Colby Buzzell

{{short description|American blogger and author (born 1976)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=July 2020}} {{Infobox military person |name = Colby Buzzell |birth_date = {{birth date and age|1976|07|17}} |birth_place = California, U.S. |death_date = |death_place = |burial_place = |burial_label = |burial_coordinates =  |allegiance = {{flag|United States}} |branch = {{army|United States}} |branch_label =  |module = }}

'''Colby Buzzell''' (born July 17, 1976, in California) is an American author, blogger and former United States Army soldier.

Buzzell grew up in San Ramon, California, and enlisted in the United States Army at the age of 26. Prior to joining the U.S. Army he described his life as engaging in a lot of drinking, drug use, dead-end jobs and a minor criminal record. He was very optimistic about his Army service and was determined to follow the Army recruiting slogan of "Be All That You Can Be". He joined the service as an infantryman and spent 2003–2004 in Iraq, assigned to a Stryker Brigade Combat Team. In his book he expresses a great deal of enthusiasm about the benefits of wheels over traditional treaded armor in urban settings.

It was in Iraq that Buzzell began publishing a blog under the title "CBFTW", "Colby Buzzel Fuck The War",<ref>{{cite news | first=Brandon | last=Griggs | title=Soldier finds his voice blogging from Iraq | date=2008-11-13 | url =http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/11/13/soldier.blogger/index.html | work =CNN.com | access-date = 2008-11-13 }}</ref> as a replacement for his habitual journaling back in the States. The milblog gained popularity quickly because, as an anonymous blogger, Buzzell was able to share more lucid experiences than an embedded journalist, and he was also able to share a bit more of the truth than the Army was able to.

Buzzell's blog gained recognition for its realistic portrayal of gripping first-hand accounts of the war in Iraq.<ref>{{cite news | first=Mark | last=Memmott | title='Milbloggers' are typing their place in history | date=2005-05-11 | url =https://www.usatoday.com/news/world/iraq/2005-05-11-milblogs-main_x.htm | work =USA Today | access-date = 2008-11-13 }}</ref> This 'milblog' won praise as “an unfiltered, often ferocious expression of his boots-on-the-ground view of the Iraq war."<ref>{{cite news | title=Ex-GI's memoir named best book based on blog | date= 2007-05-15 | url =https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna18672314 | work =NBC News| access-date = 2008-11-13 }}</ref>

Colby published a book on his experiences entitled ''My War: Killing Time in Iraq'', combining narrative, blog entries, and emails that evolved from his blog over time. The book received positive reviews and has been recommended for public libraries.<ref>{{cite web|title=My War: Killing Time in Iraq|url=http://www.powells.com/biblio/0399153276?&PID=28734|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110629132637/http://www.powells.com/biblio/0399153276?&PID=28734|archive-date=June 29, 2011|access-date=July 28, 2020|website=Powell's Books}}</ref>

In 2004, Buzzell was profiled in ''Esquire''{{'}}s "Best and Brightest" issue and has since contributed regularly. In 2007, Buzzell received the 2007 Lulu Blooker Prize for ''My War: Killing Time in Iraq''.

In 2008, Buzzell was recalled for active duty.<ref>{{cite news | first=Colby | last=Buzzell | title=Return to Sender - Iraq Veteran Gets the Call Again | date=2008-05-08 | url =http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/05/07/ED3J10IGLO.DTL | archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20080512094839/http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/05/07/ED3J10IGLO.DTL | url-status =dead | archive-date =May 12, 2008 | work =San Francisco Chronicle | pages =B7 | access-date = 2008-11-13 }}</ref> After he arrived at his post, he was examined by the medical staff at Fort Benning and marked "not deployable" due to post-traumatic stress disorder.<ref>{{cite news | first= Colby | last= Buzzell | title= The Army Wants You...Again! (Yes, Really.) | date= 2008-09-08 | url = http://www.esquire.com/features/army-recall-0908 | work = Esquire | pages = 172 | access-date = 2008-11-13 }}</ref>

In 2011, Buzzell wrote the book ''Lost in America: A Dead-End Journey'', published by HarperCollins, about coping with his post-traumatic stress disorder by taking a road trip to nowhere, all the while thinking about his newborn son, wife, and recently deceased mother.

In 2015, he published a short-story collection, ''Thank You For Being Expendable: And Other Experiences'', with Byliner.<Ref>Review in ''San Francisco Chronicle'', May 10, 2015</reF>

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== *[http://colbybuzzell.com/ Colby Buzzell's website] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180216151550/http://www.colbybuzzell.com/ |date=February 16, 2018 }} *[https://web.archive.org/web/20110916082244/http://blogs.ocweekly.com/heardmentality/2011/08/_in_2005_colby_buzzell.php Interview with Colby Buzzell, 2011] *[https://www.ocweekly.com/colby-buzzell-retraces-on-the-road-6595676/ OC Weekly interview August 30, 2011]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Buzzell, Colby}} Category:1976 births Category:Living people Category:American bloggers Category:People from San Ramon, California Category:United States Army soldiers Category:United States Army personnel of the Iraq War Category:Anonymous bloggers Category:Esquire (magazine) people Category:21st-century American writers