The Combined Arms Center (CAC) blogs are heating up with a couple discussions on the validity and legality of the current Strategic Communication policies and emphasis on blogging.

Specifically, in “Reopening the CGSC Strategic Communications Debate: Framed by the "Courtney Massingale" and "Sam Damon" Personas” Chris Paparone (DLRO Associate Professor, Fort Lee) writes:

“While I would agree that telling the “Army story” is important in terms of public relations and recruitment, I am concerned that this top-down “forcing” of communicating to the "outside" may backfire, producing the opposite effect that well-intended senior leaders meant.”

Also, in “Blog Policy Flawed?” a Fort Lee ILE student writes:

“In addition to possibly violating DoD and Army guidance on public release of official information, mandating that private individuals make public blog postings also threatens ILE students’ privacy interests.”

These discussions include a response from BG Cardon (Deputy Commandant, U.S. Army Command and General Staff College):

“Many OSD and Army policies have not yet caught up with these changes, but the intent of these same senior leaders is clear [….] Gone are the days of centralized communication – both the environment and recent experience has taught us that waiting for high level centralized approval undermines the potency of the information and often delays critical information engagements beyond the point of any utility.”

Also, LTC Shawn Stroud (Director of Strategic Communication, CAC) weighed in with:

“Perhaps we should stop considering this as a requirement and instead embrace it as our duty as members of this time honored profession... a duty to continue to share the stories of our Soldiers and their families. Once we see it in that light, the rationale and reasoning behind the program becomes obvious.”

Thus far a significant majority of the comments are from within the Army community. The blogs are publicly accessible and open to a wider audience if anyone wants to join the discussion.