Closing Time

by Andrew

I believe that when we leave a place a part of it goes with us and a part of us remains. Go anywhere in these halls, when it is quiet, and just listen. After a while you will hear the echoes of all of our conversations, every thought and word we've exchanged. Long after we are gone, our voices will linger in these walls for as long as this place remains. But I will admit that the part of me that going will very much miss the part of you that is staying.

G'Kar, Babylon 5

This will be my last post at Obsidian Wings. Not, as has noted, that anyone is likely to notice I'm gone, since I've done a lousy job of keeping up of late anyhow. <g> I have no desire to leave, but given my personal circumstances, it appears to be the best of my available options.

As I should have known before going into this, military officers are under certain restrictions regarding their participation in politics. These rules are intended to maintain a bright line between military personnel and our civilian supervisors, and they are an important part of ensuring civilian control of the military. As I have a big mouth and am somewhat passionate in what I believe, I have crossed the line and broken some of these rules in the course of my blogging.

While that might have been at least ignorable as long as I remained an obscure writer at the far end of the long tail, I can no longer count on remaining below the radar. Ironically, a modicum of success has made my web site a bit too well known. A few weeks ago Linda Seebach of the Rocky Mountain News contacted me and asked if I would be interested in writing for them while I am deployed to Iraq. I agreed and contacted JAG and PAO to find out what the rules would be about such an assignment. In the course of making sure that would be acceptable, a member of PAO checked out my blog and observed that it was likely in violation of DoD directive 1344.10 (PDF), and that the additional attention I would likely receive in writing for the Rocky Mountain News might draw some unwanted attention to my personal blog.

It is therefore for both ethical and practical reasons that I have decided to shut down my blog. From an ethical standpoint, I cannot justify violating a directive without good cause, and having the opportunity to make shallow, fairly obvious observations doesn't strike me as that good a cause. From a personal standpoint, while I have no illusions about the future shape of my career in the military, I would prefer to avoid trimming my already modest career path further.

I want to thank everyone here at Obsidian Wings for the opportunity to write here. It was an honor and a privilege, and I am sorry that I didn't do a better job with the opportunity I was given. Fortunately I know the site remains in excellent hands (I'll avoid the obvious addition by subtraction joke), and I look forward to observing many fine debates here in the future as time permits. Thanks to the ownership and the commentariat for having me.

Comments

[Ugh]

Well, that's unfortunate. Will you be writing for the Rocky Mountain News anyway?

Thanks for your commentary here and at your personal blog, and, of course, stay safe over there.

[cleek]

It's been nice reading you.

Good luck!

[von]

Thanks for participating, Andrew. I always enjoyed reading your writing. Keep safe.

[Steve]

Andrew, you've always been a superstar contributor here. Your posts have been thoughtful, insightful, and the farthest thing from reflexively partisan - in short, my notion of what ObWi is supposed to be about.

You'll be missed. I still hope you'll put in some sort of occasional cameo just to let us know you're staying safe.

[CaseyL]

I'm very sorry to hear you've decided (inescapably and for excellent reason, true) not to post here anymore: your insights and viewpoints, esp. on matters military, are invaluable, and will be missed. Best of luck with the RMN gig - will that be available on-line?

We're all going worry about you until you come back home. Is there any way you'll be able to keep in touch? Will you be able to comment here?

Best of luck. Stay safe.

[double-plus-ungood]

Aw crap. You will be sorely missed, Andrew.

[Prodigal]

You will be missed, Andrew.

[Jesurgislac]

Well, crap. I'm truly sorry. You will be missed.

A few weeks ago Linda Seebach of the Rocky Mountain News contacted me and asked if I would be interested in writing for them while I am deployed to Iraq.

Still - I hope you do write for RMN, and I hope that the kitten squad do a link - if that's likely to get you in hot water for past posts, perhaps a sideways link could be done via the TIO website?

In any case, it would (a) comfort me considerably to keep in touch by reading what you write, and (b) I always value first-hand reportage from Iraq from a source known to be trustworthy - and when the source is also a good writer, the value increases immeasurably.

Take care. Be well.

[theCoach]

Best of luck in everything.

[hilzoy]

If the army knew what was good for them, they'd do everything they could to keep Andrew blogging -- as far as I can tell, he's done nothing but good as far as helping us benighted civilians to understand military culture (and acronyms!)

I'll miss him.

Do I still get to email and ask: what, in military parlance, does "The SMGHJDLDTOSJK will have PRKMSKFNFKS for MDKN SJFD676893DLE, absent conditions SLFMG or MDLFKF" mean?

[Jackmormon]

Best of luck to you, Andrew. Although I haven't been commenting too much lately, I've learned a lot from your posts. I hope this doesn't come out sounding wrong, but I don't know many any people in the military, and your decency and professionalism have truly impressed me. I hope to hear news of you from whatever source I can. Please take care.

[john miller]

More like subtraction by subtraction. You will (to be repetitious) be sorely missed.

BTW, Andrew and shallow are polar opposites.

Just so you know, I frequently bring up with my son (Captain) many of the things you have said about various things. For what it is worth, he has told me you sound like the kind of officer he wishes there were more of in the Army.

[Dantheman]

We will miss you Andrew, and will need to take more target practice to change that (I kid!).

Best of luck, and return safely.

[bob mcmanus]

Heck, I have only just started reading your blog, and now it's gone. I guess I agree with the DoD principle and practice, but I will give it more thought.

Just for a bit of Bob-type humour, I will link to a relevant article by...Bill Arkin! :)

America Needs a Few Good Civilians ...about the Executive appointing too many military men to civilian oversight positions

Don't go. Take care. Come back safely, and with lots of company.

[OCSteve]

You will be missed Andrew. Your perspective was much needed here. Please do give us a heads up when you have a RMN article coming out. Stay safe.

[judson]

You could continue anonymously.

[Nell]

I wish there were many more officers like you in the military, Andrew, and also that none of them would have to be stationed in Iraq. Your courage and integrity are impressive. Best wishes; you'll be in our thoughts constantly.

[Kent]

I'll miss you too. Thanks for all your work here.

[KCinDC]

Thanks for your writings, Andrew, and good luck!

[Jeff Eaton]

Andrew, I'll join the crowd and note that you will be sorely missed. Thanks--You've been a real service to OW and all who've read your writing. You're in my thoughts and prayers.

[Debbie (aussie)]

Good luck Andrew. You will be missed. Take care!

[kevin]

Andrew

You will be missed. Take care of yourself.

[Mona]

Andrew, I know you didn't always appreciate my style, but I always have liked yours. Stay safe, above all else do that.

The Intertubes will still be here when your tour is over.

[Jay C]

Well, Da-yum! NOT good news to hear, Andrew: your contributions here, if irregular of late, were always of the highest quality; and showed a combination of intelligence and articulate writing fairly uncommon in the blogosphere today. Best of luck in your next posting; and we hope that we may yet get to read and appreciate more of your insights in the not-too-distant future. Take care. :(

[publius]

godspeed

[publius]

and like others said, there's always anonymity.

[JakeB]

Good luck and take care.

[CharleyCarp]

best of luck.

[liberal japonicus]

I hope you will think about keeping the door open, not necessarily for a space to put your opinions up, but a space to let us know about things we can do to help. Stay safe.

[Slartibartfast]

Well, crap. I'm truly sorry. You will be missed.

Another rare, but complete, moment of agreement with Jesurgislac. Andrew, you've been invaluable. I wish we could have you back, but I realize you have other priorities.

[Francis]

be safe. come back whole. i'm sure we'll be able to squeeze you back into the roster somehow.

[Charles Bird]

Sorry to see you go, short-timer. Is the RMN opportunity closed, or is there the possibility of you sending them some dispatches?

When I spent a summer in the hollers of West Virginia a couple of decades ago, the coal miners would say "be careful, buddy" as a way of saying adios. So, be careful buddy.

[matttbastard]

"and like others said, there's always anonymity."

That's pseudonymity. /Gary

Good wishes, and safe journeys.

Oh, and don't forget, if your prior writings do come back to haunt you, there's always the EFF.

[otmar]

Godsped, and do us all a favor and avoid being featured in clips like these.

Come back safely.

[wonkie (lily)]

Thanks for all of your posts, Anndrew. I will miss you. Bestwishes.

[dmbeaster]

Can you comment?

[Blar]

You will also be missed by me, Andrew.

Do you think that you could at least email a link to someone at ObWi whenever you publish anything online (including your upcoming RMN piece, any future writing, and, perhaps someday, your new/reborn blog)? I imagine that lots of people here would like to keep reading whatever you write, and I'd bet that hilzoy et al. wouldn't mind posting the links.

[Bernard Yomtov]

Good luck, Andrew.

Thanks for your very informative posts.

[Gary Farber]

Good luck, and stay safe.

[Andrew]

Thanks to everyone for the kind words. To answer at least some of the questions posed:

1) I will still be writing a blog for the RMN, unless they change their mind. (Which would suck, since even if they do I can't reopen my blog.) My posts will be subject to prior approval by the Public Affairs Office, because they will be appearing on a newspaper site. I do not expect that to have much effect on my posting, as the blog is intended to describe my experiences as part of a transition team, so PAO will mostly be checking to make sure I don't violate OPSEC.

2) bob, you nearly had me falling out of my seat laughing; thanks. And if I were still blogging, I would probably note that I agree with Arkin on that issue.

3) John and Nell, believe it or not the Army has a lot of officers who put me to shame. But I certainly appreciate your kind words.

4) I will do what I can to keep everyone posted on my status. Once I get in-country, I have no idea what level of internet access I will have, although I suspect it will be very limited, as we will be living on an Iraqi base and I'm betting that amenities like the internet are not in great supply.

Thanks again. Perhaps I'll be back once I've retired. Assuming the Army doesn't boot me out before then. :)

[Barry]

Good luck, Andrew.

[rilkefan]

Dang.

Sunlight on your road.

[ral]

I seem to drop by only at the awkward moments. Take care, stay safe, come back when you can.

[dutchmarbel]

Best of luck in Iraq Andrew. Come back safen and sound and try to keep in touch in the mean time!

Marjolein

[Doctor Science]

You'll be in our thoughts, Andrew.

Will your writing for RMN be up on their blog page?

[p.lukasiak]

would someone explain why the constant use of the passive voice? ("you will be missed")

How about "I'll miss you"?

[liberal japonicus]

I suspect it is done to put 'Andrew' in the subject position, which makes it more general and suggests that objectively, Andrew will be missed. 'I'll miss you' carries the implication that other people will not miss Andrew.

[Andrew]

Conversely, it could mean that the speaker won't miss me, but knows others will. :P

Doctor Science, I believe so but am not certain yet. I am waiting for them to contact me to confirm the details at this time.

[kreiz]

Somewhere above, it's mentioned that someone doesn't know any servicemen. (Sad, really- an unintended consequence of an all-volunteer force.) Andrew is something of a throwback, someone who embodies such virtues as self-sacrifice, compassion, public service. He's an Old School guy who's worth emulating.

[John Thullen]

Andrew:

Be safe, come back, don't go, duck, send up a smoke signal, remain sane.

[a cornellian]

I hope I am not alone in missing the B5 quotes (as everyone else has taken care of the more substantial rasons to miss andrew)

[Jesurgislac]

Conversely, it could mean that the speaker won't miss me, but knows others will. :P

Now you're just fishing, dammit. Okay. I'll miss you. We will miss you. I hope to hell anyone shooting in your general direction misses you a lot more than we do, too.

[Eric Martin]

Good luck and stay safe Andrew.

Let me echo Hilzoy's point by saying that I know the rules are in place for a reason, but you have done a tremendous service in explaining military affairs to us lay people.

And I have always enjoyed your writing.

[Anarch]

Shite :(

[ScottM]

Good luck and stay safe. I look forward to reading your memoirs.

[russell]

Vaya con Dios. Take care of yourself.

Best -

[DaveC]

At the risk of contributing to ObWi sounding like a goshdarned echo chamber, I wish you the very best, Andrew, and thank you.