Blogs That Focus on the Military Campaigns in Afghanistan and Iraq

When the U.S. military started its campaign in Afghanistan and Iraq in 2003, many bloggers continued to debate the merits of the mission, and they haven't stopped yet. The blogosphere reflects that difference of opinion as many writers turn to blogs to elevate their position on this military action and its objectives. Below are a range of blogs the focus on the war.

Public Blogs

These are blogs maintained by ordinary people who have an opinion about armed conflict involving the U.S. military.

Daily Kos

http://www.dailykos.com

Army vet Markos Moulitsas Zúniga in Berkeley, CA oversees this liberal group blog. Daily Kos's tone was anti-war when the Iraqi campaign first started. The contributors have not changed their position, but they now blog about current events in addition to continuing to post commentary about the campaigns in the Middle East.

Tacitus.org

http://www.tacitus.org

Tacitus, an Army vet, is a blogger who must blog under a pen name so as not to jeopardize his job. The pro-war site features contributions from other writers, as well as Tacitus himself.

Back to Iraq

http://www.back-to-iraq.com/

Journalist Chris Allbritton hosts this site where he posts dispatches of his trips to Iraq to cover the war using funds raised by the blog's readers and supporters. In 2003 he raised around $15,000 from donations from his site to go to Iraq and file dispatches on his blog. Allbritton continues to travel between the United States and Iraq.

VodkaPundit

http://vodkapundit.blogspot.com/

Stephen Green is a pro-war blogger who is popular with liberal and conservative readers alike.

War Blog Watcher

http://warbloggerwatch.blogspot.com/

This site displays feeds from all the blogs devoted to the war. It's a good way to get a quick overview about what the pro-war community is discussing that day.

Global Guerrillas

http://globalguerrillas.typepad.com/globalguerrillas/

Global Guerrillas is a blog by journalist John Rob who is working on a book of the same name about guerrilla warfare tactics in the twenty-first century.

Newsgrist

http://newsgrist.typepad.com/underbelly/

Newsgrist is a review of current events found in the media supplemented with the blog owner's liberal point of view.

Blogs by SoldiersMILBlogs

The blogging phenomenon has changed many aspects of modern life. Soldiers have discovered that blogging provides them with the means to share their stories directly and instantly. Although most postings are edited to prevent the release of sensitive information such as precise locations or future plans, military blogs (called MILblogs) provide readers with an inside view on military actions in the Middle East, Africa, and Central Asia. We list some of the most popular MILblogs in this section.

Mudville Gazette

http://www.mudvillegazette.com/

The Mudville Gazette is the command center for military bloggers. An active duty service man named Greyhawk runs the site and hosts other blogs for soldiers. Typical posts include Greyhawk's opinion about the hurricane relief efforts in New Orleans in the wake of Hurricane Katrina and a regular feature called "Dawn Patrol" that summarizes what's been happening on other military blogs kept by soldiers in the war zone.

Going Down Range

http://goingdownrange.blogspot.com/

B is an infantryman stationed in Afghanistan. He writes exciting and compelling posts, illustrated with photographs, about various missions in and around his base. He recently posted a story about a tense drive down a road in Kandahar, trying to avoid an ambush or hidden explosives. He describes talking to his Afghan driver who tells him that he learned to drive wildly by playing the Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas video game.

Iraq the Model

http://iraqthemodel.blogspot.com/

This blog is maintained by two Iraqi brothers who want to share their points of view on the future of Iraq. The site is in English and contains news and commentary on Iraqi politics, and advice on getting around Baghdad due to closures and fighting.

Blackfive

http://www.blackfive.net/

Winner of the 2004 Blog Award for Best Military Blog, Blackfive contains military news and information updated by a former Army officer based in Chicago. The site features interviews such as a regular feature called "Someone You Should Know," which profiles members of the military.

My War

http://www.cbftw.blogspot.com/

This site was one of the first military blogs and has been credited for trigging the "MILblog revolution". Former Army specialist, Colby Buzzell's honest posts about his time in Iraq attracted a large audience composed of military personnel and civilians. Colby has just published a nonfiction book based on his blog.

Major K

http://www.strengthandhonor.typepad.com/

Major K is an infantry officer who has been in Iraq for two years. He posts thoughtful entries about his struggles to remain an effective officer to his men and his pride in watching Iraqi soldiers that he has trained start taking on more duties and leadership roles.

Pass the Brass

http://www.passthebrass.com/

The author of Pass the Brass is a military policeman located at a base in North Carolina. He writes with honesty and humor about his life in the Army. He's very sharp. He recently posted his feelings of resentment against the civilian contractors and instructors who treat soldiers with condescension.

Confessions of a Caffeinated Zoomie [sic]

http://afzoomie.blogspot.com/

The soldier who calls himself a "Certified Zoomie"[sic] is stationed in Iraq. He uses his blog to give readers a snapshot of what his life is like in the war zone. A young man, Certified Zoomie shares his frustrations about the little annoying things of being far from home, in a war zone.

CDR Salamander

http://www.cdrsalamander.blogspot.com/

This blogger, a Navy commander, offers his observations of the war, politics, and other varying topics. Salamander must keep his identity secret. He blogs about life at sea and at his home base in the South.

Baldilocks

http://www.baldilocks.typepad.com/

Baldilocks is a former member of the Air Force who shares her opinions about the war's progress, politics, and culture. Readers enjoy her honesty and matter-of-fact style of writing.