# Duffel Blog

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American military news satire organization

Duffel Blog "The American Military's Most-Trusted News Source" Type US military parody news organization Format Digital Founder Paul Szoldra Editor-in-chief Paul Szoldra Staff writers Various Founded 2012 Website duffelblog.com

***Duffel Blog*** is an American military [news satire](/source/Satire#Contemporary_satire) organization featuring satirical articles reporting on national security and [US military](/source/United_States_Armed_Forces) topics. It is often described as "the military version of *[The Onion](/source/The_Onion)*."[1] It was founded in March 2012 by [Marine](/source/United_States_Marine_Corps) veteran Paul Szoldra, originally as a way to drive web traffic to the now defunct website CollegeVeteran.com.[2]

It eventually branched out and became its own entertainment [website](/source/Website). The site has a following among civilians, veterans, and servicemen alike.[3] As of 2012, the [blog](/source/Blog) had over 300,000 fans on [Facebook](/source/Facebook) and about 40,000 [Twitter](/source/Twitter) followers.[2][3]

Among their spoof articles is one suggesting a speech by the commanding general of [Fort Benning](/source/Fort_Benning) resulted in a deadly riot, and another that said uncounted [military absentee ballots](/source/Federal_Voting_Assistance_Program) would have resulted in [Mitt Romney](/source/Mitt_Romney) winning the [2012 US Presidential Election](/source/2012_United_States_presidential_election).[4][5] In November 2012, the site launched an online petition to the White House to lift the services' bans on hands in pockets.[6]

The website counts retired [Marine](/source/United_States_Marine_Corps) General [James Mattis](/source/James_Mattis), the subject of several Duffel Blog posts, as a fan.[7][8] It has also received praise from former [Pentagon](/source/United_States_Department_of_Defense) spokesman [George E. Little](/source/George_E._Little), various national security journalists, and [Scott Dikkers](/source/Scott_Dikkers), the founding editor of *[The Onion](/source/The_Onion)*.[9]

In 2017, Duffel Blog published *Mission Accomplished: The Very Best of Duffel Blog,* which included a hundred of the best Duffel Blog stories, hand-picked by contributors, along with additional commentary from creator, Paul Szoldra, and a foreword by Terminal Lance creator Maximillian Uriarte.[10]

## Mistaken for truth

An article about Guantanamo detainees getting GI Bill benefits resulted in a formal inquiry by [U.S. Senator](/source/United_States_Senate) [Mitch McConnell](/source/Mitch_McConnell).[1] The letter from McConnell's office to the Pentagon leaked in 2013, generating national headlines and subjecting the senator to mockery on cable news.[11]

The site drew attention in March 2021, when during a congressional hearing on extremism in the US military, US representative [Pat Fallon](/source/Pat_Fallon) made the false claim that the [Southern Poverty Law Center](/source/Southern_Poverty_Law_Center) (SPLC) had included the [American Legion](/source/American_Legion) and the [Veterans of Foreign Wars](/source/Veterans_of_Foreign_Wars) on their list of American hate groups. SPLC chief of staff [Lecia Brooks](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Lecia_Brooks&action=edit&redlink=1) noted that this claim had originated in a Duffel Blog satirical article that had appeared on the site in March 2021.[12][13]

## See also

- [List of satirical magazines](/source/List_of_satirical_magazines)

- [List of satirical news websites](/source/List_of_satirical_news_websites)

- [List of satirical television news programs](/source/List_of_satirical_television_news_programs)

## References

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-DangerRoom_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-DangerRoom_1-1) Ackerman, Spencer (19 February 2013). ["Senate Minority Leader Fooled by Report in Military Version of The Onion"](https://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2013/02/mcconnell-duffel-blog/). *Wired.com*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20130224052515/http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2013/02/incompatible-comms-stealth) from the original on 2013-02-24. Retrieved 19 February 2013.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-UsaToday2012-08-15_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-UsaToday2012-08-15_2-1) Douglas Stanglin (2012-08-15). ["The Duffel Blog's fake military news hits the spot"](https://web.archive.org/web/20120817232655/http://content.usatoday.com/communities/ondeadline/post/2012/08/the-duffel-blogs-fake-military-news-hits-the-spot/1#.USZLiTdNm72). *[USA Today](/source/USA_Today)*. Archived from [the original](http://content.usatoday.com/communities/ondeadline/post/2012/08/the-duffel-blogs-fake-military-news-hits-the-spot/1#.USZLiTdNm72) on 2012-08-17. Szoldra, a 28-year-old college senior, says regular contributors include about 20 volunteer writers described as "disgruntled Marines, annoyed Army guys and sickened sailors."

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-ArmyTimes_3-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-ArmyTimes_3-1) ["Satirical military news site fools some readers"](http://www.armytimes.com/news/2012/08/army-fake-military-news-site-the-duffel-blog-fools-readers-081412/). [Army Times](/source/Army_Times). 2012-08-14.{{[cite news](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Cite_news)}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service ([link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:CS1_maint:_deprecated_archival_service))

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** ["General's Controversial Graduation Speech"](http://www.snopes.com/politics/satire/brownspeech.asp). *David Mikkelson*. Snopes.com. 18 July 2012. Retrieved 8 November 2012.{{[cite web](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Cite_web)}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service ([link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:CS1_maint:_deprecated_archival_service))

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** ["Military Absentee Ballots"](http://www.snopes.com/politics/satire/absentee.asp). *Politics | Satire*. Snopes.com. 8 November 2012. Retrieved 8 November 2012.{{[cite web](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Template:Cite_web)}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service ([link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:CS1_maint:_deprecated_archival_service))

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** Harkins, Gina (25 November 2012). ["Petition asks Obama to OK hands in pockets"](https://web.archive.org/web/20131214100827/http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/prime/2012/11/PRIME-air-force-hands-in-pocket-petition-112512w/). *Marine Corps Times*. Archived from [the original](http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/prime/2012/11/PRIME-air-force-hands-in-pocket-petition-112512w/) on 14 December 2013. Retrieved 27 November 2012.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** Harkins, Gina (11 May 2013). ["Duffel Blog: Don't get it? He doesn't care"](http://www.armytimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2013305110004). *Army Times*. Retrieved 2013-05-29.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** Londoño, Ernesto (1 December 2013). ["Duffel Blog makes fun of military absurdities — and has the Pentagon laughing, too"](https://web.archive.org/web/20131203060635/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/duffel-blog-makes-fun-of-military-absurdities--and-has-the-pentagon-laughing-too/2013/12/01/ab5e817c-514e-11e3-a7f0-b790929232e1_story.html). *The Washington Post*. Archived from [the original](https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/duffel-blog-makes-fun-of-military-absurdities--and-has-the-pentagon-laughing-too/2013/12/01/ab5e817c-514e-11e3-a7f0-b790929232e1_story.html) on 2013-12-03. Retrieved 12 December 2025.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** ["Press - Duffel Blog"](http://www.duffelblog.com/press). *Duffelblog.com*. Retrieved 2016-09-09.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** Wolf, Mackenzie (2017-08-08). ["Mission Accomplished: Duffel Blog releases a book to celebrate five years of humor"](https://www.militarytimes.com/news/pentagon-congress/2017/03/20/mission-accomplished-duffel-blog-releases-a-book-to-celebrate-five-years-of-humor/). *Military Times*. Retrieved 2020-08-31.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-11)** Kim, Clare (22 February 2013). ["Mitch McConnell gets punk'd by fake national security blog"](http://www.msnbc.com/the-last-word/mitch-mcconnell-gets-punkd-fake-national). *[MSNBC](/source/MSNBC)*. Retrieved 2016-09-09.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-12)** Beynon, Steve (March 24, 2021). ["GOP Lawmaker Cites Military Satire Site 'Duffel Blog' at Extremism Hearing"](https://www.military.com/daily-news/2021/03/24/gop-lawmaker-cites-military-satire-site-duffel-blog-extremism-hearing.html). *Military.com*. Retrieved March 25, 2021.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-13)** Scuttlebutt, Dick (March 25, 2021). ["Southern Poverty Law Center classifies VFW and American Legion as hate groups"](https://web.archive.org/web/20220524183502/https://www.duffelblog.com/p/southern-poverty-law-center-classifies?s=r). *Duffel Blog*. Archived from [the original](https://www.duffelblog.com/p/southern-poverty-law-center-classifies) on 2022-05-24.

## External links

- [Official website](https://www.duffelblog.com)

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Duffel Blog](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duffel_Blog) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duffel_Blog?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.