Iraq War Milblogs: A Social Media History and Call for Preservation

Abstract

This article examines the rise of war blogging following the September 11 terrorist attacks and argues for greater preservation of these early blogs, particularly those about the Iraq War (2003–11). The rise in so-called milblogs, or blogs written by (typically male) American service members, at first satisfied the American public’s quest for authenticity and transparency in the Global War on Terror. They offer a supposedly uncensored view of a divisive war for a questioning American public and have been largely ignored by scholars. However, these blogs should be preserved, not merely as snapshots of historical moments within the war, but as war narratives that elucidate the experiences of service members and form an important archive for understanding the reach and reception of social media during this time. Thus, while these blogs function within the realm of history, their narratives and reception deserve critical analysis.