Now he did it: Yonis taken down by the experts

Around these parts, there is no greater milblogger then Greyhawk.  Indeed, if there is a Godfather of MIlblogs, it is him.  He possesses the carefully measured eye of a Senior NonCommissioned Officer, the Wit and sublte Sarcasm of Mark Twain, and the amazing ability to put up with a lot of BS.  He does however, have limits.  I personally have a much lower tolerance for the ignorance and stupidity of others, and that is why I have backed away from the Mike You self-implosion, rather than continue the fight in this forum.  It isn't just the notion of wrestling with a pig, it's that the pig cannot change the fact that he is a pig.  Greyhawk has been attacked repeatedly by Yon.  Time and time again, Greyhawk has responded with a simple query: when have I ever said anything about you other than good things, pointing people to your good works?  On that, Yon's silence has been deafening.

There is, however, a time for everything, and the time for Greyhawk's entrance into this particular arena came when Yon published an email, supposedly from a soldier in Afghanistan, detailing specific policies regarding the release of detainees.  Yon did this without verifying his information, and these policies do not, in fact, exist.  Whether the policies exist or not is the critical issue. Writing about detainee policies can embolden an enemy to attack if they believe they are somehow "protected," and could cost many Americans their lives.  But this isn't about Yon, it's about the very-well constructed, thought out, reasoned, and total flaying of Yon, by his betters:

 Consider this a public email from me, Mike - the guy who introduced you to the blogosphere over five years ago. As a guy who's been there and done that in Iraq, as a guy who served in uniform for a quarter century, and as a guy who's concern for his brothers who are still in uniform or in combat zones is exceeded by no one's, I ask you to stop publishing whatever drops into your email inbox as if it were something more significant than Nigerian spam. (link)

This is only the first shot at Yon and it is not a warning shot.  Greyhawk is full-on pissed off, and will be deconstructing him over the next few days/weeks.

Update:  Bouhammer--another lifetime-of-service NCO, has entered the fray:

However he has now morphed into a combination of Dennis Hopper and Marlon Brando’s characters from Apocalypse Now. He is so in love with himself that he must embarrass Afghans on a Thursday night. The guy drinks his own kool-aid and believes himself the savior of Afghanistan or any other war or conflict that he finds himself in. (link)

 Far better men than I now carry the spear.  I shall be fetching myself something tall, dark, and bubbly, grabbing some popcorn, and watching the fireworks.

--Chuck

Others blogging:

Michael Yon- Proudly violating OPSEC - Jimbo @ Blackfive
Some Writers need to understand OPSEC - Taco Bell @ The SandGram
Michael Yon for Executive Director of Code Pink!! - CJ @ A Soldier's Perspective
Michael Yon- The end game - Jimbo @ Blackfive
Just when you thought the milblog intramurals were over... - The Armorer @ Argghhh!
A final throw of the lifeline ... - CDR Salamander
Michael Yon: The Decider - Cassandra @ Villainous Company
Basta! - BostonMaggie
The perils of fame - Bookworm @ Bookworm Room
OPSEC, Michael Yon and STFU - Cullen @ Half a Pica of Uselessness
Yon's Personal Attacks - CJ @ A Soldier's Perspective