Army Stresses Consequences of Soldiers' Loose Lips on the Internet

The Army is taking stronger steps to warn soldiers that they will be punished if they reveal sensitive military information on blogs or other Web sites.

Though the possibility of punishment is not new, the Army spells out in recently published regulations the range of actions that may be taken if soldiers "fail to protect critical and sensitive information."

Some blogs raised alarms this week, suggesting that the Army is cracking down anew on soldiers who have blogs. But most of the regulations released on April 19 mirror the rules published in 2005, which required soldiers to consult with commanders before "publishing or posting information."

The regulations are not as explicit as the ones issued by commanders in Iraq two years ago, which required troops in war zones to register their blogs with the military. Army Maj. Ray M. Ceralde said yesterday that the aim of the new rules is not to have soldiers clear every public posting with commanders. Instead, he said, soldiers are expected to consult with or get clearance from commanders before they start a blog.

Ceralde said Army leaders want to emphasize the importance of operational security. Soldiers will be punished if they reveal sensitive information, such as troop movements, planned raids or the itineraries of senior leaders. The rules say solders can be charged with violating a lawful order under the Uniform Code of Military Justice.

The military set up the regulations in 2005, as blogs became popular among service members deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan.