Soldiers on the Ground in Iraq Go Online With War Videos

Sept. 10, 2007 — -- The surge of online video has dramatically changed the scope of war coverage because the public no longer has to rely on journalists anymore for vivid images of conflicts overseas. Instead we get an unprecedented view of the military directly from those on the ground.

Soldiers and Marines are shooting videos -- documenting IED attacks, firefights and personal and captivating moments of the soldiers' everyday lives. Moments which provide a window into today's G.I. Joes as they pass time in the barracks, entertain themselves and share their frustrations and unfiltered opinions on how they feel about the war, Iraqis and the people back home. They capture raw glimpses of the front lines that no embedded reporter can.

"I'm not a big fan of these kids in the Middle East, all they do is beg," Marine Lance Cpl. Brock Brothers said in a video blog as he taught a young Iraqi boy how to slap five. He has done tours in both Iraq and Afghanistan. "But this kid I like. I give him something and he gives me gum in return," Brothers said.

Another of Brothers' videos show what were once tender moments with children have turned into contempt. "The first week I had love in my heart. The second week, its like, 'Get the f--k away from me.'"

The daily routine of patrolling often becomes cumbersome and soldiers have no problems expressing themselves with a blunt honesty never seen in recruiting ads. "Waste of f-----g time," exclaimed one Marine. "For all the people back home this is what my life has come down to," said another into his megaphone after having a Star Wars-like saber fight with a fellow platoon member using their metal detectors.

While many of the videos show graphic scenes of combat, some are more lighthearted. Type "bored in Iraq" into a search engine and you'll find video of soldiers Tasering each other for entertainment, moon walking like Michael Jackson, and even rapping from the desert.

Air Force pilots Justin Simms and Josh Houck created a parody of the hit song "This Is Why I'm Hot" by MIMS, changing the lyrics to "I'm hot because I'm deployed, you ain't cause you're not."