow of the US government, etc.? Though I am a bit unsure what the etc. means in this case.? It has to be fully accurate in fact and intent — though I am unsure what an inaccurate intent is.

I have to keep operation security in mind.? No derogatory information.? It can’t contain political bias, and it can’t violate a long list of things, from the school’s policy on blogging to — I shit you not — the Hatch Act (and I wonder if they mean the Hatch Act of 1939, or the Hatch Act of 1887, because they don’t specify).

There’s a minimum length, I have to turn in the URL, etc. Blah blah blah blah blah.

The policy memo says that it should not say anything that I am not comfortable seeing on the front page headlines of a major newspaper.? And that, my friends, is the kicker.? Right there.

I write here, in the comfort of my own little hole in the wall.? What I write here has my name on it, and what I write here is what I choose to write.? I don’t write about my work; I can’t think of anything about my military service that I want to see quoted in the New York Times.? Nothing, never.

I understand why they are asking us to do this.? The world is a big, bad and scary place, and Facebook, Friendfeed and Twitter are all double-edged swords that senior leadership in the military need to know, understand and, maybe, embrace.? Getting out the stories of our soldiers, of the good that we do, of the sacrifices we make and the price we pay daily in choosing to service this great Republic – we owe all of this to the citizens we serve.? I really do get it.

But given what I do for a living — it’s just not for me.

I don’t see how I can get out of this.? It is a graduation requirement — really.? No, I’m not making that up.? I have to blog, it has to be about my military service, and I have to put my official name and stuff on it, and even though I have been ordered to do this, I have to slap onto it a big, giant, ugly, un-bloggerish disclaimer.

So, peanut gallery — what do you want to hear about?? What is the one thing about my military service that you want me to put out there for the world to see, read, and quote in the New York Times?

Please — help me out.? Leave a comment.? Yes, “blog about how stupid this requirement is” is not going to work.

Oh, and RSS readers?? Click here to leave that comment (or email me).? Pretty please, with sugar on top.