11/30/2005
My Milblogging Interview
American Soldier says,
(JP, MILBLOGGING.COM) One of the real treats of my week is getting a chance to speak to both prominent milbloggers (and No, I don’t chit-chat with myself), and speak to not-so-well-known milbloggers who write just as meaningful and authentic stories from the frontlines and elsewhere. One of the other treats (now that I’m back) is being able to drink on a Friday night and watch re-runs of Full House and Saved by the Bell without being called a sissy.
Earlier in the week, I had the privilege to ask Military Blogger American Soldier and author of Soldier Life a few questions before he heads back to Iraq shortly.
This is a transcript of what he said. It has NOT been edited.
JP, HOST: Bill. It is Bill, right? Oops… Was I supposed to say your name? (Joking). You’ve remained anonymous since the get-go. Is it because of all your crazy fans out there? On your site you say “…Soldiers who disclose themselves run the risk of losing their willingness to speak bluntly about their experiences in war..” Tell me more about your decision to remain anonymous as a military blogger. Have you pushed the envelope in sharing your experiences?
American Soldier: Well Bill is a lot better than what some people have called me. No really, I decided from the start that being anonymous was best for me. In the beginning the whole Milblog phenomena was not a big thing. So there wasn’t any brass trying to look down your shoulder or censor you. However, my journal was about just being a soldier. If my family read it, they would know it was me. If someone happens to of stumbled upon it, then they could read about what a soldier goes through. No name, no face, just the experience placed in words. I’ve been very careful not to ever disclose any OPSEC, so I think that I have pushed the envelope in the emotions department only.
JP: You’ve written a blook. I mean, a book. It is largely based on your milblog? And what is the starting point of the book? You as a kid? A pimple-faced teenager? Joining the Army?
American Soldier: The book is the journal from the beginning with a twist. I’ve expanded on many entries’s that were at the time very vague. There were some things I was not ready to talk about. I also added more personable passages to give the reader a better understanding of what happen when I was mobilized. I will give this small spoiler, I do write about some things from my childhood and how I ended up in the Army.
JP: Did you blog first? Or were you always a milblogger?
American Soldier: I was a milblogger from the start. In fact, the term Milblogger wasn’t around yet. At least not that I remember. I was just another soldier writing about his experiences.
JP: How did your milblog lead into a book? How does that happen?
American Soldier: I was approached by a few publishing houses. I was skeptical at first but decided that what I had written about could be very universal. My experiences without a face could be anyone in the service. And I think that was why it became popular, people could relate to it so intimately. So I wanted to put it all in a book. I wanted to immortalize the story of one soldier, universally.
JP: Talking about books. I can’t write. Doodle. Yes. Write. No. (Sorry Mom if you’re reading this). But how does someone in your position with a family, a job, whose a self-proclaimed computer geek (you say it on your milblog) - find the time to write a book?
American Soldier: Well JP, any computer geek, if he is truly a good geek knows how to multi-task.
JP: What are some of your favorite milblogs? First, let me say I’m a BIG fan. BIG fan. Huge. Okay okay, now, go ahead and tell me.
American Soldier: I’ve read many milblogs since the beginning and I must say that the ones that draw me in are the ones that are personable or benefit soldiers and their families. I don’t like the bitching type of milblogs and there are a few out there. I will give you the ones I visit daily.
Pass the Brass: http://www.passthebrass.com/
TCOveride: http://www.tcoverride.blogspot.com/
Blackfive: www.blackfive.net
Oh no worries JP, I go to your site for all my milblog connections. I nearly bought the domain but someone took it already. *wink wink*
JP: This question’s off-topic, but readers wanna know. Nick and Jessica. What do you think really happened?
American Soldier: Hmm, I think Jessica ate too much Chicken of the Sea and grew wings.
JP: What’s up next for you? Another book? A sequel? Your identity revealed?
American Soldier: Simply put, going to war and making it home alive.
JP: Bryan, I mean, American Soldier (wink wink), thank you so much for sharing this with me and for sharing your experiences with your readers.
American Soldier: JP it was my pleasure. Be sure to send plenty of beer, umm, I mean shampoo to me while I am in Iraq.
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22 Responses to “My Milblogging Interview”
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GREAT INTERVIEW!!!!
Very good interview, can’t wait to get your book.
You say in your interview that you wrote your book because you “wanted to immortalize the story of one soldier, universally.”
You also said that you don’t “like the bitching type of milblogs.” I’ve read a number of milblogs and stories from soldiers that are posted in the Operation Truth website and I’m not sure there is a universal experience that soldiers have. It seems to depend on the soldier’s personality and his experiencces in the military. You might be interested reading “Once a Warrior King” by David Donovan. The book is about his experiences in Vietrnam and the effects of those experiences on his life.
Jana,
I am not following your logic or point. If you have read my blog since the beginning then you would see what I mean that what I write about can be interpreted universally. A mother reading my blog may see how her son ‘might’ think when going to the range or when he is hanging out with his soldier friends. Just one example of what I mean by universally. The story has many aspects that can be used universally and then the book also talks about what ‘I’ thought about and expansions on things that I didn’t expand on before.
I don’t see why you are suggesting that I read someone else’s book. It’s almost as if you expect me to learn how to write about experiences?
If you’ve come to put down this site and what it stands for, I warn you, I am very territorial.
hehehe…dude, I got props from AS…this is freakin awesome. I should probably get ready for my interview now as JP is probably hunting me down as I write this.
AS, Your so suave. I can’t wait to get your book.
Now about Nick and Jessica……
Loved the interview.
American Soldier: I don’t waste my time or anyone else’s putting anything down. I take you blog very seriously. I am a teacher and I sincerely believe that anybody can benefit from reading books that don’t necessarily reflect precisely their own thinking.
Jana,
Maybe you can send it to me. I am heading to Iraq so I don’t have the chance to track it down. Send it to LBF Books mailing address attention to: American Soldier.
AS,
Great interview and I love your blog!!
AS–Thanks for posting your interview! Can’t wait to read your book. Be safe on your return to the sandbox. You’re gonna keep writing, right???
Loved the interview Bill…Bryan…whatever.
BUT if you stay anon we can’t send you stuff…any ideas?
Loved the interview!! Terrific!
Waiting, waiting for Amazon to send me your book….
AS, glad you’re still going to publish. Really glad you are making sure the integrity of your work isn’t compromised. As you finaslize your deployment tasks, my heart goes out to you and your family. Anyone who has read you for a while knows about how close you all are. be safe over there and thank you for your service.
AS, glad you’re still going to publish. Really glad you are making sure the integrity of your work isn’t compromised. As you finaslize your deployment tasks, my heart goes out to you and your family.
AS–Thanks for posting your interview! Can’t wait to read your book. Be safe on your return to the sandbox. You’re gonna keep writing, right???
You also said that you don’t “like the bitching type of milblogs.” I’ve read a number of milblogs and stories from soldiers that are posted in the Operation Truth website and I’m not sure there is a universal experience that soldiers have. It seems to depend on the soldier’s personality and his experiencces in the military.
hehehe…dude, I got props from AS…this is freakin awesome. I should probably get ready for my interview now as JP is probably hunting me down as I write this.:)
Medyum,
This one must of slipped my mind, are you referring to the 11/05 Interview?
I continue to get this error even though I update the .ini file to reflect the new path to the services dir. Works great when the fileexplorer dir runs form the web root. Can I not run this from a lower level directory?
A mother reading my blog may see how her son ‘might’ think when going to the range or when he is hanging out with his soldier friends. Just one example of what I mean by universally. The story has many aspects that can be used universally and then
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