Pentagon to Launch Milblog Study

By John

So sayeth Defense Industry Daily, which writes:

The "blogosphere" has experienced 6000% growth since 2003, played a role in both reporting and aid coordination in the wake of terror attacks and disasters, and even birthed a whole genre called "MilBlogs" that are often penned by soldiers in the field. Which may explain why the Defense Science Board will conduct a study this summer on the military implications of Internet search engines, online journals and blogs.

Kenneth Krieg, undersecretary of defense for acquisition, technology and logistics and a former Defense Science Board member, requested the study on "Information Management for Net-Centric Operations" to help evaluate the implications of the information network boom. "'Googling' and 'blogging' are making their way into military operations at all levels," Krieg wrote. "But the full implications of this revolution are as yet unknown, and we have no clear direction and defined doctrine." Krieg called access to information and collaboration among those who play a role in these missions "the lifeblood of military and civil-military operations."

Joe at Winds of Change writes:

I suppose it's too much to hope for JDAMs targeted at the 100 or so problem children that make up most of the spammer universe....

Heh, indeed.

Meanwhile Blackfive is hoping that the Defense Science Board brings some real blogging experts:

Note to DoD's DSB: I sure hope your "experts" include some folks who know how blogs, bloggers, and their communities work...Blog (Hugh Hewitt) and Army of Davids (Glenn Reynolds) authors for starters.

I couldn't agree more, although while I agree Reynolds and Hewitt are the top dogs as far as the art of blogging is concerned, they need to bring in some of the veteran milbloggers like Matt and Greyhawk on this one. Those guys understand blogging, they understand the military, and they understand the implications of smashing the two together.

April 18, 2006 01:00 PM One Team One Fight