A decade of Duffel Blog

Holy moly, it's our 10th anniversary!

Dear reader,

Today marks the 10-year anniversary of Duffel Blog. It seems surreal to even write those words.

When I launched Duffel Blog on March 4, 2012, I thought it would be little more than a creative outlet for me to poke fun at the military life I knew so well after eight years in the Marine Corps. I did not have a grand plan. I just thought it would be a good idea to start a satirical military news website. It became so much more than I could ever imagine. 

Standing in the smoke pit as a junior Marine, I can remember laughing with fellow grunts about stupid things we noticed but had little ability to influence: power-tripping first sergeants, the reflective belt policy, and the endless safety briefs before a long weekend. Now with Duffel Blog, service members of all stripes can use satire to mock these military absurdities and also inspire millions of readers to explore deeper issues of national security and challenge the status quo in the Department of Defense.

Sure, Duffel Blog is a humorous satirical news source that pokes fun at mandatory training, clueless generals, insane Pentagon budgets, ISIS, and politicians on all sides. But it’s also a community of hundreds of writers from every military branch, enlisted and officers, young and old. They're stationed all over the world. Most are anonymous due to military obligations, but you have undoubtedly read their words and felt their impact.

These talented service members and veterans have been advancing critical thinking in national security through satire and smart humor since 2012. And you are among the millions of people who have laughed, cried, gasped, laughed even more, and helped and supported Duffel Blog all along the way. 

Thank you.

A decade ago, we launched on a humble note by ridiculing the 'Chair Force' and saw modest growth by forcing Gen. James Mattis to retire from Central Command prematurely, but our profile was raised considerably in Feb. 2013, when Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) was fooled by a Duffel Blog article about Guantanamo Bay inmates supposedly receiving G.I. Bill benefits. By the end of the year, Duffel Blog had been profiled everywhere from The Wall Street Journal to The Washington Post, and our audience continued to grow.

Then one day, you discovered us. A coworker may have sent you a link that led you to believe Justin Bieber was joining the Marine Corps to avoid jail. Maybe you saw someone wearing a Duffel Blog t-shirt. Or perhaps you were outraged that Mitt Romney lost the presidency after military ballots arrived one day late. Whatever the reason, we're glad you're here.

Paul Szoldra

Founder and Editor in Chief of Duffel Blog

P.S. Have you been positively impacted by the Duffel Blog? If so, please hit reply and let me know. It would be awesome to hear your story!