I have to disagree although I do understand why you and others may feel differently.
The problem, as I see it, is that people are put in a position to self police...and not everyone is sharp enough or conscientious enough to do it appropriately.
To draw a parallel, I work in a hospital, and they have to have a dress code. In the absence of a dress code, people simply push the limit and will wear inappropriate clothing. Sad but true. In young people particularly, it is human nature.
And, as everyone knows, there is no real freedom of speech in the Military. It's just the way it is.
Matt and other ,ilbloggers have been focused on getting out the rest of the story (mostly positive) that the liberal media will not cover. If it weren't for milbloggers what "good news" would we ever hear about???
The problem we have, though, is that the media isn't getting these stories out there. We need these guys getting the word out.
Daniel Pipes recently wrote a very good editorial that bears on this:
A defunct paradigm that's got to change
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1721408/posts
"Soldiers, sailors, and airmen once determined the outcome of warfare, but no longer. Today, television producers, columnists, preachers, and politicians have the pivotal role in deciding how well the West fights. This shift has deep implications."
We don't have the television producers and columnists on our side, and need the milbloggers to help fill that gap. Minor opsec issues (tracer patterns in belted ammo? C'mon) shouldn't create a blanket elimination of this mass communications means. Doing this is just absolute foolishness.