Tragic News: Top Military Blogger Dies In Iraq; Read His Final Post
Saturday, January 5, 2008, 10:21 AM
This is very tragic news I have to report to you today. Milblogger Andrew Olmsted, From The Huffington Post:
(The Huffington Post) Andrew Olmsted, who also posted here as G'Kar, was killed yesterday in Iraq. Andy gave me a post to publish in the event of his death; the last revisions to it were made in July.
Andy was a wonderful person: decent, honorable, generous, principled, courageous, sweet, and very funny. The world has a horrible hole in it that nothing can fill. I'm glad Andy -- generous as always -- wrote something for me to publish now, since I have no words at all. Beyond: Andy, I will miss you.
My thoughts are with his wife, his parents, and his brother and sister.
You can read the entire story here from The Huffington Post.
Here is also an excerpt from his final message that was posted on his blog, in the event of such a tragedy. He provided the letter to a friend for posting with the last revisions made this past July:
"I am leaving this message for you because it appears I must leave sooner than I intended. I would have preferred to say this in person, but since I cannot, let me say it here."
G'Kar, Babylon
"Only the dead have seen the end of war."
Plato*
This is an entry I would have preferred not to have published, but there are limits to what we can control in life, and apparently I have passed one of those limits. And so, like G'Kar, I must say here what I would much prefer to say in person. I want to thank hilzoy for putting it up for me. It's not easy asking anyone to do something for you in the event of your death, and it is a testament to her quality that she didn't hesitate to accept the charge. As with many bloggers, I have a disgustingly large ego, and so I just couldn't bear the thought of not being able to have the last word if the need arose. Perhaps I take that further than most, I don't know. I hope so. It's frightening to think there are many people as neurotic as I am in the world. In any case, since I won't get another chance to say what I think, I wanted to take advantage of this opportunity. Such as it is.
Read Andrew’s blog and his entire letter here.
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What bloggers are saying about Milblogs: Site to check out
Friday, January 4, 2008, 10:51 PM
Just in case you wanted to know what some bloggers say about milblogs, I normally link to their stories. This helps me with slow news days in the milblogs and also when I don’t have time to write because of missions in Iraq. Because I know when you don’t see a new entry everyday here on the homepage, you probably picture me lying in a hammock somewhere in the desert getting a tan. Or, I dunno, me running around in search of millions of dollars worth of stolen Kuwaiti gold.Hey, I saw Three Kings; I know exactly what you’re thinking.
(Random Laundry) Check out Milblogging. It features straight-from-the-Soldier's mouth writing from US Soldiers (active & retired) around the globe.
I've a minor compulsion going right now about reading some of their blogs. I feel like I have ignored (or tried to tune out) news of the Iraq war for so long (due to the mostly negative media here in SF), that now I can't get enough news. Read the accounts and say a prayer for our guys out there.
Read the entire story here.
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Milblogger in the News: Disrespecting the Military: The Proud Moonbat Tradition Continues
Friday, January 4, 2008, 07:52 AM
(Family Security Matters) Moonbat (also "barking moonbat" and "moonbat crazy") is a term often used currently in U.S. politics as a political epithet referring to anyone that is liberal or on the left. ~ WikipediaFirst off, let me say that I am not overly fond of the term “moonbat,” but due to its acceptance into modern political parlance, I grudgingly use it on occasion. And this occasion definitely demands it.
Milblogger Blackfive broke the story of Marine Sgt. Mike McNulty (who returned to Camp Pendleton yesterday in preparation for his second tour of duty to Iraq), whose car was keyed last month..
Read the entire story here.
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Featured Milblogger of the Week: 6 Months in Kabul
Tuesday, January 1, 2008, 10:09 PM
I’ve been featuring one milblogger a week. This week I’d like to introduce 6 Months in Kabul. Don’t forget, you can submit nominations for “Milblogger of the Week” to milblogging@gmail.com. I tried nicely asking for nominations the past few weeks, but only a handful have been sent in by readers. Most of the nominations have been for unrelated sites. I even received nominations for websites like ElfYourself.com and CreateFarts.com. Nice. Thanks to everybody who sent in those nominations. And by 'thanks' I mean, hit your head repeatedly against your keyboard .
A week from now I’m sure I’ll be featuring GuessTheCandy.com. Or Care Bears.
Name: Gianpaolo
Member Since: October 14th, 2007
Milblogging Listing: 6 Months in Kabul
Website URL: http://shazdoc.blogspot.com/
Bio: I am a Air Force Family Practice physician that is part of a medical embedded transition team. Our team is in the process of building new medical clinics and hospitals throughout Afghanistan and also helping to mentor Afghan physicians and health care workers. This is a daily blog of my 6 month adventure.
From a recent blog entry:
I was walking down the stairs when I saw an elderly lady carrying a heavy box down the stairs. I asked if I could carry it for her. It was funny, but at the same time a little depressing, because the box was too heavy for me to carry own my own. I had to ask her for help. Even the elderly over her are pretty darn tough.
I took a look at what was inside the box. It looked like a bunch of old, rusty, and dirty metal devices. I took a closer look and I realized that it was a bunch of external fixators. I asked her where she was going with them and she told me that she was going outside so she could clean them with a hose.
Find out more at 6 Months in Kabul!
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In the Milblogs: The Downside of Running a Milblog
Tuesday, January 1, 2008, 12:37 AM
One of my favorite milbloggers Deb over at Marine Corps Moms wrote an entry about the downside of running a milblog. It’s definitely worth the read so you can safeguard yourself against scammers impersonating themselves as military personnel, particulary if you’re an avid supporter/reader of milblogs and other military-related websites. On a lighter note, we just celebrated the New Year over here in the desert about 30 minutes ago. I'd write more, but I need to go celebrate "Combat Zone" style. This is, after all, an alcohol-free zone. I've got a bottle of Gatorade and a bag of Doritos waiting for me. I can't say what kind of crazy antics we'll get into. Maybe a game of Uno. Who knows? I might go watch Superman Returns for the third straight time.
I really can't say what we'll do...The night is still so young.
(Marine Corps Moms) Since April 2004, I've shared hundreds of wonderful stories about the Marines who preserve our way of life and our liberties. And, I've received thousands of emails from parents, family members, and supporters of our military - most very appreciative of men and women in uniform. Many of their stories have been shared here at Marine Corps Moms. A good friend of mine, Mary Helen Bartch, shared with me pictures of her husband, Col. Richard Bartch, who was deployed at the same time my son was during the 2004 holiday season. We coped by immersing ourselves in supporting ourselves and our troops through Operation Santa,sending thousands of filled Christmas stockings to Iraq, and many late night phone calls. And, we celebrated when my son and her husband came home safe and sound that next year.
Last October, I became aware that this site had been used for another purpose. A low-life scammer had taken the pictures of Col. Bartch and a few details of his life to create a fictitious identity, posting details on a number of dating websites. I don't know how many women responded to the identities, thinking that they were corresponding with a divorced Marine Officer who was interested in meeting them.
Instead, they were corresponding with someone who had nothing in common with the Marine he impersonated. Honor, integrity, courage, and commitment - none of these were part of the scammer behind the persona of a Marine Colonel. I've corresponded with a number of the women who were victimized, but I'm sure there are many more out there.
Read the entire story here.
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New Milblogs Added: December 21st - 25th, 2007
Monday, December 31, 2007, 06:09 PM
Here are a few new milblogs that were added to the Milblogging.com database recently. I want to believe there are hundreds if not thousands of more milblogs on the internet that aren’t even listed in the database, but over the last week only five were added. The thing is, people keep trying to submit blogs about Credit Re-Building, Gambling, Computers and other unrelated websites. Maybe they don’t see the caption up top that says “World’s Largest Index of Military Blogs.” Or the link above that says “Submit a Milblog”. Or the chart on the left that says, “More Milblogs”. I’m not sure how someone could be so confused. Then again, after seeing some of the blogs that have been submitted, I'm convinced I'm dealing with people who are far more superior in intellect than I.
Maybe I should just post a huge picture of a waffle or a giraffe up top instead of a banner. Or I dunno, put unicorns in the background jumping over rainbows. That'll show 'em.
Who's the smart one now?
Happy New Year!
Vlog speak, Vic Vlog, United States, Now what? These are stories addressing the several..., 25 Dec 2007
Kaboom: A Soldier's War Journal, LT G, Iraq, A scout platoon leader chronicles the details of h..., 25 Dec 2007
Politics of a Patriot, Politics of a Patriot, United States, Future Military psychologist; currently college st..., 23 Dec 2007
I Married My Hero, Catlin Humes, United States, This blog follows a new Air Force wife through the..., 21 Dec 2007
View from the War(Home)Front, Jrzy Army Wife, United States, Somewhat Daily Entertaining Goings on, of a Deploy..., 21 Dec 2007
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In the Blogs: Soldier Generated Content
Sunday, December 30, 2007, 10:39 AM
(WinExtra) There are a lot of blogs out there, covering everything from the to stupidity of our society to every avenue of the political spectrum to the future thinking of tech bloggers. None of these though come even close to the reality of life and death experienced every day in a war zone.There are some pretty powerful milblogs; as they are called, out there but the folks over at History.com have put together a site containing both normal text blogs and video blogs from soldiers currently stationed in Iraq. The site is called Band of Bloggers; and yes there is the obvious tie in with the television show Band of Brothers which if it helps keep the blogs up and running that is fine by me. This is one time where commercial interests are providing a venue for some powerful words and visuals. The only thing I don’t like is that the videos have no way to be embedded elsewhere.
Read the entire story here.
Thanks to Kathi for the tip!
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A Bad Voodoo Christmas
Thursday, December 27, 2007, 01:15 PM
By JP, Webmaster of MIlblogging.com
We celebrated Christmas on December 26th because several members of our Platoon were on mission in Iraq doing Convoy Security for the holiday. We waited until we had the entire Platoon together before celebrating. Each Bad Voodoo soldier received gifts and cards from Supporters and family members back home. Keep in mind, if you’ve been supporting troops , don’t underestimate your contributions. The fact is, it means a lot to us (especially the electronics), although you might not know it from reading my Golden Rules of Care Packages.
Many of us were unprepared for the kindness and support we’ve been receiving throughout our deployment, and especially the Holidays. You really are making a difference.
By the way, the Bad Voodoo Platoon website is currently down. GX Magazine will be launching the new Bad Voodoo website very very soon. When it’s online I’ll make sure to blog about it here. There’s not even a word that describes how awesome the new website is, but considering I threw together the old website using FrontPage and it hadn’t been updated it in over six months and there were only like two pictures --- I could’ve put up a website full of errors that caused your computer to catch fire every time you navigated to it, and it would’ve been a huge improvement.
Happy Holidays!
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From NPR - Timeline: The Life of the Blog
Wednesday, December 26, 2007, 02:31 PM
(NPR) Julius Caesar's Gallic War writings were a precursor to the modern military blog...Personal journals and professional logs, concepts rooted in ancient times, are two types of precursors to the modern blog. Here's a timeline tracking the development of the blog as we know it today, including the relevant progress of online interactivity, beginning with the launch of the Internet...
Read the entire story here.
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In the Blogs - THE SANDBOX: a review. plus a contest
Wednesday, December 26, 2007, 10:37 AM
(FRONT PAGES) The Sandbox project began in October 2006 as a U.S. military blog (aka "milblog"), sponsored by Doonesbury creator Gary Trudeau and the online magazine Slate. Editor David Stanford compiled the stories and essays into a book, THE SANDBOX: Dispatches from Troops in Iraq and Afghanistan, which he describes as "…the unclassified details of deployment -- the everyday, the extraordinary, the wonderful, the messed-up, the absurd…" The result is a day-to-day chronicle of war, minus the policy wonks and political spin. Is this book suited to the Young Adult audience? The answer’s as complex as this collection of essays.
THE SANDBOX will appeal to all readers who want to know what it really means to lay your life on the line, to support the troops and be supported by them.
A good number of today’s young adult readers may someday enlist or, God forbid, get drafted. For that reason alone, THE SANDBOX may well be one of the most important books of our time. It’s a boot camp experience for the uninitiated, arming readers with foxhole-level knowledge about the realities and consequences of war. To be sure, it touches on some adult content, and the language isn’t muted. But war is hell, uncensored, and this book isn’t any different.
Read the entire story here.
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Featured Milblogger of the Week: Yellowhammering Afghanistan
Tuesday, December 25, 2007, 10:43 AM
Name: Maj. Michael Tomberlin
Member Since: 25 Oct 2007
Milblogging Listing: Yellowhammering Afghanistan
Website URL: http://blog.al.com/afghanistan
Bio: Michael Tomberlin is a reporter for The Birmingham News and a Field Artillery Major in the Alabama Army National Guard. He has been in the National Guard for 21 years, having joined at the age of 17. His current deployment in Afghanistan is his first overseas activation. A native of Covington County, he now lives in McCalla with his wife, Alison, and daughters Flannery and Michaela.
From a recent blog entry:
I've been home three and one-half days now but if feels like less time than the 16 hours or so it took to fly here from Kuwait.
Despite that, I have done a lot and seen many friends and family.
My wife, Alison, picked me up at the Birmingham International Airport, where we exhibited much more PDA (public display of affection) than we're accustomed to.
Alison had campaign-style signs made with messages welcoming me home, which lined the roads leading to our house. A large banner was hanging above the porch completing the trail (thanks, Wesley for helping her with that).
We went home and I can't talk about the first thing we did. In fact, I can't talk about the first five things we did.
After some quality time together, we picked our daughters up from our friends' house (thanks, Paul and Renee) and took Flannery to basketball practice. I hung around with the soccer moms, who are basketball moms these days (Jena, Susan, Andrea, Karen, Katie and others I'm sure I'm forgetting) and eased back into "daddy mode."
In addition to the necessary silliness that is part of being the father of my girls, we have spent time playing everything from old maid to video games. Michaela has not let me out of her sight or grip too often since I've been home and I can't say I've tried to escape.
We dined on Pizza Hut thin and crispy supreme pizza my first night home. Since I've been home I've eaten out Mexican food and I ate at a Thai restaurant with friends. I've head some of my favorite red velvet cake as well (thanks, Mrs. Montgomery).
My first full day home began with wakeup tickles for the girls (they are operating at a tickle deficit) and I went to the school mass at St. Aloysius Catholic Church. I spoke to St. Aloysius Catholic School afterwards, telling the children about Afghanistan and what we are doing there and answering some good questions from the 200 or so children and teachers there.
Find out more about Yellowhammering Afghanistan here.
Thanks to Robin in Ohio for the nomination!
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Merry Christmas from JP and Family!
Monday, December 24, 2007, 03:49 PM
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Blackfive TV- Christmas thanks for the troops II
Monday, December 24, 2007, 03:42 PM
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In the Blogs: My Endorsement of CJ for American Hero Award
Monday, December 24, 2007, 03:39 PM
(Sparks from the Anvil) When I first began blogging, one of the very first milblogs I fell in love with, was One Soldier's Perspective (now, "A Soldier's Perspective"), run by CJ. He has since enlisted other soldiers to blog there.CJ is a great human being. He is everything you want in an American soldier: patriotic, honorable, caring, devout, intelligent, highly motivated, with a deep love for his fellow soldiers and the U.S. military. When I think of the men and women who serve in our Armed Forces, I don't think of losers and misfits who only want to be put through school and escape from a background of poverty. I think of men and women like CJ, who voluntarily choose to serve in our military out of a desire to serve their country, defend its freedoms, and protect its citizenry.
CJ is a top 10 finalist in the VA Mortgage Center's American Hero Award contest. I encourage all of my readers to go vote for him; and if not for him, then for any of the other fine soldiers who are finalists in the contest.
Read the entire story here.
Thanks to my Mom for the tip!
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In the Milblogs: The Life Expectancy of a Milblog
Sunday, December 23, 2007, 11:04 AM
(Blackfive) American Soldier asks:...So I want to ask the readership what they think now. It seems that milblogs, unless you become a political or strict military orientated site has a certain life span. It just seems that way. What would you like to get from this site? Would you be interested in my new project?...
Read the entire story and comments here.
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Milbloggers in the News: Swiftboating History
Sunday, December 23, 2007, 10:49 AM
(American Thinker) …As for the milbloggers, like Greyhawk at Mudville Gazette, Blackfive, Laughing Wolf and Uncle Jimbo at BLACKFIVE, Yon, Sanchez and Totten at Middle East Journal , a request. Please offer your services and those of your acquaintances to help IVAW vet those who want to testify. IVAW should welcome that, since such milbloggers spotted the phoniness of Jesse MacBeth's and Scott Thomas Beauchamp's stories in something like nanoseconds. Those milbloggers don't have to agree with IVAW's goals to do that vetting, and if they do so, it will only add to IVAW's credibility and should be accepted. That would also close down any suspicion that this vetting process contains - coaching. Regardless of whether IVAW accepts such an offer, when the new WSI launches, the milblogging community will be the a combination of the biggest guns and smartest weapons they face…Read the entire story here.
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Milbloggies 2007, They’re Almost Here...
Saturday, December 22, 2007, 01:56 PM
I introduced the Milbloggies a few years ago when I first launched the Milblogging.com website. The purpose of the Milbloggies is to recognize the Best Military Blogs written by military spouses, soldiers, marines, and more. It’s only a matter of weeks before we get the nominations started. And of course, the winners will be presented awards at the 2008 Milblog Conference.Keep in mind, the online Nomination/Voting System might need some work. We’re also working on improving the speed of the website because it takes too long to load. I could sit here for hours and explain to you folks all the technical reasons for the load time, but all you really need to know is that it’s science. It’s the least confusing technical explanation.
I'm pretty sure my pencil sharpener could do a better job of explaining...
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Bad Voodoo Platoon does some Combat Lifesaver Training, Fun Fun Fun!
Thursday, December 20, 2007, 10:49 AM
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Featured Milblogger of the Week: This War and Me
Tuesday, December 18, 2007, 09:54 AM
First Name: Will (aka Frontline Fobbit)
Member Since: 23 Nov 2007
Milblogging Listing: This War and Me
Bio: An Online Journal of One Soldier's Journey On The Frontlines of Iraq
From a recent entry:
Frosty the Snowman plays cheerfully on TV, sexy women in Christmas lingerie scroll across my computer screen and outside, our sirens are alerting us we are under attack; tonight it's just a drill. Just another hum-drum night on Camp Adder.
I sit back and chuckle silently and know that some day I will look back on my time here and try to make sense of it all. Someday I will be sitting at a desk somewhere doing something mundane that will seem so urgent and important at that time to someone, but not to me. I think I will find it hard to fall back into the mindless repetition that was my life before this war.
I think back to when I was home for few weeks last summer and how I found it hard to stress about things in the real world like I once did. I find it hard not to chuckle when my family and friends complain about things going wrong in their life and remember that I too once lived an over-dramatized soap opera of a life not too long ago.
I have a much different outlook on life these days. I have different ideas on what I will value most in the years to come. I'm sure I will someday look back at these past couple years and consider it the defining moment in my life; when my life came sharply in focus. I find comfort in knowing that I am a better person than I was.
Find out more at: http://thiswarandme.blogspot.com/
Have a favorite Milblogger? Want to see them featured here? Submit your nomination to milblogging@gmail.com
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Bad Voodoo Platoon Medic Awarded Combat Medical Badge
Monday, December 17, 2007, 03:07 PM
Doc Velarde our Platoon Medic was awarded the Combat Medical Badge (CMB) for performing his medical duties on a casualty after the Convoy we were on was hit with an IED. Doc was riding in my Armored Squad Vehicle (ASV) at the time of the attack.
Honestly, it doesn't matter how many posters of Britney Spears you have on your wall locker, because the second you perform your job the way Doc did on the casualty, you're automatically a badass. Doc could sing out loud to Mandy Moore songs all day long, and the only thing I'll ever remember him for was how well he performed on the casualty.
Thanks to Doc, the casualty made it back just fine.
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