Blogging from Baghdad (Q&A with Sergeant Joshua Salmons)

This week I'm veering from my marketing beat. I'll get back on track next week but, being that it's July, the month we celebrate democracy's birthday, I started thinking about where we go--and where we don't--for information on the war. Military bloggers give us first-hand, first-person accounts, yet most of us look only to CNN, Fox and MSNBC. Perhaps it's because we're concerned the government is censoring military blogs. Or perhaps we assume citizen media only pertains to "civilian" media. But in this direct line that is the blogosphere, why aren't more of us going straight to the source?

So going straight to the source is what we're doing in this segment, thanks to Sergeant Joshua Salmons, the military blogger behind Talking Salmons, stationed at Camp Taji, Iraq, a few miles north of Baghdad. Josh launched his blog last year, shortly before leaving to serve his first tour of duty in Iraq. Due to time zones and the war we needed to hold the entire interview via e-mail, but we started our discussion on July 4th. I hope it made him feel closer to home that day, it was certainly the highlight of my Independence Day.

Joshua's job as Public Affairs Non-Commissioned Officer (military speak for "journalist") is to cover the soldiers of the logistical unit to which he's assigned, mainly through writing stories and taking pictures of tasks that include: providing supplies, unloading cargo and delivering food, water, ammunition and repair parts. The Sergeant explains, "While it may not seem so much on the front lines as, say, someone storming the beaches in 'Saving Private Ryan', in this conflict there are no set front lines. Convoys are hit, patrols are hit, everything is hit as the bad guys get opportunity. We all have to be on guard."

His job entails "telling the Army's story", but the views he expresses on his blog belong only to him. Here's the Q&A: (and yes, this interview was approved by the military.)

What inspired your blog? What has been the best thing to come from launching it? A guy named Ian Boudreau inspired me to blog. He was a soldier of mine back at Fort Knox. His blog had such an informed style and really got into some political issues. After prodding me to get one started, I started blogging on a few different sites. Then, in August of 2005, I started my current blog.

A lot of the frustration I write about comes from reading the news every day and hearing what's going on just outside. I work and work, doing my part, and terrible things continue to happen to innocent people. It just gets to me and I start wondering what I'm doing here. Thus, the blog. The best thing to come from launching it is the fact that I'll run into people whom I don't know, but they feel a familiar connection with me from reading my blog, like we've been through everything I've written about together.

Are a lot of other military personnel blogging? Blogging is sort of demonized in the military. At best, it is seen by those in charge as a security risk, at worst it is a security threat. There have been episodes in the past where soldiers posted pictures of bomb-damaged vehicles and such, which might be used by the enemy to discern weak points in armor. So blogging is heavily discouraged. That's why I try to keep my blog as generic as possible--no names, no units, no job titles. I don't want to involve anybody in anything that might get them in trouble from higher-ups. I'll keep writing until I get shut down--which hopefully is later, rather than sooner.

What do your commanding officer and fellow soldiers think of your blog? We can't get to sites like myspace and other "social" or "chat" sites or programs while at work, so the majority of soldiers don't know about the blog. One of the sergeants that can access it said he liked reading it because it put a lot of his feelings into words.

I would like to think that since I'm just an average guy going through an average military experience, my feelings and reactions to situations are probably also average--that is, felt by a lot of people. That's not to say I can speak for them, but that they might feel connected to some of the stuff I talk about.

You've published posts that say "Same Ol'" regarding a day of "more bombs, rapes and military investigations". What's a day in the life like? It's not crazy-Vietnam-Apocalypse-Now over here, but it is dangerous. There is mortar fire and such, but we have bunkers for that. We're on a base that has been built up and improved for a number of years, so we live in trailers and have port-a-potties nearby. Our offices are air-conditioned. We have a dining facility run by Kellogg Brown & Root, so it's pretty good grub.

When on a mission or out on a convoy, you get really sweaty and grimy (and shot at, sometimes, but that's the reality of things), but it's only for a day or so; then you get to come back and clean up. When we got to Iraq, several smaller "subordinate" units were placed under our command, so they're the ones who go out and get dirty on convoys. My time "outside the wire"--our term for going outside of the bases we live on--comes from my time spent with these subordinate units. Some guys have it better; some have it worse.

We civilians only see what the media provides us. What are the biggest misconceptions we civilians have about serving over there? One of them is that life in the military is like the movies. I know that's all you have to go by--and it's what I referenced when I tried to imagine what Iraq was like; but "Black Hawk Down" isn't our daily life over here. Also, the glorious, romantic image of war always makes for a good story, but it is usually a bit off from the normal routine of a normal soldier. My days are more attending meetings than charging machine gun nests; riding in humvees rather than piloting planes through canyons on the way to a target.

When you spend time with troops, you start to see that they're just like regular Americans: flawed, missing home, self-centered, materialistic. Sure, we stand in the breech between Apple Pie, Pepsi and Pizza Hut against Terrorism, Anarchy and Evil; but most just see it day to day--another day of missing home, wanting to barbeque, wanting to have a beer. There's honor in serving, yes, but as long as nobody tries to make me a saint.

Has blogging helped you maintain a sort of normalcy and feel connected to back home? I think it helps people back home feel more connected to here. Blogging is more of a one-sided, after-the-fact thing for me. It's always a recounting of past goings on. I wouldn't say "connected to home" per se. It's more like being a contestant on a reality show, were it based on actual reality.

The discipline of writing every other day or so does help ground me. It is very cathartic so it helps with some of the trivial crap that goes on here. Trivial crap goes on everywhere, I know, but military trivial crap has it's own brand, especially at war. Most people find even that terribly interesting. That's another reason for writing, I suppose, to give people a glimpse into another life. But that's the point of writing altogether.

What are you planning to do with your blog when you get back home? I don't know what I'll do with it. Honestly, I thought someone would have pulled the plug on the blog by now, so I'm in uncharted waters. I'll keep it going as long as I can. Unless some major things happen, I'll be in Iraq for another tour, so there will be plenty to write about.

Will I keep it after I get back? Maybe. I wouldn't think people would be interested in just another guy back in the states. It's the war that people want to hear about. I'm just a participant.

End Note: While mainstream media informs us of fatalities, failures and scandals, Josh's blog provides a more human side to the war. I learned so much from the Sergeant, not the least of which being that citizen media spans far more than "civilian" media. Josh volunteered to assist a replacement unit needing a military journalist so he will continue blogging from Baghdad for, according to his blog, "just 60 More Mondays". Here's a way we can show him our support: please visit Josh's exemplary blog (it's worth the trip).

Photo credit: All photos provided courtesy of Sergeant Joshua Salmons.

Ideas for an upcoming segment? Send 'em on!  Want to be pinged when new interviews are released? e-mail me. Access all interview segments here. For info. on this series: go here.

Joshua Salmons blogger interviews military blogs Christina Kerley CK

Comments

[Paul McEnany]

Great Stuff, CK. This gives some real perspective. "Just 60 more Mondays" is just such a clear representation of Josh's character.

P

[Neil Vineberg]

CK..as usual, inspiring story and valuable post. Thank you!

[Mack Collier]

Great job CK, and such an interview really shows the true potential of blogs, to bring people that are literally a world apart, together. Thanks for letting us hear from Josh!