A Tactical Pause
Due to a rash posting on my part, and decisions made above my pay-grade, I have been ordered to stop posting on Kaboom, effective immediately. Though I committed no OPSEC violations, due to a series of extenuating circumstances – the least of which was me being on leave – my “The Only Difference Between Martyrdom and Suicide is Press Coverage” post on May 28 did not go through the normal vetting channels. It’s totally on me, as it was too much unfiltered truth. I’m a soldier first, and orders are orders. So it is.
If you think, please think of us. If you pray, please pray for us. The second half of our deployment will be just as challenging and dangerous as the first half.
Thank you for caring. Agree or disagree with the war, if you’re reading this, you are engaged and aware. As long as that is still occurring in a free society, there is something worth the fighting for.
LT G-
You be one good Joe! So sorry things no good for you with brogg.
Best of wishes for you, you troops, and their families.
Great Reader KIM Jong IL
(Ex Axis of Evil member…for now)
Comment by JihadGene — June 29, 2008 @ 8:40 am
It is typical for the military brass not to get it.
You guys who blog are the only way the news of our success in Iraq is getting out to the rest of us.
Just remember to write everything down and save it for after you get out.
Comment by Thunder Pig — June 29, 2008 @ 8:47 am
Well that sucks LT G I wills still be checking the site in hopes that you are able to post again. You and your men (as well as all service men and woman)are in our prayers. Be safe and congrats on your engagement.
Comment by Anonymous — June 29, 2008 @ 8:51 am
LT, keep safe and keep your head down. I have read your entries with a sense of pride and sorrow. It sucks that you guys are over there but you have done great things that make us all proud. Godspeed sir.
Comment by Anonymous — June 29, 2008 @ 10:49 am
A free society would not shut down your blog. You are as patriotic as they come, and you were not endangering security. It was an introspective blog on the nature of making of a private decision that had nothing to do with security. Perhaps this is the shit that was due to come down the pipe your way? For your decision to be loyal to your soldiers?
This is not good P.R. for the management of this war. This action confirms the worst fears of many.
It is not unusual for soldiers to believe that the civilian population does not care about what happens to them in this war. This is not the case. It is difficult for us to learn what it is like where you are, and choking off your voice does nothing to improve that. From the civilian end, it is impossible to believe that the people on top want us to have a clue as to what is happening. We are supposed to blindly wave a flag, pay for the war, stand by while the economic infrastructure goes to hell in a handbasket, and watch you guys suck it up when you come home to system that craps on you.
Please write, write , write. Maybe CityGirl will edit as you go, and you can publish that sucker the day you return.
If there is a God, may you be held in it’s hand. (Gently, God. No squishing. Be careful.)
Comment by Anonymous — June 29, 2008 @ 11:03 am
Write your stories in mass email form to those that wish to sign up, then it’s not a blog, it’s personal email.
Comment by aheartfromtheblueridge — June 29, 2008 @ 11:43 am
This is a disgusting decision on the part of the Army command.It’s interesting that a Private named Scott Thomas Beauchamp, who wrote a column for THE NEW REPUBLIC called the “Baghdad Diarist”, was NOT ordered to desist by the Army. Especially since many milBloggers came forward to prove that the wrings (rantings) of this serf-serving puke were totally falsified, continuously broke OpSec, and named individual soldiers he claimed were committing “war crimes”. Could it be he was allowed to continue - until the milBloggers proved too much for him to take - because he was writing for the leftist media? It would seem so! I would hope Lt. G would appeal this decision that deprives him of his rights (even under the UCMJ) to a higher authority.
In the meantime, Lieutenant - be well, stay safe, God Speed in your mission, and THANK YOU for your service.
Comment by Bruce — June 29, 2008 @ 1:19 pm
dude, you’re a fucking genius. I can’t wait for the book. You are going to be a household name, i know it.
Comment by kong — June 29, 2008 @ 1:38 pm
Sounds like you made a big mistake- but your superiors will be making a bigger one if your supension is anything more than temporary.
Who can we contact to protest?
Comment by Anonymous — June 29, 2008 @ 3:19 pm
Keep the head up LT. G. You have touched the lives of more Americans than any PAO in Iraq.
You have also written the best first person perspective blog the internet has ever seen.
Comment by Galrahn — June 29, 2008 @ 5:59 pm
Hey Tom Mackey, this is kinda wackey.
Comment by Anonymous — June 29, 2008 @ 6:06 pm
Thanks for making your blog, Lt G. It was an honest, informing, and often entertaining you-are-there POV account of the Second Gulf War, a subset of the Global War on Terrorism. Glad to know that guys like you are making the world a better place for guys like me, and my 4-year old nephew whom I hope will live a long life due to the work that you and the other ground-pounders are doing right now. Too bad about the shutdown order, but maybe it will be rescinded if you wear the halo for a little while. I hope that happens, if only your superiors knew how good a job you have been doing at telling us about the war Over There. (Wait, maybe they do know….that’s the government for you.)
Good luck, take care, and God bless you and all your men.
Comment by exdem13 — June 29, 2008 @ 6:36 pm
Well, thinking about this over the weekend, I was going to post another comment suggesting that you keep writing and publish it in a book when you come home. I see that I am not that original when it comes to ideas. But seriously, write a book LT G. I’ll buy it and have my kids read it someday and I will tell them that their daddy was with the man who wrote it.
Comment by ButlerWifey — June 29, 2008 @ 7:13 pm
Depressing news indeed as I’ve read your blog regulary to find out what was going on with you, Lt. Demolition, and your men, about whom I have more than a passing interest. I take some consolation in knowing that I’ll be reading your writing some time in the future. Words with the power yours have will surely find a large audience down the road. See you . . . read you . . . then. In the meantime, stay strong and stay safe.
Comment by Anonymous — June 29, 2008 @ 7:21 pm
Oh, just hell!
LT, I have enjoyed your eloquent, insightful, often painful, often humorous, always remarkable writing, and I’m going to miss it. Take care, stay safe, prayers for you and your men, and the return of Kaboom.
bigd, thanks for the letter and the go ahead…mass copying and pasting in my future
Comment by Sisu — June 29, 2008 @ 8:22 pm
joke’em if they can’t take a fuck…… XO at the company/troop level has to be the suckiest j*b in the Army, and for all the reasons you obviously know. i could tell you stories, but the last thing you need is tired old TINS…….. nothing ever changes.
drive on, take care of your troops, stay frosty and don’t let the bastards get you down.
my best wishes to you & your troops. Velox et Mortifer!
“Scouts Out!”
Comment by redc1c4 — June 29, 2008 @ 11:20 pm
LT,
Okay, that really does suck.
But I do think, I do pray, and I do care. You and the Gravediggers will remain, as ever, amongst all of that. You’ve brought all of yourselves to the forefront of our minds in ways that I’m not sure even you can appreciate.
I expect to read you in the future, in some capacity. Thank you for your service, your honesty (as honest as OPSEC will ever allow - and them some, I guess, huh) and your words. They’ve meant a lifeline of reality to many. We’ve all needed it back here.
Best of everything to you and yours. And hey - congrats on the happy news out of Italy! A world of blessings to you both.
-Tracy
Shoreline, WA
Comment by Trace — June 29, 2008 @ 11:31 pm
you Sir, are the voice of a generation. Thank you for your service, thank you for your words, and thank you for your idealism. I will join many in saying that I simply cannot wait for the unfiltered, unvetted book. I’ll be one of the first in line.
Comment by doctress — June 30, 2008 @ 2:50 am
If they don’t let you post before then, can you post when you get out so we’ll know you’re OK? I’ll keep my subscription.
Have you considered transferring some of your experience into academia when you get out? Looking at Small Wars Journal and its black sheep cousin Abu Muqawama, there’s some dead interesting work being done on nation building, COIN, and in general on what Rupert Smith calls “War amongst the people.” I’m an Anthro grad from years back and I’m pleasantly shocked to see even anthropologists getting bylines in military studies journals these days.
Comment by Antiquated Tory — June 30, 2008 @ 3:08 am
looks like the Atlanta Journal-Constitution will miss you…
http://www.ajc.com/blogs/content/shared-blogs/ajc/bookman/
Comment by Anonymous — June 30, 2008 @ 5:38 am
Wow, it’s similar to that moment right after, when your trying to figure out what the hell just happened and how do we make things better.
Clearly you will be missed and my own therapy through your blog will be halted.
May the powers that be, be the power we want then to be and bring you back. One man is the fog. Good luck sir and thank you for your words thus far.
Comment by Petrie & Trixie — June 30, 2008 @ 7:16 am
LT —
You probably have some idea of the current press coverage of the Iraqi/Afghanistan conflicts - yeah - zip, nada, nothing man.
I really cannot add anything to the posts that I have read by your readers. Except that you have my family’s and my appreciation of your love of country and your men.
I certainly agree with the frustration that others have vented upon learning that there will be no further posts.
Good luck and godspeed. May you and your men come home safe.
Thanks LT.
Michael
Comment by Michael — June 30, 2008 @ 8:43 am
LT G,
Hang in there, you’re not the only one this has happened to. As a staff puke, (old, fat, ugly, etc) I got in trouble, too, and was delayed shipping into country because of hurting feelings.
http://fix-bayonets.us/?p=4
Your tactical pause is the right thing to do right now. But keep writing and keep it all filed. If you can’t restart the blog again; wait until you’re back home, out of the Army; and then put the whole thing back up.
(I keep hoping that COL Cartoon will see mine and suffer terminal apoplexy.)
Comment by Dennis — June 30, 2008 @ 9:19 am
Thanks for the letter bigd. I sent mine off to my Senator. I hope everyone on here is doing the same.
LT G. God bless you and all your guys.
Comment by Anonymous — June 30, 2008 @ 10:58 am
I wrote my Representative and both my Sentors.
Comment by Laggin — June 30, 2008 @ 11:23 am