y

List of Blogs Mentioned in this Report

Blog Type Blog Name No. Posts

Top 100*

Military

Wired.com/Dangerroom 2

Blackfive 1

Michael Yon 1

Small Wars Journal 5

Attackerman 7

Mudville Gazette 1

This Ain‘t Hell 10

War Is Boring 2

Armchair Generalist 1

Spouse Buzz 1

You Served 3

From My Position…On the way 1

KiT Up! 2

The Corner At National Review 1

Political

Huffington Post 9

Daily Kos 1

Think Progress 3

Pajamas Media 1

The Atlantic 3

Weekly Standard 1

The Daily Beast 1

Stripes Central 1

Mainstream Media

ABC News Political Punch 2

*These blogs were listed on the Technorati Top 100 Blogs list as of 17 Feb 2010.

**Note: The Tier 1 blog memeorandum.com is not listed above.

Key Highlights

A total of 60 blog posts were sourced from 20 March – 26 March 2010, with the majority of blog posts falling within the Comments on News category, and two entries falling within the News Generators category.

There were 59 balanced and one critical blog posts this week. The critical entry discussed a photograph of Capt. Tejdeep Singh Rattan, in relation to the Army‘s policies and regulations on turbans and uniforms of Sikh Soldiers (Sikhs Given Preferential Treatment).

In line with coverage from previous weeks, the top issues in the blogosphere focused on the ―Don‟t Ask, Don‟t Tell‖ policy, and Gen. Petraeus and CENTCOM‘s report to the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) on Israel.

Some other topics of interest in the blogosphere during the week included: a Washington Times report claiming that Stanford University will reconsider its 40-year-old ban on the Army‘s ROTC program discussed on This Ain’t Hell; the new MRAPs and their use in Afghanistan; and the new MultiCam uniforms.

Blogosphere and Social Media Report 20 - 26 March 2010

Source: I Want to Wear MultiCam Too!

Marjan Adil, the Chapa Dara District sub-governor, shakes hands with U.S. Army Capt. Kevin W. Hutcheson, of Reno, Nev., the commander of Company A, 2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, Task Force Lethal, during a visit to the Chapa Dara District center, March 15. International Security Assistance Forces held a meeting with the sub-governor and delivered materials to improve the defensive perimeter around the center, which is located in eastern Afghanistan's Kunar province.

2

Executive Summary

Part 1: Blogosphere Overview

*Note: For an explanation of the term ‘Overall Blog Site Reactions’ or ‘OBR,’ please see the Report Overview section

provided at the end of the report.

Similar to coverage from previous weeks, the Top Issues focused on the ―Don‘t Ask, Don‘t Tell‖ policy,

as well as Gen. Petraeus and CENTCOM‘s remarks on the U.S. involvement in Israel.

Discussions of DADT covered various aspects of the issue. Several bloggers touched upon recent news

of Lt. Dan Choi who was arrested last week for chaining himself to the White House‘s gate, in protest of

the policy. Some bloggers commented that Lt. Choi‘s act undermined his own cause by creating a

publicity stunt (DADT Don't Be A Douche, Dissent Of The Day, Ctd). Other bloggers discussed Sec.

Gates‘ announcement on changes to the implementation of DADT: ―The first modification mandates that

only general officers (brigadier or higher) can initiate an inquiry into whether or not someone violated

DADT...The second modification attempts to prevent someone from being discharged under DADT for

being outed by a third-party…I personally support this change 100 percent (New Policies Regarding

DADT). Additionally, ABC News Political Punch focused on Lt. Gen. Ben Mixon who is ―in hot water with

Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Adm. Mike Mullen after publicly

challenging proposed changes to ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ in a letter to the editor of ‘Stars and Stripes’”

(Secretary Gates, Admiral Mullen Rebuke Top Army Officer Over 'Don't Ask Don't Tell').

The topic of CENTCOM‘s presentation in front of the SASC remained visible in the blogosphere this

week. ABC News Political Punch emphasized Gen. Petraeus‘ remarks on the issue, saying that

―Comments attributed to him on the Foreign Policy blog on March 13th—that ‘Israeli intransigence…was

jeopardizing U.S. standing in the region’—were simply inaccurate‖ (The Petraeus Pushback: General

Says He Never Made Those Statements on Israel).

A blogger from This Ain’t Hell highlighted an issue related to Sgt. Matthis Chiroux, who served in the

Army until being honorably discharged last summer after over four years of service in Afghanistan,

Japan, Europe and the Phillipines. Chiroux recently made news for burning the American flag in front of

3

the White House, while protesting the war in the Middle East. The blogger expressed his disapproval of

Chiroux‘ actions: ―We’re talking about a guy who calls himself an Iraq veteran without setting foot in Iraq.

A guy, who last year said he would have served in Afghanistan if the Army had given him a choice, but

now leads an organization committed to ending the war in Afghanistan‖ (IVAW‘s Executive Director on

burning the flag).

In terms of Blog Tonality, the single critical entry during the week addressed a photograph of Capt.

Tejdeep Singh Rattan, who recently became the first Sikh Soldier to complete the Officer Basic Training

Course at Fort Sam, Houston. In the picture, Rattan is wearing a turban and has a long beard, which

upset one blogger from You Served: ―If requests for accommodation will not be entertained, why is the

Army relaxing its standards and violating its own regulations on religious headgear?…I think the Army

has made a huge mistake bending the rules for TWO individuals. There is a reason the military has

standards. The Army is not a faith-based organization, it’s a well-oiled combat machine! If your religious

beliefs contradict with our doctrine, standards, and/or regulations I say find another job! In this economy,

we aren’t hurting for people wanting to serve‖ (Sikhs Given Preferential Treatment).

Executive Summary

Part 2: Lines of Effort (LoE)

The majority of blog posts fell within the Other Line of Effort (LoE), the result of blog discussions

focusing on the DADT repeal and Gen. Petraeus‘ concern for resolving the Arab-Israeli conflict.

Blog entries on DADT came from the top-ranking blog site The Huffington Post, as well as from Mudville

Gazette, The Atlantic, Blackfive, This Ain’t Hell, Attackerman, Think Progress, ABC News Political

Punch and The Daily Beast.

Also within the Other LoE, a notable blog entry in Armchair Generalist discussed the Pentagon‘s

assessed danger that Wikileaks.org posed to the Army. Julian Assange, the editor of WikiLeaks, stated:

―It contains the analyst’s best guesses as to how the information could be used to harm the Army but no

concrete examples of any real harm being done‖ (You Can't Stop The Signal).

4

Within the Equip and Train Soldiers LoE, Kit Up! compared the plastic PMAG to the aluminum

‗Improved Magazine‘: ―Through testing, we know that the aluminum magazine is the most durable

magazine there is for its weight. We also know that certain plastics do not work in all operational

environments. In extreme cold, they can crack. When you expose them to different types of lubricants

and things, they can corrode‖ (Army Could Be Open To PMAG Buys).

A notable entry within the Strategic Environment LoE discussed the U.S. and ISAF‘s decision to not

eradicate the opium crops in Kandahar, Afghanistan, for fear that destroying the crops will impoverish

the farmers and negate the legitimacy of the government (Want To Buy Some Opium?, Huffington Pos).

Within the Soldiers and Families LoE, You Served discussed the Army‘s decision to no longer charge

Soldiers with leave when they visit home during deployments. Sam Retherford, director of officer and

enlisted personnel management, stated this change is ―an additional benefit specifically for those

servicemembers deployed to the most arduous combat areas‖ (Free Leave For Troops).

BuzzGraph shows a visual summary of ‘buzz’ around the searched query - by listing words that appear

frequently along with the search query. Association between different keywords is represented by

connections between them, which can be bold, simple, or dashed - based on the strength of association.

Strongly related words, which frequently appear together, have darker connections between them.

From 20 to 26 Mar, the BuzzGraph of an Army-specific search term query yielded the results below,

which were taken from an array of social media sites. This week, the Buzzgraph primarily drew data

from the top-ranking social networking site, Twitter.

An array of search terms appeared most frequently in relation to the Army this week, including terms

associated with: the Afghanistan war, US Army officials visiting Apple Inc. headquarters to discuss

technologies, and the alleged plot by Fort Jackson Muslim Soldiers.

Additional Twitter ‗buzz,‘ or ‗tweets,‘ included mentions of US Army Buffalo Soldiers, earthquake

relief efforts in Haiti, and Soldier honors.

The nature of Army mentions and reposts, or ‗retweets,‘ on Twitter did not follow any notable trend

this week.

Social Media Weekly Snapshot

5

* Note: The content of the blog reports is provided in its original unedited form, as posted on the site.

―I have a problem with this. I also have a problem with the NYNG rabbi retaining his beard

and the story the Army Times ran a few years ago about the muslim female who wore her

hijab from basic training on. It seems that we, for the sake of diversity and numbers, are

too willing to give some more ‗individualism‘ than others. I have spent too many years

tucking my cross back under my t-shirt because it wasn‘t within regs, or it espoused a

religious belief or it wasnt‘ ‘strac‘. Don‘t get me wrong, I have no problem with their

religious beliefs, I just want everyone treated the same. After all, isn‘t that what that pesky

piece of paper we swore an oath to said?‖ Username: Trent (First Sikh Officer In 26 Years,

This Ain’t Hell, 3/23).

―The stupidity is just mindboggling. Where does he think gay soldiers are sleeping now?

Does he actually think if DADT is repealed gay soldiers will be sashaying around listening

to Madonna wearing feather boas? Give me a break. They are soldiers. Gays will always

be in the minority in the military just like they are in society. I seriously doubt gays will be

able to successfully change the military's colors from camouflage to pink. With rocket

scientists like this in charge its no wonder we can't get out of Iraq and Afghanistan.‖

Username: tobysdad (Marine Corps General James Conway: Marines Would Not Be

'Forced' To Live With Gay Soldiers, Huffington Post, 3/26).

―Of course, gay marriages should be looked upon with the same respect and deference the

military gives to married heterosexuals, but alas, we live in America in 2010 and the value

of a gay American's rights to basic dignity and human freedom still seems to be in question

for many people. In an ideal world, we would all be treated equally regardless of sexual

orientation, and gay men and women everywhere would be able to enjoy these same

benefits. But since we still have the burden of dealing with regressive types and hyper

repigious tea baggers, I have concluded that we don't live in an ideal world, and that

means we have to work harder to achieve equality. Spousal benefits should be treated

separately from repealing DADT to insure there will be the fewest obstacles to passage of

repeal as possible. If you make the process too complicated, you can't get it past all the

naysayers. The success/failure of the Federal Court challenge now being waged in CA

questioning the Constitutionality of Proposition 8 with either invalidate discrimination over

gay marriage, or enshrine it in our law for decades to come. If Prop 8 is overturned and gay

marriage becomes the law of the land, then there will be no choice for the military but do

away with DADT, and implement same sex spousal benefits to gay married couples.‖

Username: bluntobject (Partner Benefit For Gay Troops: Issue Complicates ‗Don‘t Ask,

Don‘t Tell‘ Repeal, Huffington Post, 3/26).

Comments on Blog Posts*

6

News Generators

SOLDIERS AND FAMILIES (1)

A Choice? Spousebuzz, 3/20 Type: Military; Tone: Balanced But when we took her to her 48 hour well baby appointment, I heard words I've never before heard in the Army.

OTHER (1)

Princess Salerno Michael Yon, 3/22 Type: Military; Tone: Balanced The 909th FST saw many children during their first deployment of 2002-2003 in Salerno, Afghanistan, Paktya province, but one beautiful child gripped their hearts. Anyone who saw her then, or sees her image now can't help but feel driven to care for her, and the 909th did just that with all their heart. They waited on her hand and foot - A pattern that lead the FST to crown her "Princess Salerno".

Comments on News

CARE FOR WARRIORS (0)

No items.

SOLDIERS AND FAMILIES (2)

Free Leave For Troops You Served, 3/24 Type: Military; Tone: Balanced Well it appears the Army has made another major change in regards to the R&R leave for troops deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan. Besides giving troops the leave, and flying them all the way home for free, now he soldiers are no longer going to be charged for that leave. No More Awesome Blossoms For Fobbits Attackerman, 3/25 Type: Military; Tone: Balanced I don‘t mean to oppose creature comforts for deployed troops. Your World of Warcraft controller will be pried from your cold, dead hand. (Sorry, I couldn‘t resist.) But there are are some uncomfortable things that go along with getting too comfortable in war zones and supporting theaters, as I witnessed at Guantanamo Bay.

RESTORE BALANCE (3)

First Sikh Officer In 26 Years This Ain't Hell, 3/23 Type: Military; Tone: Balanced

7

I remember during the Cold War ,when we thought it was inevitable that we would face the Soviets and the chemical weapons at the Fulda Gap, when the Army gave Sikhs the option of shaving their beards and wearing Army headgear or leaving the service. Well, the first Sikh since the ban has completed his Officer Basic Course. Stanford Considers Reinstituting ROTC This Ain't Hell, 3/23 Type: Military; Tone: Balanced The Washington Times reports that fprmerly prestigious Stanford is reconsidering it‘s 40-year-old ban on the Army‘s ROTC program. Sikhs Given Preferential Treatment You Served, 3/25 Type: Military; Tone: Critical If requests for accommodation will not be entertained, why is the Army relaxing its standards and violating its own regulations on religious headgear? I have no problem with the Sikh faith or any faith! But, it‘s quite obvious that the military has some clear (or used to have) guidelines on appearance that don‘t jive with the Sikh faith.

EQUIP AND TRAIN SOLDIERS (5)

The Tribal Configuration Matrix Small Wars Journal, 3/22 Type: Military; Tone: Balanced This tribal network tool resulted in a reconfiguration of the brigade staff to full time effects groups focused on tribal networks in lethal and non-lethal targeting, the new Rule of Law, and political party influences under the recently elected provincial governments. Army Could Be Open To PMAG Buys KiT Up!, 3/23 Type: Military; Tone: Balanced I ran across an interesting conversation today over at PEO Soldier's blog about the PMAG versus the Army's much-ballyhooed "Improved Magazine." Moving Artillery Forward Small Wars Journal, 3/23 Type: Military; Tone: Balanced The United States Army is no stranger to mountainous and high-altitude war fighting. American history contains many instances of successfully executed mountain conflicts. Central to this success was the movement and use of artillery in direct support of those campaigns. Military Helicopters May Get Gunshot Location System Danger Room, 3/24 Type: Military; Tone: Balanced Military helicopters have sophisticated electronic countermeasures to detect and defend against surface-to-air missiles, by jamming or fooling the seekers that guide the missiles to target. Now the Pentagon‘s far-out research arm wants to take things a step further, by protecting against unguided — but equally dangerous — small arms fire. Alpine Bivy Afghanistan Style KiT Up!, 3/26 Type: Military; Tone: Balanced The Army does have a sleep system similar to the Marine Corps' with a bivy sack and a "bag within a bag" concept that snuggles you in at a range of temps. I'm not sure if the service is looking

8

into a new system like the Corps is (one that has a better bivy and a lighter bag) but you can see from the picture above, you're options today are still pretty old school.

CONDITIONS FOR FUTURE (3)

Army Learning Concept 2015 And The TSLC Small Wars Journal, 3/24 Type: Military; Tone: Balanced What resonated most clearly was the shared agreement that in order to increase rigor, maintain relevancy, and prevail in the competitive learning environment we have to change. Our current models have not kept pace with the rapid pace of change, the demands of Soldiers rotating in and out of the fight, and a continuous influx of Soldiers with significant ―digital literacy.‖ The End Is Near. This Ain't Hell, 3/25 Type: Military; Tone: Balanced Well looks like the HMMWV is officially being phased out with the last orders being put in for this year. But since the HMMWV has been in service for so long I thought it would be fitting to write something about what I remember about it. AXEGHANISTAN „10: FIXER-UPPER War Is Boring, 3/26 Type: Military; Tone: Balanced The smaller, lighter model of the tried-and-true blast-proof truck is supposed to provide a safer, smoother ride on Afghanistan‘s bumpy, steep roads. Problem is, the Pentagon is rushing the vehicles into service before it has all the support infrastructure in place.

GOOD STEWARDS (1)

Holding Afghanistan‟s Corrupt Cops To Account Danger Room, 3/22 Type: Military; Tone: Balanced In Afghanistan, the weakest link when it comes to providing security is the country‘s cash-strapped and often corrupt police force. But billions of dollars spent by the State Department and the Pentagon haven‘t helped matters either: As a recent Newsweek/ProPublica investigation pointed out, outsourcing the training of Afghan police forces has been nothing short of disaster.

STRATEGIC ENVIRONMENT (4)

SWJ Theses Time (Part 2) Small Wars Journal, 3/22 Type: Military; Tone: Balanced Every so often Small Wars Journal receives master theses or articles based on a master thesis written at our professional military education institutions. We recently received two of particular interest and share them with you here. AXEGHANISTAN „10: “IT‟S THEIR WAR” War Is Boring, 3/23 Type: Military; Tone: Balanced Colonel Don Galli, commander of the U.S. Army‘s 3rd Combat Aviation Brigade at Bagram Air Field, talks about his mission training Afghan security forces.

9

Want To Buy Some Opium? Huffington Post, 3/24 Type: Political; Tone: Balanced The focus of the U.S. Military in Afghanistan has apparently shifted towards Kandahar. General McChrystal recently declared that the operation has already begun. This Week At War: Is It Time To Cut A Deal In Afghanistan? Small Wars Journal, 3/26 Type: Military; Tone: Balanced One should not make too much of these developments. Gen. Stanley McChrystal's August 2009 assessment of Afghanistan rated Hekmatyar's force as the weakest of the three groups he is fighting.

OTHER (40)

You Can't Stop The Signal Armchair Generalist, 3/22 Type: Military; Tone: Balanced The Pentagon assessed the danger WikiLeaks.org posed to the Army in a report marked ―unauthorized disclosure subject to criminal sanctions.‖ It concluded that ―WikiLeaks.org represents a potential force protection, counterintelligence, OPSEC and INFOSEC threat to the U.S. Army‖ — or, in plain English, a threat to Army operations and information. Now That The Deed „Tis Done, How Will It Affect You? (Part I) This Ain't Hell, 3/22 Type: Military; Tone: Balanced The big question everyone has is: how will this affect me, the VA/TRICARE/TRICARE-for-life individual? Well, let‘s start by looking at what some of the others are saying, and then try to cut the middle. Healthcare Bill Screws Veterans This Ain't Hell, 3/22 Type: Military; Tone: Balanced You might remember if you‘ve been around here that long, back in August, we reported that Stephen Buyer warned that the healthcare bill penalized veterans who rely on their earned medical benefits as their primary provider. A New Fight: Lt. Col. Allen West Pursues A House Seat Pajamas Media, 3/22 Type: Political; Tone: Balanced The Army merely fined West and relieved him of his command, ending his otherwise stellar 22-year Army career.But to West, every day offers a new opportunity. Your Next Vista In Guilt-By-Association: The Nefarious Petraeus-Walt Connection Shockhorror Attackerman, 3/22 Type: Miitary; Tone: Balanced (By the way, a close reading — actually, just a barely-awake reading — reveals that Petraeus was mainly making a point about problems the conflict poses for moderate Arab-state allies, but whatever.) Steve Walt preempts them by revealing a fairly banal story about how he had a small role in Petraeus‘ doctoral dissertation.

10

Abe Foxman Is Determined To Marginalize Himself Attackerman, 3/22 Type: Military; Tone: Balanced Yet again, he goes after Gen. Petraeus, who has indicated he has no interest in responding to this frivolous poltroon. If you were determined to drive an unnecessary wedge between America and Israel, mischaracterizing and attacking the views of the U.S.‘s most respected military officer is the perfect way to go. Foxman: Petraeus Is Dangerous And Counterproductive Daily Kos, 3/23 Type: Political; Tone: Balanced Has General Petraeus done anything that fell within ADL's mandate? Well, General Petraeus had the audacity to publicly state the obvious during a Senate hearing: "The [Israel-Palestinian] conflict foments anti-American sentiment, due to a perception of U.S. favoritism for Israel." Another Petraeus-For-President Piece The Corner At National Review Online, 3/22 Type: Political; Tone: Balanced The shrewd and articulate military commander, credited with turning around the Iraq war, will deliver a speech at Saint Anselm College in New Hampshire next week, a traditional staging post in the state where the first presidential primaries are held every four years. Each of the last eight presidents has spoken at the college on their way to victory. Beware Scammers Pretending To Be GIs Looking For Love Stripes Central, 3/23 Type: Military; Tone: Balanced Claiming to be serving in Iraq or Afghanistan, the fiends strike up a romantic relationship with women and then ask them for money, usually to buy ―special laptop computers,‖ or other means to continue their relationship. They also claim that they are unable to access their bank accounts or credit cards, or they need to buy leave papers from the Army, or they need money for a flight home. WWDCD? Mudville Gazette, 3/23 Type: Military; Tone: Balanced Pardon me if I pause a moment here to point out that confronted with the possibility of not being separated for being gay - and with a repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell very likely within the next year - Dan Choi took an action that (regardless of the motivation behind it - ain't that right, "Major" Cook?) should pretty much end anyone's military career - he chained himself in uniform to the effing White House fence - the home of the Commander in Chief - as a way of making a very public political protest. Dissent Of The Day The Atlantic, 3/23 Type: Political; Tone: Balanced I read your quote for the day and agree with Dan Choi. I also agree with you on all things HRC. However, I don't think Dan Choi is the right poster child for the DADT repeal movement either. Matthis‟ Big Weekend Adventure This Ain't Hell, 3/23 Type: Military; Tone: Balanced A little bird called to tell me that Matthis Chiroux was arrested this weekend for making mud stencils in front of the White House. Sure enough, I found a photo of the arrest at Al Jazeera. Gates To Relax DADT Enforcement? The Atlantic, 3/23

11

Type: Political; Tone: Balanced So reports Ackerman: Gates has some unilateral tools at his disposal, and this week he intends to use them. ―He will announce changes to the way the current law is being enforced that make it more difficult to begin investigations and kick people out,‖ said a defense source who would not speak for the record ahead of Gates‘s announcement. Who Really Cares About The Palestinians? This Ain't Hell, 3/24 Type: Military; Tone: Balanced Recently, General Petreaus stated that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict foments ―anti-American sentiment‖ in the Middle East before the Senate. He went into further detail about this belief in a report that he submitted to the Joint Chiefs, that was part of an argument to add Israel to CENTCOM. Combat Veteran Sworn In As Top Army Reserve NCO You Served, 3/24 Type: Military; Tone: Balanced A veteran of three deployments in support of the Global War on Terrorism – to Iraq, Afghanistan and Kuwait – was sworn in today as the Army Reserve‘s top noncommissioned officer. Command Sgt. Maj. Michael D. Schultz was appointed by Lt. Gen. Jack C. Stultz, chief of the Army Reserve, as the 11th command sergeant major of the U.S. Army Reserve. DADT Don't Be A Douche Blackfive, 3/24 Type: Military; Tone: Balanced I have made the case many times for repeal of DADT. In a lot of cases LT Dan Choi was a perfect case for why it is a bad idea as he speaks Arabic. Well now he has gone and bedouched himself as Greyhawk duly notes. Reuter‟s Proof There Are Gays In The Military This Ain't Hell, 3/24 Type: Military; Tone: Balanced Jerry920 sent me a link the other day related to a Reuters Don‘t Ask Don‘t Tell themed series of photos. I wasn‘t quite sure what Jerry was pointing to, but I kept going back to it. Finally today I got to this photo at the end of the series. I guess this is Reuter‘s way of proving to us that there are already gays serving in the military. Gates To Relax DADT Enforcement This Week Attackerman, 3/24 Type: Military; Tone: Balanced A unilateral step to be taken by Defense Secretary Gates on DADT. ―He will announce changes to the way the current law is being enforced that make it more difficult to begin investigations and kick people out,‖ a defense source told me. Ahead of full repeal, that‘s something concrete on the issue in 2010. More Gates/DADT Details Attackerman, 3/24 Type: Military; Tone: Balanced "According to a knowledgeable source, Gates will effectively limit enforcement to those cases where a servicemember actively outs himself or herself and ―leaves the chain of command no legal choice but to proceed‖ with an investigation while the law remains on the books. That means the clear majority of cases for discharging someone under ―Don‘t Ask, Don‘t Tell‖ — so called third-party based investigations — will no longer be in effect."

12

The Next Big Fight Think Progress, 3/24 Type: Political; Tone: Balanced As support grows within Congress, the Pentagon and the public for repeal of the military's Don't Ask, Don't Tell (DADT) policy, a new Center for American Progress (CAP) report provides a blueprint for how to finally give gay men and the women the right to serve their country openly. ThinkFast: March 25, 2010 Think Progress, 3/25 Type: Political; Tone: Balanced Defense Secretary Robert Gates today will announce measures ―to make it more difficult for the military to expel openly gay service members, an interim plan while the Pentagon examines repeal of the ‗don‘t ask, don‘t tell‘ policy.‖ The move will include ―a requirement that only a general or admiral could initiate action‖ in cases involving suspected DADT violation. Petraeus Explains The Reality Of Middle East „Linkage‟ Think Progress, 3/25 Type: Political; Tone: Balanced Gen. David Petraeus caused quite a stir last week with his written statement (pdf) to the Senate Armed Services Committee, in which he included ―insufficient progress toward a comprehensive Middle East peace‖ as the first among ―a number of cross-cutting issues that serve as major drivers of instability, inter-state tensions, and conflict‖ that ―can serve as root causes of instability or as obstacles to security.‖ Petraeus On Israel The Weekly Standard, 3/25 Type: Political; Tone: Balanced As Philip Klein reports, Media Matters and other blogs suggested that Gen. Petraeus "is increasingly concerned that failure to resolve the [Arab-Israeli] conflict, and the perception in the Arab world that the U.S. is too reflexively pro-Israel, is significantly jeopardizing U.S. objectives in the region -- and even putting American troops in greater danger." Can Someone Help Me Balance This In My Head? From My Position…On The Way!, 3/25 Type: Military; Tone: Balanced The Obama administration has now nominated Watson to be general counsel of the Army. So, when lawyering for a gossip rag, he clears publication of secrets, no, make that top secrets. So, how would he prosecute someone who does likewise? DADT: OK We Poppin‟ Champagne Like We At The Human Rights Campaign Attackerman, 3/25 Type: Military; Tone: Balanced Starting today, only a general officer in an accused service member‘s chain of command can discharge someone for a violation of the ban, and only an officer with the rank of commander or lieutenant colonel or higher can conduct a fact-finding inquiry to recommend a discharge. You Expected Lt. Choi To Be Satisfied? Attackerman, 3/25 Type: Military; Tone: Balanced ―What will pave the way for full repeal is a recognition and cognizance on the part of the administration,‖ Choi said, ―that the fundamental reason to get rid of ‗Don‘t Ask, Don‘t Tell‘ is that it sacrifices, violates and compromises the integrity of all soldiers, not just gay soldiers.‖ Dissent Of The Day, Ctd The Atlantic, 3/25 Type: Political; Tone: Balanced

13

Well his "stunt" certainly isn't impeding progress on DADT. (Stunt is regarding Choi). Secretary Gates, Admiral Mullen Rebuke Top Army Officer Over 'Don't Ask Don't Tell' ABC News Political Punch, 3/25 Type: Political; Tone: Balanced Lt. Gen. Ben Mixon, the Commanding Officer of U.S. Army Pacific, is in hot water with Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Adm. Mike Mullen after publicly challenging proposed changes to ―don‘t ask don‘t tell‖ in a letter to the editor of ―Stars and Stripes.‖ New Policies Regarding DADT This Ain't Hell, 3/25 Type: Military; Tone: Balanced Robert Gates announced changes today to Don‘t Ask Don‘t Tell which are intended to make it more difficult to discharge service members for violating DADT. From what I can tell, there are two real modifications being made to DADT that are effective today. Gates Revises „Don‟t Ask, Don‟t Tell‟ The Daily Beast, 3/25 Type: Political; Tone: Balanced The right of gay soldiers to serve openly is moving forward: Defense Secretary Robert Gates announced changes to ―Don‘t Ask, Don‘t Tell‖ on Thursday that will immediately loosen up restrictions on gay soldiers while a panel looks into a full repeal. Gates, Mullen Signal Chain of Command: Stop Wasting Time Discharging Gays Huffington Post, 3/25 Type: Political; Tone: Balanced Today Defense Secretary Robert Gates, his department's General Counsel Jeh C. Johnson, and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Admiral Mike Mulllen took another big step in reducing discharges under "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" and sending an important signal to Congress as that body takes up repeal of DADT this year. New "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" Regulations a Positive Step Toward Repeal This Year Huffington Post, 3/25 Type: Political; Tone: Balanced Today, the Department of Defense released regulations that will limit the circumstances under which a service member can be investigated and discharged from the military under "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." Gen. Petraeus In NH: "I Really Do Mean No" Huffington Post, 3/25 Type: Political; Tone: Balanced Asked by the Huffington Post what Party he has been affiliated with before, the General said, "I stopped voting in 2002. We are registered as Republicans. It is a small personal step I took on my own." Petraeus Explains The Reality Of Middle East 'Linkage' Huffington Post, 3/25 Type: Political; Tone: Balanced Gen. David Petraeus caused quite a stir last week with his written statement (pdf) to the Senate Armed Services Committee, in which he included "insufficient progress toward a comprehensive Middle East peace" as the first among "a number of cross-cutting issues that serve as major drivers of instability, inter-state tensions, and conflict" that "can serve as root causes of instability or as obstacles to security." The Petraeus Pushback: General Says He Never Made Those Statements On Israel ABC News Political Punch, 3/26

14

Type: Political; Tone: Balanced Army General David Petraeus, the commander of Central Command, says comments attributed to him on the Foreign Policy blog on March 13th—that ―Israeli intransigence…was jeopardizing U.S. standing in the region‖—were simply inaccurate. General Petraeus DID NOT Betray Us Huffington Post, 3/26 Type: Political; Tone: Balanced I am reminded of that scene in the wake of the controversy surrounding remarks that it turns out were never made by General David Petraeus about Israel allegedly endangering the lives of U.S. service members. Partner Benefits For Gay Troops: Issue Complicates 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' Repeal Huffington Post, 3/26 Type: Political; Tone: Balanced Momentum appears to be building for ending the ban on gays in the military. New rules ordered Thursday by Defense Secretary Robert Gates make it harder to discharge men and women under the policy known as "don't ask, don't tell." How Does Health Care Reform Impact The Youth Vote? Huffington Post, 3/26 Type: Political; Tone: Balanced Last week also held an important event in the Don't Ask Don't Tell saga: Lieutenant Dan Choi was arrested in front of the White House, protesting the military policy discriminating against gay soldiers. Marine Corps General James Conway: Marines Would Not Be 'Forced' To Live With Gay Soldiers Huffington Post, 3/26 Type: Political; Tone: Balanced The comment, by Gen. James Conway, is the latest pushback by a small but vocal faction of senior military leaders opposed to a repeal of the 1993 law known as "don't ask, don't tell." President Barack Obama says the ban is unfair, and Defense Secretary Robert Gates has launched a lengthy study to determine how to allow gays to serve openly without hurting military effectiveness. IVAW‟s Executive Director On Burning The Flag This Ain‟t Hell, 3/26 Type: Military; Tone: Balanced The IVAW‘s Executive Director, Jose Vasquez, has issued a statement in regards to Matthis Chiroux‘s flag burning antics last Saturday in Lafayette Park. Apparently it has become a bone of contention among the remaining members of the organization and once again, Vasquez punts the issue rather than make an actual decision.

*Note: Links to blogs below are not included in the total blog count for this report.

The following blog posts have minor mentions of the Army, reposts of news releases, and/or

contain blogs not included within the Tier 1 Blog List:

http://www.blackfive.net/main/2010/03/military-roundup.html

http://www.bouhammer.com/2010/03/what-is-happening-to-my-afghanistan/

http://thisainthell.us/blog/?p=18230

http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/2010/03/gates-relaxes-dadt.html

15

http://www.blackfive.net/main/2010/03/military-roundup.html

http://www.vamortgagecenter.com/blog/2010/03/25/if-mama-aint-happy/

http://www.blackfive.net/main/2010/03/military-roundup-3.html

http://thisainthell.us/blog/?p=18250

http://www.blackfive.net/main/2010/03/secure-freedom-radio-podcast.html

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/pratap-chatterjee/policing-afghanistan-how_b_507583.html

http://blogs.stripes.com/blogs/stripes-central/public-opinion-afghanistan-improves-mission-

ramps

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-isenberg/epistemology-and-pmc_b_513226.html

http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/u-s-troops-to-march-in-red-square-parade/?singlepage=true

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2010/3/20/13494/6880

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/hal-donahue/dod-invokes-lbj---wrong-f_b_513375.html

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2010/3/26/13225/1000

http://www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/secret-keeper

http://blogs.stripes.com/blogs/stripes-central/gates-health-care-reform-will-not-affect-tricare

http://www.mudvillegazette.com/033470.html

http://blogs.stripes.com/blogs/stripes-central/health-care-bill-wont-impact-tricare-va-health-

programs

http://www.mudvillegazette.com/033485.html

http://smallwarsjournal.com/blog/2010/03/whos-running-the-information-w/

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/josie-ensor/gaza-aid-and-the-new-arab_b_510173.html

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-n-bendetson/the-new-public-option_b_507094.html

http://ricks.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2010/03/25/a_word_of_advice_now_that_the_media_is

_hot_to_trot_on_mexico_s_drug_violence

http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2010/03/army-iphone/

http://www.macrumors.com/2010/03/23/u-s-army-officials-visit-apple-campus-as-agency-

weighs-purchasing-and-development-plans/

http://www.iphonedownloadblog.com/2010/03/25/us-army-apple/

http://www.tuaw.com/2010/03/23/us-army-meets-with-apple-discusses-tech-for-soldiers/

http://www.defencetalk.com/army-apple-discuss-handheld-solutions-for-soldiers-25185/

Bloggers‟ Roundtables

Host Name: DoD New Media

Show Name: DoDLive Bloggers Roundtable - U.S. Role in Iraq

Date/Length: 3/26/2010 9:00 AM - 30 min

Description: Brig. Gen. Ralph O. Baker, United States Division - Center Deputy Commanding

General East offers perspective on the U.S. role in Iraq as U.S. Forces transition into an advise

and assist role to the Iraqi Security Forces. With the ISF successfully securing their own country

U.S. Forces have continued the process of drawing down troops with the set goal of 50,000

Soldiers on Sept. 1.

Host Name: DoD New Media

Show Name: DoDLive Bloggers Roundtable: 82nd Airborne Division's Role in Haiti

Date/Length: 3/24/2010 10:00 AM - 45 min

16

Description: U.S. Army Col. Tim McAteer, Infantry, Commander 2nd Brigade, 82nd Airborne

Division discusses lessons learned and provide a "2nd BCT Commander's perspective" since

assuming command in Haiti on 9 February 2010.

Army Strong Stories

From PFC to SSG (well, actually, OC)..., PFC Shane Seggar, 3/23

I have been busy since my last post. In early February I had my Officer Candidate School (OCS)

board and was accepted into the OCS program for the Hawaii National Guard. Later that month I

began Zero Phase of OCS. Zero Phase is the Hawaii National Guard's preparatory phase for

Phasese the I-III of OCS on the mainland. Hawaii's reputation is quite high among the National

Guard, country wide. To date, it has had a 100% graduation rate of Officer Candidates (OCs) sent

to the mainland for OCS. Of those sent, 70% graduate in the top 30% of the class […].

Report Overview

The weekly blog report includes an overview of Army-related blog reports from the highest-ranked

blog sites, based on rankings from Technorati, suggestions from the OCPA Media Analysis team,

and blogs found through extensive research. Additionally, a comprehensive search is conducted

through Google Blogs to obtain the most relevant blog entries. Relevant blog entries are divided

into two categories: News Generators, i.e., blog entries of spontaneous origin that may or may not

lead to other discussions, and Comments on News, i.e., blog entries written in response to

particular events and/or media announcements. The report also includes notable comments from

readers of various blog posts, followed by links to the full text of the blog.

The blogs contained in this report are analyzed according to the tone of the blog entry: Critical,

Supportive, and Balanced. If a blog has received a significant amount of attention, whereby users

have made a significant number of comments and/or views on a specific blog post, this is

documented within the report as well.

Entries from Bloggers‘ Roundtables and the Army Strong Stories blog are also provided at the end

of the report.