December 20, 2004

Zero to 60 in 2.4 Seconds

Lance Frizzell's blog from Iraq is off and running thanks to an Instapundit link in its first week and, now, a nice sendoff from Michael Silence, a reporter for the Knoxville News-Sentinel, in a front-page report in today's paper. Frizzell, a Tennessee National Guardsman, is blogging from Iraq on a blog I host here at BillHobbs.com. Excerpt:

Second Lt. Lance Frizzell is with the Knoxville-based 278th Regimental Combat Team and is a medical platoon leader. "My goal with the blog (besides having some fun) is to try to bring a little peace of mind to the families of 278th soldiers. There's a lot of little things happening over here that do make life safe and comfortable, even enjoyable," Frizzell said in an e-mail. Frizzell, 34, a Murfreesboro native, started posting from Northern Iraq last week.

"I think Lance is the only Tennessee soldier blogging," said veteran blogger and University of Tennessee law professor Glenn Reynolds. "I think it is nice that people get to hear from people who are in the middle of it everyday," said Reynolds, who has what is generally considered the most-read blog in the world, www.instapundit.com.

Frizzell said his blog is not being censored by the military, although there are restrictions. "Everything is OK except text/pictures that reveal exact locations or compromise security or get someone hurt," he said.

In the e-mail, Frizzell said, "Most soldiers I talk to say the worst thing about being deployed is nothing you personally experience over here, it's the worry your family goes through. "So when the 'hillbilly armor' story broke, I thought the blog could dispel some of that fear and apprehension."

Frizzell, who before being deployed was the press secretary for House Republicans the Tennessee General Assembly, is also taking pictures and posting them on his blog.

Lance's brother has a more mature perspective.

P.S., By the way - all of the Humvees of the 278th were up-armored just one day after that soldier from Chattanooga asked Rumsfeld the question hear 'round the world. The "lack of armor" story was more a media hoax than an actual crisis - there were only 20 un-armored vehicles awaiting armor in the 278th (out of 830 vehicles) the day Rumsfeld was asked the question, and up-armoring the vehicles was on schedule to be completed the next day. Donald Sensing has the details and links.

UPDATE: A guy I go to church with, Rick Poirier, is by sheer coincidence deployed to Iraq also with the 278th. He's a 1 Lt. with the 190th Engineering Company, 386th Engineering Battalion, attached to the 278th, and stationed at Forward Operating Base Caldwell.