(BUMP UP, LIVE BLOG SUMMARY)

Labels: MILBLOG Conference

...in its final hour.

What a wonderful get together. Met some great bloggers, great writers, dedicated folks who serve in their own way. And Andi of course did a great job pulling this all together.

The Support panel represents those who really understand selfless service.

Chuck: MILBLOGGERS please remember the rules. Think about who might read what you write.

Time for Andi to wrap things up.

Labels: MILBLOG Conference

No break, next panel up...

Sorry for the brevity of this summary, I sort of ran out of steam: a combination of blisters on my two typing fingers (despite the frequent use of a fire extinguisher, biological necessity, and feeling like I missed all the social interaction. (It always seems at these things that great conversations take place in the lobby, hallways, during the Panels.)

This panel has the REAL heroes, plus Chuck...

Sandra Edens, Sew Much Comfort
Roxie Merritt for OSD / America Supports You
Patti Patton-Bader, Soldiers' Angels
Mary Ann Phillips for Soldiers' Angels Germany

Talking about Walter Reed, restricting packages/mail from non-family members...

Patti has to sneak people in. They say, if they need more people to handle/sort, call SA and they'll have 100 people on the doorstep. Frustrating when they hear that there's a wounded soldier who hasn't gotten anything.

Chuck: What a great opportunity for FEDEX, UPS, to make a donation to SA to help get the mail and packages to the troops!

Hook at the Mike: Thank you for what you do for the soldiers.

Anti-Media at Mike: Untapped potential, Vietnam Vets.

Patti: A lot of folks who are stepping forward are the Vietnam era veterans. A lot are getting involved.

Labels: MILBLOG Conference

Great lunch, we're ready to get started with Rapid Fire...

John Donovan (Moderator), Noah Shachtman, Neptunus Lex, Murdoc, CPT Deiss of Centcom, Eagle1 from Eaglespeak, Slab of OPFOR.

John: I started blogging because I got tired of yelling at the TV. Talking about Ted Kazinski, "people aren't always what they seem to be. Guy may have an arsenal in his basement."

The object was to be an explainer. Media -- 24 x 7, they have to make money.
Example from before, Saddam trial versus operations...

Eagle1 of Eaglespeak: I try and work through history of the Navy, current events, piracy, how terrorists might attack maritime interests... Things the Coast Guard is doing, haven't met many others...
Eagle1: Son Navy helicopter pilot, another who wants to be the next Lex.

Murdoc from Murdoc Online: Emails, started blogging about military things. Hobby, something fun. Google, finding military stuff. Background interest in military, started taken off. A lot of neat people to meet here. Nothing makes my day better than getting a thumbs up from someone in the military.

Noah Shachtman: Yelling at the TV, used to yell at TV myself. At Walter Ctronkite, Proto-baby blogger. Interested in blogging from the start. Went to his editor, want to write about blogging, he says, yeah, yeah.

6 months later, that guy got fired. Now, Wired has 12-15 blogs, that's an important part of what we do.

Thinking about being the lone MSM guy here...luckily I put my fangs away...

Wrote a story the other day about AR 530-1 OPSEC...

Charlie Bendil, SLAB, at OPFOR: 2nd and third deployment, kept people up via Matt on Blackfive. Invited to join OPFOR. Try to keep a grunt's eye view. Not too sweeping with my posts, that's not my lane. Ready to go over, try to keep blogging.

Lex from Neptunus Lex: Great opportunity to share your experiences.

CPT Anthony Deiss, Army National Guard, mobilized at CENTCOM: PAO by trade, since working at CENTCOM, blog outreach program and Electronic Media Engagement Officer. Has a couple soldiers that support effort. CENTCOM really looks at blogs as credible media. Many in military don't feel that way. We really embrace you guys. Honor to be here.
Noah, myths about the MSM: I think there's an idea that MSM reporters are some kind of fifth column or disloyal Americans. Deliberately put out there, a little evidence out there. But incorrect.

I have noticed that news stories have a bias towards the dramatic. In Iraq, I didn't write about hanging out playing Halo 2 on the FOB, but about days when things blew up. Not a bias against the war. If it bleeds it leads.

Another myth, reporters sitting in Green zone, lazy. Not the case. Iraq is the most dangerous place for things like this.

Friend, David Axe, been to Iraq 7 or 8 times. A lot of others like him. In general in the press, value to being skeptical towards officials, especially military officials. Run up to Iraq war, kept skepticism in back pocket, have to get behind the war, got burned as a result.

In Manhattan or LA, not many coming from a military background. Seems weird, southern, alien -- audience, cluebat time -- right, everybody here is a cluebat.

Can teach reporters about military and our specialties.
John: You're fooling yourself if you think you don't need the MSM. Most of us are secondary and derivative. Filling in the edges.

Reading from senior Army PAO guy: what are the smaller steps, to accomplish the bigger step of Army recognizing milbloggers.

Last year, Centcom sent two majors, most spoke outside conference. This year, PAO sitting on the panel. ADM Fox live from Iraq, a small step. President addressing us this morning, a small step.

I don't think bloggers are an after thought. Still an attitude that MSM is the money maker. Lack of means to measure milblogs. Real target audience isn't people, it's Congress. Go to MSM because that's how to reach Congress.

Sees a potential improvement in GEN Casey. I still see milbloggers as secondary or tertiary comms channel.

Not how many, but who reads you.
DoD speakers, we love bloggers, we're big on bloggers, Conference calls, hooking up with bloggers...

Leadership in Iraq, Pentagon, in touhc with you. Happy to engage with you.

John: What has changed in last year that made that worth the effort?

A: Hezbollah Israeli engagement, faked pictures, propaganda, blogosphere outed the fakery. Israel did a study 6 months later, but milbloggers a barometer.

Latest Zogby survey, people getting news from Internet versus TV. Military looking at it, we tend to be innovative, getting in and looking at the whole medium, important to the military.

Question: Jihadists can spin out a video in 24 hours, why can't the military?

(Female DoD Officer in Audience) Answer: Has to go through OPSEC review, real-time, even Gulf War, enemy watching on CNN to gauge retargeting...

CPT Deiss: Everybody wants to get their chop on it. Unavoidable.

Jack Holt PAO guy in audience: Jihadist enemies have no compelling reason to tell the truth. We have to make sure our stuff is accurate, as well as protecting operational details...

1st Army DIVIT (sp?) System. One of the areas where we had to get products out there. Very successful. MNF-I You Tube video system. Most people don't know DIVIT was there, MNF-I in one week, You Tube site up to #16 in popularity.

John: We're losing the information war. All the reasons given, but there it is.

Jack: That's why I came here. We will have to look at the way PAO is done.
Question: Embed, register bloggers? Feedback.

Chuck Z: I have been credentialed its called the Constitution, I have a right to express my opinion. But, I am also accountable for what I say.

Murdoc: Milblogs do a great job of filling in what isn't being reported.

Labels: MILBLOG Conference

Becky, Military Families of Victory, Military News of the Day: Frustrated mom of three military.

Sarah, Trying to Grok, SpouseBuzz: Number one "ware cheerleader on a hate site." Contributor to The Blogs of War

Carla, Some Soldiers Mom: Not enough parent voices. Contributor to The Blogs of War.

Rachelle, Army Wife Toddler Mom. Contributor to The Blogs of War. "Blogging cheaper than therapy."

Andi heads the panel.

Andi: Quoting Sarah, writing about an Iraqi policeman who quit because his police chief was beheaded.

Sarah: Described it as a "knife in the heart" that her husband is putting his life on the line for Iraqis, but an Iraqi who "runs away" from the danger. Knows it's not representative, maybe "same three disgruntled Iraqis" in reports, but still upsetting. Have a truncated view of our own history, Independence, had this Civil War, everything was easy. Hard to face reality of how long how much it takes.

Carla: What it's like to be a mother of a wounded soldier. "After Noah was recovering...was not the person we knew who returned from Iraq." (Suffered from Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome (PTSD).

Our soldiers are younger, they're experiencing horrors...Not just his experiences that caused the PTSD, but all the losses of friends he experienced. Within a week of him leaving for Landstuhl (Germany). Survivors guilt. We've gone the gaut with the Army medical system. Changing, but not fast enough for this mom. Getting people to acknowledge PTSD as an illness. People say theu should suck it up. "We have a generation on the streets because they sucked it up."

Anthing that sounds negative is "fodder for the anti-war crowd." It is what it is. It's a war. [Dad: Says more about those who use it as fodder than those who talk about it openly] After the war, we'll still have fall-out. There is no one who is more anti-war than the mother of a soldier. Sometimes war is necessary.

Son said, I'd rather be in theater slaying dragons, than in garrison slaying paperwork.
Carla: Are there soldiers being treated improperly, overmedicated, of course. Many more are being taken care of, capable of functioning in society.

Deployment Extensions. Families found out by leak from Pentagon, in news, rather from Military. Hoped SecDef found the leaker before an Army Wife does...

AWTM: All about respect. I don't like finding out from my father, or from the neighbor. Anyone who's getting ready for a deployment...sort of a separation in the home that goes on. Physical separation, when you get the word that you ae going again, get that separation in the home. On and off again, disrespectful. Other things going on in the family, other struggles, disrespectful that word gets to families through the media.

Day of phone calls that leads to a week of phone calls. Hardship on military families.

Families that spek out to the media. Becky, appearance on Larry King/CNN. Had some really hateful things posted in comments on the blog. Some wish the troops dead. "Someone has to die before you'll be against the war." Even when I know where these people are coming from, it still hurts. Better after the CNN appearance.
Sarah: Lots of people don't pay attention. They say, why don't you enlist? That would be easier, for me to deploy rather than my husband. I can come to grips with my own mortality, than for my husband.

Carla mentions that soldiers worry more about their siblings.

AWTM: Someone else experiences the same, been there done that. As National Guard wives, in a town with only two Guard wives. Isolated from military community. Important to get the support (SpouseBuzz, etc.).

Sarah: The day Andi asked me to join SpouseBuzz, she had a friend had a battle on her blog, turned into Officer versus enlisted fight. I was really reluctant, things get really nasty on the Internet. Best environment, very respectful, relaxed, I thought it was going to be "like all the others."

Andi: Carla, why don't you start a "ParentsBuzz?"
Andi is bringing Robert Stokely up to talk about the loss of his son and what the MILBLOGGING community means...

Robert: Speak from the heart, you can't go wrong. SGT Mike Stokely's 2nd marriage anniversary. Dead three months later after deployment. I went from being first place to second place (when his son got married). He never made me feel like second place.

What I felt like as a Dad, got a clock, set it ahead to Iraqi time. Learned there was no down time in Iraq. I worried if he was okay, if he would come home the shell of a person. Obviously worried if he would get hurt.

You guys gave me my life back after I lost my son. I felt like I had lost my mind. I stumbled on the MILBLOG community. Expressed some feelings to Greyhawk. Then Others. Felt how much love y'll were willing to give me and my family. It would be easy to cave and fold, not just as my son, but my best friend.

That loss cut really deep. That little boy, born premature, (lifts a diaper) "unused of course," couldn't wear this diaper without falling off (really small), grew up to 6 foot two, 220 rock hard pounds.

Was it worth it? Ask that little boy who became a man. I don't know what else to say.
At mike: Keep after your local media. Might get offered an opening.

AWTM: One of the good things that's coem out, advocacy with VA and in military community. I would encourage those out there...

Carla: Have had a lot of opportunity to advocate for our veterans. A lot of places don't want to just hear from a Mom. How she got the name for her blog, had some SGT say, "you're just some soldier's mom" (Her husband said, "oh no, he did not just say that...")

People thank me for my service when I thank them for their son's service.

Quotes Murtha, "we need to make this war more personal." It doesn't get more personal than this.

Becky: Litany of contacts back at our blog to contact representatives...

Sarah: When a reporter lost a friend, then it became a story for her to tell. Became personal. Every soldier is someone's husband or son or friend, not just somebody who's a friend of a reporter. Everyone's worthy of a story being written.

[Dad, an aside. Wonkette intro'd herself in the last panel, "I'm from the media, and I'm here to help."]

Hoah Wife at Mike: Is SpouseBuzz showing how spouses are doing?

AWTM: Really impressed with young wives. 22 year olds, really heroic and brave. I've been really impressed.

Andi: met 18 and 19 year old wives when SpouseBuzz Live at Fort Hood, amazing what these women have to deal with at that age.
Hook at Mike: You guys are my favorite bloggers...I hope to grow up someday and be as cool as you. Do you ever have any angst if your blog has any effect on your soldiers career?

AWTM: Manure. At an officer's convention...AG came up and said, I found your blog. (Oh, manure). I don't know if it's altered [my husband's] career...

Carla: I didn't know what I was going to write. I was afraid if I wrote something it might get back to my son. Reason I satyed anonymous. Once I hit send with his name, someone told her son that "I know your mom!"

Colonel's wives who will stop her son and say, "I love your mom's blog." He did take a lot of grief from NCOs, just giving him grief about his Mom.

[Dad: Sounds like "Yo Momma" type ribbing. "Yo Momma is a blogger."]

Sarah: Telling people you met people on the Internet, get funny reactions. Here Husband said, "I heard Jodey was in town." She replies, "that was retired LT GEN Jodie to you."

Becky: I've seen lots of soldiers off, different when you send your own son off.
Carla: I am totally humbled by my children's service. I am in awe.

Sarah: What do we want MILBLOGGERS to know:

My friend came back from an SF assignment. I kept thinking: I feel a jinx, what if he doesn't come home.

To anyone deployed: we don't know what it's like. We don't have all the information. My war is probably cartoonish. Whenever we aren't on the phone with you, you could be in danger. You know where you are. We sit in that waitful stage. My husband can't really understand. You know when you're safe, we don't.

Labels: MILBLOG Conference

Panel 1 getting formed up. Blackfive, Bill Roggio, Sean from Doc in the Box, Hook, Bill Ardolino from IDC Journal.

Ward, mention of AR 530-1. Reading letter from SEN Cobyrn, et al

Americans benefit directly from MILBLOGS. Urging military NOT to interfere with milblogs.

Matt Burden, Blackfive, From the Front.

Big difference from last year.
Matt
Quote from Pres. Truman. Bess Truman, someone urging her to get the President to use a word other than "manure." She says, " heavens, it took me 25 years to get him to use the word manure."

Matt got the message out to CENTCOM, PAO. "I gave you hell last year. You guys rock."

Has been a sea change, GEN Petraeus has made a difference.

Message from SFC in Al Anbar...
Tell the MIlbloggers thanks. AQ "manureheads" are being turned in...plug the Soldiers' Angels. "Those gals are the HEAT."

OPSEC a hot topic.

Introductions by Matt.

Sean Doc in the Box. One of the originals. Three tours. First comms 3 or 4 years ago. This is a man who saved people's lives. Had to knock a guy in the head with a 9mm
Quotes Post: Million things flying at me at once. Love this manure. (Talks about going into combat for the first time.
Matt, Introductions

Hook, CSM. Matt Helping Hook get a morale tent and internet set up in Afghanistan.

Hook: Part of an Aviation. Crew chiefs noticed that children run to GIs. Didn't have shoes. Crew chiefs came up with idea to send shoes. Hook telling his soldiers, "hey I think I know some people who might want to send some shoes." BIG response. Operation Shoe

Back to Matt, introductions
Bill Roggio "analysis best on the internet."
Eason Jordan, CNN, set up challenge with Easongate. Ready to fight. 11 days, Jordan resigned. Bill is an embed.

Bill Ardolino. First post, State of the Union... Embedded.

Matt, "what do people bring with them?

MP3 players and IPODs.

Laptops.
Sean, Doc in the Box

First time, new heaters, Next time, air conditioners, same heater. Internet cafe.

Matt, report that troops are being charged for Internet in Afghanistan.

Hook, before, share a (military) connection. Now, service, can be charged per month for access to internet in the hootch.

Bill R, lots of cell, other comms, lots more available now.

Matt, back to OPSEC.

Mentions GEN Casey.

Sean: I'm in the Navy, so Army Regs, I'm not really worried about (applause).

Having somebody read over our blog posts. Mundane.

Matt: "My sandwich was awesome."

Sean: Probably a big mistake. But ID of someone dying before family notified... Other problems more like things that PAO didn't like.

Matt, mentioning Al Anbar. Hearing from SGTs, ADM Fox, we're winning in Anbar. Not what we're hearing from MSM.

Bill Ardolino: Media just behind. Other day, story in the Times, good, didn't mention Abu Ghraib. Nearly had a heart attack.

Really don't think...media just don't have people out there. Expensive.
Bill R: Let them [al qaeda and insurgents] fight each other off. Kind of a mistake. Needed to co-opt. Clear there was an organized effort. "Awakening Movement," not just Sunni, but pan-Iraqi. Experts ignore this today. Just another militia. Just not the case, per Bill. Fascinating story, just scratching the surface. A real success story in Anbar.

Hook: Fascinating to get real stories out. Have to go to MILBLOGS. Reporters are there, interviewing us, but never saw those stories. May not affect the soldiers as much, maybe when they come home and watch. Thank God for MILBLOGS!

Bill Ardolino. Italian reporter wanting to go in, no major European dailies were willing to credential him.

Bill R: Nothing happens quite a bit in Iraq. Closest I've come to a firefight, close to me, that's about it, and I've been out a lot. Case in Baghdad. Reporter, never saw anything. No report. Another place and time, big attack. That got reported. That's why I'm not afraid of reporting, "well, nothing happened."

Bill A: Tons of human interest stories. Greatly underreported.

Hook: Would Ernie Pyle be successful today.

Matt: Because I'm a paratrooper, I know what it's like to be surrounded. At a Military reporters conference. File a story every single day, only time stories picked up, if somebody killed. LA Times, NY Times, losing their collective readership. Sea change. Blogs are once place to go.

Bill A: Went to Bill on how to work with PAO, embed. Not an easy process. Lost paperwork, wrong paperwork, sounds more like bad process and (some) lack of competence. Finally got in. Wasn't a very positive process. Not that they're trying to prevent you from embedding.
Discussion that Marines do a much better job PAO than Army.

Gateway Pundit posted the video message from President Bush.
Hook: Soldiers are reenlisting in country.

Earlier comment, morale is higher in OIF OEF than back in garrison.

Question for panel next.

Carla, Soldier's Mom: What are your personal constraints?

Doc: My people, I don't blog about it. I don't wnat to go there or say anything bad about them. I don't talk about anything that gets close to Operational.

Bill R: From non-active duty. Constraints are far less. 8 page document of "don'ts," but not very difficult. Emotional thing. Want to respect the families. Love to talk about SF, see that stuff happen around you, they don't seem to like it.

Matt: B5 has a soldier doing SF...trying to find ways to get things out...

Question about negative comments. PBS Piece. Focused on negative writing, Operation Homecoming. How do we combat that?

Matt: Have to tell the truth. Did a good job with some stories. But some comments inappropriate. How the spin goes.

Question from Chat: Will Bill Roggio embed again?

Bill R: Haven't made a decision.
Bill R: War will be won or lost in Baghdad, though Anbar, other places, important.

Question from Vietnam Vet: Is public aware of what MILBLOGGERS are saying versus media?

Matt: From chat, Can Milbloggers confront strategic propaganda?

Bill A: Milbloggers this big, MSM this big. But mentions Rather incident, can create national airing. Media isn't listening to what Milblogs are saying. Frustrating.

Hook: It is frustrating, but keep getting the word out. Get the story fo the soldiers out to the public. My dad was spit on, doesn't happen today.

Bill A: In Iraq, how soldiers are behaving. Humane, how Iraqis view Americans. Would welcome Americans into their neighborhoods to arrest somebody. In the beginning, they were mistrustful of their own ISF. Trust us more than their own, because of institutional memory of Saddam...MSM gets it backward.

Bill R: Media's not going away, we're not going to replace them. We need to build bridges. We need to understand them. Can't maintain adversarial relationship, if all we do is scream about the bad media, we will fail.

Matt: Media exposure, there are directors and producers who want to balance. Afraid of being found out, some really good people in the media.

Bill R: Media says, I'd like to use your stuff, but afraid about the blogs. We've built in a lot of mistrust. We fly off the handle.

Michael Fumento in audience: Been in Anbar, just back from Afghanistan. One embed, needed to go to GEN Petraeus to get me in. Lost that contact now, he's busy with other things. McClellan great PAO, lost to an IED. Lots of dialog, not a question just yet...

Glenn Reynolds links to the live feed, thanks Glenn!

Anne Marie Cox, “Wonkette” here. Speaking on mike. “I’m with the media, and I’m here to help.” (Big laugh)

Her uncle, Vet, likes blogs, but can't imagine having this back in his day.

Matt: When war became political, I became political.

Bill R: Milblogs pro mission, branded as "political." Doing their job. not political.

Wonkette: Isn't that political.

Bill R: No, like a Doctor treating his patient, doing their job.

Matt: Got a message from Ted Kennedy, wanted to tell us that he was being the MILBLOGGERS. Never thought I'd see that.

Doc: I'm pretty liberal myself. Don't really post on political issues.

Hook: I stay out of political issues myself. "You're George Bush's lackey..." People would be surprised if I revealed my opinions.

Bill A: When the bullets fly, political stuff goes out the window. Lose a lot of patience with the political stuff.

Matt: November 5th, same day Saddam got sentence, fought a running gun battle with over 100 AQ fighters...Not reported because of Saddam's sentence.

Q: How are MILBLOGS being captured for history?

Matt: Plug for The Blog of War.

AFSister at Mike: Boyfriend is a PAO, she takes offense! (laughter) Hook, can you tell everyone, how troops are responding at Walter Reed, how they are being treated.

Hook: To a soldier, not a negative comment, anger. Feel sad for them, then feel guilty for feeling sad after you leave. Their spirits, their feelings. Very unhappy with stories about Walter Reed. Some have been there years.

At Mike. Saw a soldier in the airport, thanked him for his service. Older lady, same up and hugged him, trying to get you home, last election, message to President. What do you say to those who sincerely think they're helping by speaking against the war? He doesn't want to come home.

Hook: "I don't want to come home until we win." (Applause.)

Lots to go at the 2007 MILBLOG Conference, live feed here.

End of Panel One. Great job, gentlemen!

Labels: MILBLOG Conference

Kick-off and Keynote Addresses

We’re here, where are you?

Today is the 2nd annual MILBLOG Conference, and Andi’s done wonders again!

Hook is here, and Matt of Blackfive of course, Mrs. Greyhawk, editor and link master for Mudville Gazette’s Dawn Patrol. Chuck Z, Eaglespeak, Neptunus Lex, John of Castle Arrgghhh!, the “cotillion” from SpouseBuzz, lots of Soldiers’ Angels, Murdoc, Bill Roggio, Michael Fumento, Ward and the folks from Milblogging.com.

Geez, that’s only scratching the surface. This is the place to be today!

Surprise: President Bush with a taped message for the Conference.

Many bloggers are private citizen who want to help
Responsibility to support troops and their families
Milbloggers Tell stories of courage and sacrifice
Report important developments in war on terror
Rally fellow citizens
Strengthens our nation
Milbloggers an important voice for freedom
Understand that defeating terrorists must defeat their ideology
Thanked us for our support
Voices and energy for the causes of freedom

Admiral Mark Fox, in Iraq, live feed
Don't get a chance everyday to put an Admiral in the hot seat in Iraq.

Talking about a remarkable turnabout in Al Anbar.

Adm Fox, "it's a humbling experience to serve in the US Military today."

Giving a current update:
GEN Petraeus took over in January. "Enforce the Law," Iraqi focused plan to change the security situation.

4 of 5 brigades have arrived in Iraq. Fifth by mid next month, operational. Little over 20,000 combat reinforcement, another 10,000 or so support, MP, etc.

We would build but not hold in the past.

Joint security stations (Iraqi military, police, US)

57 such outposts, 24x7, persistant presence, in the neighborhoods.

ISF continues to mature, more capable. Still need mentoring, more effective when alongside US troops. Have cultural sensitivity.

Before, we were on FOBs. Commute to the war. Patrol.

Cnter of gravity is Iraqi people. Must be in their midst. Increasing level of contact between Iraqi people and their security forces. Increases cooperation. More tips, intelligence. April all time high for stockpiles, weapons tipped off and captured. 2/3 reduction in violence in Baghdad.

Still high casualty, high visibility ttacks to get media attention.

Facing a really mevil and diabolical enemy.

Iraqi people very restrained really.

ADM Fox does a great job, very knowledgeable. Good presence.

Q: With MSM not covering war in positive way, what can we do as MILBLOGGERS to help?

A: This is such an important new way to explain things. Milblogs leading the Media. Phenomena of blogging, truth will alway come out. Quotes Bible, "truth will make you free."

Just speaking the truth. Lost in this debate, the moral aspect. We are the good guys in this effort. When we have shortfalls, we bring the news out, take appropriate action. Unfortunate incident, but don't see this on the other side.

Great sense of confidence, our system and our ethic, we admit. Enjoy being part of a free society, where people can speak out. Stay engaged.

Will only grow in importance. Journalists, I've grown to respect. I have an issue with how some of their stories are edited. Have more of a beef with editors and producers. How some stories are characterized.

Stories that have more excitement that opening schools or health clinics.

[Milbloggers] a more clear picture of what's happening.

An honor to serve in the military.

God wired us to make a difference. We liberated a people, we protected the weak.

For the first time ever, a representative Government in Middle East.

Given the Iraqi people an opportunity for hope.

Long hard fight. Hard, doesn't mean it's hopeless.

ADM Fox just finished speaking.

Ward Carroll, on behalf of media, "we screwed it up, we're sorry."

Thanks JP Borda, who couldn't be here. (My fellow committee member.)
Thanks to Andi!!! On her way to San Diego, SpouseBuzz Live 2.

Ward, mentioning Claude from the White House.

Labels: MILBLOG Conference