By Steve Thompson, Contributing writer

There are plenty of great blogs scattered around the Internet about business, food, marketing and every other topic under the sun.

However, one type you might not have been exposed to are deployed military blogs. These are personal or political blogs written by military personnel, such as American soldiers currently fighting in Iraq or Afghanistan. There are also military men and women who start blogs once they return home.

The Internet provides soldiers with a unique opportunity to share their experiences with the public. Not only can this be a cathartic exercise, but it also keeps private citizens in the loop about what servicemen and servicewomen experience in war. Those who have spent time in Iraq and Afghanistan as soldiers have unique perspectives on both the war and the military.

Here are just a few:

American Soldier is one of the most poignant deployed military blogs on the Internet. It is written by a soldier named Jack who has just been pinned a First Sergeant. Jack has been posting since early 2004 on a fairly regular basis, and his posts run the gamut from observations of military life to his passion for snowboarding and riding dirt bikes. Jack also discusses the uncomfortable visibility of fighting a war, saying that, "Now I know what it must feel like to be a celebrity and have a sex tape released. There's nothing more intimate and personal than combat, and having the world watch your performance is disconcerting, to say the least."

Dude, Where's the Beach? Written by an Air Force officer who calls himself El Capitan, this is another deployed military blog that deserves a read. It is updated regularly with observations of living in base housing in the United States, as well as political insights and stories about his family and his colleagues. He puts into words the essence of what has become known as miliblogging: "I lost [my ability to express my thoughts] when I got back last January, but I'm getting there again. Everyone needs a place to sit and think out loud."

In Miserable Donuts, Major John takes a lighter tone in his blog about his life in Iraq as a soldier, as well as his return to American soil. He routinely posts pictures of what he has experienced in war, and he even writes poetry about the things he has seen and done. In June 2008, after a stint at Camp Al Shaheed Wessam, Major John wrote, "I may have left Basrah Province in person, but I will always remember the crucible moments in which part of an Army, and part of a nation, were fused together." He has a unique flair for capturing powerful moments in just a few words. His photographs are also worth a look.

CDR Salamander is a great deployed military blog to read if you are interested in politics and how our elected officials handle the war in Iraq. CDR posts media excerpts, letters from readers, observations and a host of other useful information from his unique military perspective. He touches on terrorism, Department of Defense issues and a host of other topics that will make you laugh one minute and cry the next.

A Soldier's Perspective is one of the few collaborative military blogs on the Internet, written by three U.S. Army soldiers who discuss politics, philanthropic causes, issues for veterans and numerous other topics that range from the tongue-in-cheek to the painfully guileless. The military perspective category is particularly illuminating. On Nov. 7, 2008, CJ wrotes a tribute to President George W. Bush, saying, "If the nation's character can be judged by the way it treats its veterans and its military, President George W. Bush has brought the highest level of character this nation could hope to achieve."