Earlier this month, news broke that soldiers in Afghanistan and Iraq must notify their immediate supervisor before publishing a blog. Soldiers are then allowed to blog, as long as they don’t give away any information that wouldn’t be available to the general public. The U.S. Army said that the purpose is intended to protect soldiers on the battlefield.

So what kinds of information is restricted to bloggers?

Information not available to the general public includes comments on daily military activities and operations, unit morale, results of operations, status of equipment and other security sensitive information, Major Ryder said.

What effect this will have on the military blogging community remains to be seen. Does this mean a decrease in first-hand military blog accounts of the Iraqi experience, or is it simply a safeguard for protecting our soldiers, and nation, from those who intend harm upon them? A limitation of first amendement rights or a necessary security precaution? Feel free to weigh in with your thoughts.

Life In The Blogshpere

• Spouse Buzz previews the upcoming television series Army Wives that premires on Lifetime June 3 at 10 pm EST. Worth watching? Check out the promo on that page. Their take: part sensationalism, part reality.
• In his May 30 post, Bouhammer provides links to all his YouTube videos he has taken since being stationed in Afghanistan. Pretty amazing stuff. You see up close what daily life is like overseas, protecting our country. You see how something as simple as just driving through the city can be dangerous, even when no gunfire is involved.
• USA Today pens a very pessimistic report that says new military vehicles that are supposed to better protect troops from roadside explosions in Iraq aren’t strong enough to withstand the latest type of bombs used by insurgents. Badgers Forward counters, saying that things aren’t as bad as USA Today would have you believe.

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