The what Act?! That’s what I’m saying. Is there some other law in effect I don’t know about called the “Ensuring All Bills Are Rhythmically Named And Excessively Long and Redundant Naming Act”? This act is a piece of work too. It just passed the House, narrowly, with a 229-194 vote margin. And what does it do for us?

The law would require the services to guarantee troops as much time at home as they spend deployed. While this sounds all wonderful and hunky dory, I have to admit I’m opposed to it. As a Soldier, I think I can express my opposition to a bill meant to help me and my family out. As someone who has deployed and will do so again, I also feel qualified to feel this way. I also realize I’m not going to get a lot of support for my way of thinking on this.

You may recall that I wrote about my grandfather’s time in WWII as a gunner and togglier in a B-17. Back in WWII, and later in Vietnam, there was no such thing as this “stability and predictability” crap. What’s so predictable about the enemy? If they were predictable, we’d be done by now. I’m offended that politicians who haven’t served a day in uniform think that I’m not strong enough to handle a deployments to a combat zone. Have our Soldiers become so weak and whiny that we now need Congress to tell us how much combat is too much? I thought we were Army Strong? The Few and the Proud? Aiming High? and Full Speed Ahead? (forgive me if some of those slogans are out of date. You get my meaning).

Thankfully, the President has threatened to veto such a bill and he should. It’s not the right thing for our military, though I’m sure many family members would disagree with me. We’ve already softened up our fighters with PC basic training, the abolition of uniform standards, the watering down of our NCO Corps (in the Army) by promoting without leadership school, etc. Now, we’re going to be coddled with our deployments. I wonder if Al Qaeda has the same policy of pulling their fighters out and giving them downtime for each day spent in combat. Probably not since they usually get killed or blow themselves up before they get the chance.

The other problem is Congress is attempting to take away the power from the Commander in Chief and his officers to decide deployment schedules. National Guard members would be required to have three times as much time home as they are deployed. By law, it would impose specific deployment timelines and homestation dwell time. That’s not Congress’s job to manage. We have Generals who are grossly overpampered to make those decisions.

What happens if during a particular unit’s dwell time at home station, another emergency flares up and those troops are needed? Are we breaking the law if we use them? Do we just ignore the emergency since the law is quite clear about when a Soldier can deploy? Some on the Hill think it’s in our best interests because “our troops and their families are tired.” Hell, yeah, we’re tired, but that doesn’t mean we want to give up. Al Qaeda’s a lot more tired than we are and I kinda like it that way. Our exhaustion means that Americans get to be lazy and continue about their lives as if nothing is going on to ensure that their way of life isn’t altered the least bit. We Soldier on so that Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan can safely put others in danger with their bad driving. It’s important that we remain free.

One can tell that Rep. Ellen Tauscher, D-Calif., has never served in the military nor does she any knowledge of how we work. “The Bush administration’s current strategy of multiple back-to-back deployments has stretched our military and is breaking our all-volunteer force,” she said. President Bush doesn’t decide who deploys, who doesn’t, and who does multiple back-to-back deployments. That’s the job of each individual service. If President Bush or Secretary Gates is the one deciding that the Marines deploy for nine months while the Army deploys for 15, I’m throwing up the BS flag!! But they DON’T!! The service Generals do!!

If I sound cynical and frustrated, I am. There are better things that Congress needs to be focusing on than how long my deployment is. How about fixing the tax code? Is Social Security already fixed? How about a bill to eliminate all the absurd toll roads on PUBLIC INTERSTATES here in the northeast!? I’m sure the border could use a lot more attention!! Come on, Congress! Get it together. Let us do our job or lace up your boots and get out here and do it for us.

Transfers in the military can be a pain the behind sometimes. As I wrote earlier, I was supposed to be taking a First Sergeant position at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, AL. My wife and I had found a realtor and were actively looking at homes to buy. I would say were just a number of days from starting the paperwork to purchase one.

Then came yesterday. I went to Walter Reed to take some donated books, letters, cards, and other items to the wounded Soldiers. A friend and reader from my other blog came down as well to spread some happiness. She brought some homemade cookies, short bread, and banana bread. She also brought some “Insulting Parrots”, little parrots that say about four or five rude phrases (phrases I can’t repeat or even censor here).

We first went to the Mologne House where Soldier who are recuperating stay. It’s comparable to a hotel in design and function. If it weren’t at Walter Reed, it WOULD be a hotel, I’m sure. In the lobby of the House, there is a table where people can place donated items. I spread out the books and Leslie left some of her baked goods. Almost immediately a few wounded warriors were checking out the bounty on their way in or out. They’re very shy about taking anything, but love to see what people are so gracious to donate. I told Leslie not to leave it all there since we’d be going to a few more places on the hospital grounds.

After Mologne House, we went to Fisher House. We met two families that lived in Fisher House 2 not far from the Mologne House. We sat and met with the wives, Sarah and Susan, of two Soldiers who had been injured in Iraq. For about an hour we just sat and talked with them about whatever came to mind. Both were younger than 25 years old - mere kids themselves. But these two young ladies were in high spirits and thankful to still have their husbands. Before leaving, I made appointments to come back and have a Guitar Hero II bash at the house with all the families.

After leaving Fisher House, I decided to take Leslie and her son to Ward 57 to give out the remainder of the goodies we brought. We arranged to meet with any of the Soldiers willing to see us (none declined). We slowly entered each room and explained who we were and why we were there. For those that don’t know, Ward 57 of Walter Reed is home to the Orthopedics wing. Almost every Soldier in there has lost or may lose at least one limb. Even though some were obviously sedated to deal with the extreme pain they’ve been put in, each made a concerted effort to acknowledge our efforts. We handed out the goodies and our hearts were warmed by the smiles that lightened their faces. They were humble too, afraid of openly accepting anything. Soldiers don’t ask for much. A little food. A place to sleep at night. And money to raise a family. When we’re injured, we just want to be kept alive. Anything beyond that is excessive and unnecessary.

Oddly enough, the point of this post wasn’t to highlight what we did or solicit a pat on the back. Here comes the point…

I was told point blank that my next assignment would be a First Sergeant position in Alabama. We looked at homes in the area. We researched the best schools. I even called the individual I’d be replacing and my new commander. After I left Walter Reed for the day, I got a phone call on the way home. I didn’t get the job after all!! Something got messed up and they thought I had the position, but they were wrong. I needed to pick my next follow on assignment.

“What are my options?” I asked. “Korea, Alaska, and Germany.” Great! My wife has been pretty clear that she doesn’t want to go overseas. I’ve been pretty clear that in the Army, it’s unavoidable at some point. I’ve been lucky that my only overseas assignments have been deployments. Thankfully, the assignment in Korea is also a First Sergeant position so I had them slot me with that one.

I’m not going to get all excited again. I knew better before and went against my better judgment. Experience has taught me never to count on anything until you have it writing. Then, only give it 50% of a chance. When I graduated from AIT, I was on orders to San Antonio as my first duty assignment. Literally as I was outprocessing, I was told that I’d been “diverted” to Fort Irwin, CA - the middle of nowhere. We had an apartment laid on and everything in San Antonio. We had to jump through hoops to plan for the news. I thought I had learned my lesson, but I guess I was wrong.  Don’t get me wrong, I’m not angry, depressed, or demotivated about this.  Just using the forum to express some slight discomfort and frustration - something you get used to in the Army.

Another downside is that I was actually going to use VAMC to get the loan to pay for my home. I was going to blog about the process so that others would understand how the “other side” the site works. Depending on where my family stays while I’m deployed, there may still be a chance. You’ll just have to keep checking back to find out what’s next for us.

The dictionary definition of courage is “the quality of mind or spirit that enables a person to face difficulty, danger, pain, etc., without fear.” Is it? Do courageous people really do those things that define them as heroes “without fear”? I think courage is best defined as “the quality of mind or spirit that enables a person to face difficulty, danger, pain, etc., IN SPITE OF FEAR.” Not many combat veterans will admit it, but fear is an ever-present companion on the battlefield. We wake up in the mornings afraid we’ve laid our head down in comfort for the last time. We go to sleep thankful for the opportunity to do so, but fearful of the day that follows.

If you look up the words “courage” or “hero” in an illustrated encyclopedia, you’ll see a picture of my grandfather, James A. Stuthers, Sr. He only served in the Army Air Corps for about two years, but he accomplished so much. He served as a togglier and ball gunner in the B-24 and B-17 bombers over Germany in 1945. At just 20 years old, he was thrust into a World War with on-the-go training and a will to survive. This is his story as told through his meticulous records and journals left behind after a life almost 82 years long.

Top row, left to right - Roy Reynolds, Jim Stuthers, Dick Scully;Middle row, left to right: Roy Reynolds and Dick Scully, Bill Swords, Dick Scully and Bob Butler; Bottom row, left to right: Dick Scully, Martin Kallinen, Bob Butler and Roy Reynolds. Photos taken at Mendelshem, England.

We left off with a mission over Frankfurt, Germany on February 17, 1945. Five days later, the Bums bombed the PFF (basically the Nazi Party) in Ansbach with no problems. Two days later, on February 24th, things wouldn’t be so easy. Bremen, Germany was a tough target. Bremen is the site of many historical conflicts dating from the 8th century when the troops of Charlemagne went in to christianise the tribes settling there. The city was also conquered by Swedish Viking Rurik in 859, Heinrich the Lion in the 12th century, and ending with the US occupation during WWII. Bremen was a key port city that American forces could use to resupply forces in the region. The Germans weren’t going without a fight.

“Heavy intense flak” carpeted the air the Bums were flying through. My grandfather’s plane suffered two holes during the run over the target. The prop wash from the close formation flyers made it a rough ride. Life in a B-17 is one of the most frightening experiences a man can ever face. It’s not like being a Soldier on the ground. If something is shooting at you on the ground, you just shoot back. When flak is exploding in the air above you, below you, beside you, in front of you, and behind you, you have no choice but to clinch your fists and pray that today isn’t your day.

This constant feeling of intense anxiety wears a man out and works on the very core of his being. In other words, you’re afraid. You fear for your life. You wonder if you’ll ever meet that special woman God has set aside for you. You ask yourself if your family knows how much they really mean to you. Through it all you tell yourself that if you live through this one event, you’ll never step foot back on that plane. The fear grips you and causes you to tremble. Your thoughts stammer; sweat seems to evaporate the moment it leaves your pores. It’s a fear you NEVER forget, even after 47 years when the sights and sounds of a B-17 landing at a nearby field during a demonstration invoke that shaking and nervousness. My grandfather was a proud man. He never spoke of this fear, even when confronted with it head on. There’s no need to look in a dictionary or study an encyclopedia to get the true meaning of courage or courageous people. I’m going to tell you what it is.

No matter how scared Tech Sergeant James A. Stuthers was, he forced himself back on that plane for mission after mission. He bullied himself through all the flak the Germans could throw at him. He didn’t run to Canada and he didn’t hide out in the sick bays seeking encouragement and excuses while the rest of the Bums sacrificed themselves at the alter of freedom. He climbed onto the plane, manned his gun, and bombed the town of Bremen into submission. The town was filled with smoke and fire. German fighters swarmed the airspace firing their guns at the planes as they unleashed their aerial hell. One B-17 didn’t make it back from that mission. Somehow, the Bums successfully navigated the 88mm flak, rockets, bullets and prop wash that presented a wall of steel 20,000 feet in the air. And the next day, he would have to do it again.

February 25, 1945 - Munich, Germany. The Bums switched from 500lb bombs to the increasingly popular M17 incendiary bomb. The M17 had better ballistics and a primecord release that could be set to give correct disbursement. This became the most favored and effective incendiary bomb among the Bomber Groups. It was a favorite of the 8th Air Force and the Bums carried six that day along with six 500 lb bombs, instead of the usual 10-12 500 pounders. My grandfather faithfully manned his nose gun scanning the skies for any sign of the Luftwaffe. As they approached their target, the skies lit up with “heavy intense flak”. Again, their aircraft only suffered one hole - a piece of shrapnel that penetrated the plexiglass of the nose gun and found its way high up into my grandpa’s leg. He only complained that there was a two-inch cut in his flak suit. This is probably due to the extremely cold nature of B-17 flight. That gash created a draft!

In Part III, I’ll close up his journal and relate my recent experiences and memories of my grandfather. I hope to also have an interview with the only surviving member of the Butler’s Bums, Richard Scully. He was a good friend to my grandfather and became like a brother. It’s a bond that death cannot break.

In the military, especially nowadays, we are forced to learn how to deal with death. It’s not uncommon for a Soldier to know someone who was killed in battle or at least have a close friend who knew someone killed in battle. War is an ugly thing, but we find ways to cope. Somehow it gets easy and death almost becomes acceptable and expected. It numbs us.

What it doesn’t teach us to deal with is the death of a loved one. For the first time in memory, I lost someone that I really cared about who meant a lot to me - my Grandfather. He had a huge impact on me growing up and I wasn’t even his biological grandson. My mother married my stepfather when I was about two years old and he raised me. I grew up around his family and they quickly became mine. I wasn’t a step-anything to my new family.

My grandfather was a WWII veteran, one of the estimated 1500 this country is losing every day. He fought in the European campaign with a flight crew affectionately named “Butler’s Bums”. This is their story - and that of the hero I call Grandpa. Everyone else called him Jim (James A. Stuthers, Sr.)

Patch of the 18th Bomber Squadron

The Butler’s Bums were named after the pilot of the B-17 aircrew, 1st LT Bob Butler. The Bums were part of the 18th Bomber Squadron, 34th Bomber Group, of the mighty 8th Air Force. My grandfather served from September 13, 1943 to November 2, 1945. He flew 25 missions over Germany with varying degrees of success and danger. The story of the Butler’s Bums has never been told so there is no research available to tell this story. I can only tell it through the perspective of my grandpa’s journal and photos.

He was trained to crew a B-24 Liberator bomber, a four engined American heavy bomber that was produced in greater numbers than any other American combat aircraft during World War II and still holds the record as the most produced US aircraft. More than 18,000 bombers were built during WWII, but only 15 are known to exist today, only half of those air worthy. He was assigned as a Togglier and Armorer Gunner on the ship. The road to Germany was a long one.

On November 9, 1944 at 2030 the crew of Butler’s Bums left Chatham Field on Fort Stewart outside of Savannah, GA where the 34th Bomber Group was based and headed north to Mitchel Field, New York. Six days later they loaded onto their brand new B-24J and headed north to Grenier Field, New Hampshire. On November 18, they left their point of embarkation and traveled to Goose Bay, Labrador in northeastern Canada. The next day they were in Iceland. On the 20th, Tech Sergeant Stuthers gazed at the northern lights of Iceland before departing for what he called the “large iceberg” of Greenland.

Two days later, they’d be in Wales. In Wales, they downloaded their personal equipment and loaded onto a train for a “beautiful ride down the coast” en route to Stone AAF near Stokes, Wales. I’m not sure where Stokes is since I can’t find it on any Wales map. For that matter, I can’t find Stone AAF. Both may have been renamed. What I do know is that he had his first “limey beer” in the town and left by train three days later. At 1500 on November 27, 1944, their train pulled into the station where they had to take a truck about 14 miles to their new base, Mendlesham, commanded by Colonel Creer (other noted high ranking officers included Lt.Col. Le Bailley, Maj. Duke, Maj. Gay, and Maj. Crabtree).

It was at this point that my grandpa noticed the new B-17 Flying Fortresses. Even though they had been trained to crew the B-24, everyone was happy to see that they’d be flying on the B-17. My grandpa noted in his journal that it was “plenty O.K.” by him to switch planes.

For the next two weeks, the crew trained on the new aircraft. My grandpa was trained to be the plane’s togglier and nose, chin turret gunner. The crew was given training and attended classes in weather, theory of bombing, bomb racks, bomb patterns, fuzing, auto-pilot functions, P.O.I. centering of stabilizer with two bombardiers. The training was intense and at times dry and technical, but the crew worked hard knowing that every bit of their knowledge was going to tested over enemy terrain. On January 13, 1945, the Butler’s Bums went operational. The crew consisted of Robert H. Butler-pilot (died 10/26/1987), Delbert “Roy” L. Reynolds-Co-pilot (died 09/1980), Richard “Dick” F. Scully, Dante Schifani (died 06/1983), Martin Kallinen (died 1978), James “Jim” A. Stuthers (died 07/09/2007 - he would have been 82 tomorrow), William “Bill” E. Swords (died 03/28/1999), Joseph “Joe” P. Remy (died 01/06/2004) and Edward “Ed” J. Renowden (died 09/13/2003).

Their first mission was executed the following day, January 14, 1945. Payload: 12x 500 lb bombs. Target: Derben, Germany, near Berlin. It wasn’t a first impression anyone would hope for. During the mission, 2 B-17s were shot ahead of the Bums. The two planes from 7th Squadron lost 2-3 feet off their right wing tips from direct hits. No chutes indicated that both crews were killed. The flak from Cukhaven below was heavy and accurate, but seemed to ease up over the target. Amazingly, the Butler’s Bums sustained no hole or damage during the mission. However, the bomb bay doors froze tightly shut and the crew returned with a full compliment of bombs.

The next mission took place the following day. Payload: 12x 500lb bombs. Target: Augsburg, Germany. It was a long mission with no activity, no damage and only meager flak in the sky. The next few missions were also uneventful: a small town on the Rhein River, Duisberg, Koblenz, Kassel, Dulmen, and Berlin.

On Valentine’s Day, 1945, the crew performed a mission over Chemnitz, Germany. During the flight, the plane blew the No. 4 cylinder and was required to abort. Nuts, bolts and scrap metal fell to the ground as the crew opened up the cowling back at base. Grandpa helped to navigate the crew from known flack over Amsterdam. Three days later the plane was fixed and the crew was briefed to expect heavy flak. The target was Frankfurt. As is typical with most intelligence, the brief ended up being false. No flak whatsoever was observed, the crew dropped their payload of ten 500 lb bombs on Frankfurt and observed the smoke from their actions spew thousands of feet into the air. It was a “good hit”.

Part II will come later. What a lot of people don’t realize is that these flights were extremely uncomfortable. The B-17 flew between 20,000 and 30,000 feet. At that altitude, the temperatures were easily -30s. Crews wore multiple layers to keep warm as the planes were not pressurized. To ensure that everyone was alert, the crews were constantly chatting with each other. Oxygen was practically nonexistent and it was imperative that constant communication was maintained in case someone’s oxygen mask clogged up or became inoperable. When someone began to speak incoherently, it was a safe bet that the oxygen mask had frozen up somewhere and was restricting the flow of oxygen.

Crewmembers were required to wear gloves to prevent frost bite when handling the heavy waste guns. Often times, the crew would be surprised by German fighters and grab the guns without taking the time to put their heavy gloves on. The results were akin to licking a flagpole in the winter on a snowy day. Add to all of that the constant turbulence created by the close formations the squadrons flew in on missions. The ride was bumpy and uncomfortable. There were no seats in the back of the plane for most crewmembers during the flight while they manned their guns. They huddled together on the cold floors to keep warm. Yet, through all of this adversity, the Mighty Eighth never once abandoned a mission. The crews flew on courageously knowing that they may never come home. Many did not.

My grandfather was a good man and kept meticulous records. Without his journal, I’d never know of the bravery and sacrifices he made as a young man. I never would have known about Butler’s Bums. On the way home from his funeral, I stopped at the 8th Air Force museum in Savannah, GA (just off I-95). The 18th Bomber Squadron had one small display case with no mention of their missions or the Bums themselves. If you’re ever in Savannah, however, the exhibits can’t be beat. There’s a cool simulator that puts you in the shoes of a waste gunner as you attempt to shoot down German fighter planes menacing your formation and threatening to shoot you down.

Definition: A traitor who turns against his or her own country to serve an invader. But what constitutes a traitor to a Soldier?

You hear from both sides they “support the troops”. Yet they both have overwhelmingly different methods of showing it. As a Soldier, I cannot stand hearing from people that supporting the troops means bringing them home before the mission is over. There is a group called Bring Them Home Now who sends out postcards that say “give the troops real support…bring them home now!” Presidential hopeful Barrack Obama even stooped so low as to say that “over three thousand lives of the bravest young Americans [were] wasted” in Iraq. Really? Wasted?

Tell that to “Kindi Girl”. This 13-year old little girl was being harassed and threatened with rape before American Soldiers stepped in to catch the men making the verbal assaults against her. One of those young troops died in a roadside bomb, but that little girl is now 15 years old. Was that Soldier’s life wasted? She wouldn’t think so. Who knows how many other countless “Kindi Girls” had been saved by that Soldier? Soldiers gladly lay down their lives in defense of the defenseless.

Many politicians on both sides of the aisle lately have begun to get worn out by the constant “bring them home now” drumbeat. Convinced that “we cannot win”, even our own government is admitting defeat. We are signaling to the terrorists that our resolve is weak and our will bending. Sen. John McCain recently asked Gen. Patraeus a very poignant question:

“Suppose that we send additional troops and we tell those troops, ‘we support you, but we are convinced you cannot accomplish your mission… we do not support the mission we are sending you on’? What effect does that have on morale of the troops?”

No one should be surprised that the General’s response was, ““It would not be a beneficial effect, sir.” Absolutely not.

The anti-war movement has it all wrong. They want to support us by “getting us out of harm’s way”. The job of a Soldier is inherently dangerous. The mere task of peacetime training is “harmful”, but so is riding my motorcycle on the highways of DC. Should we put an end to that as well? If we never put Soldiers in harm’s way, this country would not be here today. By putting Soldiers in harm’s way, we ended slavery and allowed minorities more opportunities than ever before. By putting Soldiers in harm’s way, we defeated communism and defeated the Japanese.

As much as I love my life, I knew what I got myself into when I signed that little pink form. We are an armed force. We train to kill for a living. We train to survive attempts at killing us. And we train for the unwanted event wherein one of us is killed. It’s expected that in combat SOMEONE is going to die. I accepted death three times in Iraq and survived. But, I didn’t ask to come home after each life-altering event. The progress being made in Iraq and the seeds being planted in the Middle East are well worth the more than 3000 service members that have paid that ultimate price. That is a difficult to statement to make, but I make it as a Soldier who has experienced combat, who has lost friends, and who almost lost his own life on more than one occasion. I would rather I didn’t lose ONE Soldier. But, I recognize that it is an unrealistic desire.

The purpose of combat is to kill the enemy. To the American people, the enemy is the terrorists. The enemy kills indiscriminately without regard for combatant/non-combatant, parent/child, innocent/guilty. Their purpose is to spread their brand of hatred and if it takes 50% of our national budget to defeat that enemy, we should accept it without reservation and do everything in our favor to support it.

We support our troops’ efforts of defeating these religious zealots by writing letters and cards of encouragement to our troops in combat; not by marching through the streets shouting down our President. We support our troops by honoring their sacrifice; not by creating mock funerals decked out with flag-draped coffins and little white crosses. We support our troops by sending care packages; not by sending legislation before Congress that defunds our efforts and establishes artificial withdrawal timelines. The timelines will be drawn then one side wins or one side loses. If we have “lost” this war in Iraq, who has won? I wish one of these big mouth, quisling-like politicians would tell us that. And if they are saying that the terrorists won, isn’t that the very definition of a Quisling?

What better time to start my regular presence here at VAMC than on the anniversary of when we became a nation?! I’ve signed on to be a regular blogger as I transition from one duty station to another. I’ll take you through the stresses of moving on the Soldier and military family.

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SUPPORT- MORE THAN JUST A BUMPER STICKER, Moderator- Chuck Z of From My Position… On the Way!

Chuck Z spoke earlier in the day at lunch and I can guarantee there was not a dry eye in the room. He told his story of when he was injured by an IED in Iraq and how he awoke in Landstuhl, Germany first, then later at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C. Each time surprised to find he was being watched over by Angels, Soldiers’ Angels. His personal story of courage made him the perfect moderator for this powerhouse panel.

Sandra Edens of Sew Much Comfort impressed me with her dedication to sewing special trousers and shirts for our wounded warriors. The duds are often complete with velcro in places you’d never think of because you’d never faced an IED. She and her volunteer seemstresses are Angels indeed.

Roxie Merritt of the OASD (PA) joined the panel helping to shed light on how the Department of Defense has picked up on the power of Milblogs and more specifically, organizations like Soldiers Angels and Sew Much Comfort, and working to support them through official channels. I was pleased to see such involvement by the DOD.

Two phenominal ladies from Soldiers’ Angels rounded out the panel, MaryAnn Phillips of Soldiers’ Angels Germany, and Patti Patton-Bader of Soldiers’ Angels. These two ladies and their volunteers have made sure that each and every of your wounded warriors is greeted, hugged, cared for, clothed, connected, and loved during each stage of their evacuation and treatment. They are my heroes and let us all not forget, SUPPORT for our Troops is so much more than slapping a bumper sticker on our SUVs.

Sgt Hook out.

RAPID-FIRE ROUNDTABLE, Moderator- John Donovan of Castle Argghhh!

Noah Shachtman of Wired’s Danger Room provided a perspective from someone who is inside the mainstream media. He took some heat from the audience as the discussion seemed to move into a Milblog v. MSM arena. Personally, I thought he did a good job of explaining just why it is MSM reporters focus on explosions as opposed to schoolhouses.

Lex of Neptunus Lex balanced the discussion with a Milblog perspective not only on the MSM question but on blogging as an active duty member. Of course I couldn’t help but envy his day job as an F-18 driver.

Murdoc of Murdoc Online sat proudly and unapologetically as an American patriot and staunch supporter of the military. He impressed this old soldier.

Rounding out the panel were Eagle1 of Eaglespeak and CPT Anthony Deiss of CENTCOM providing more input into the value of Milblogs and the potential effect of the Army’s recently updated OPSEC regualtion. The discussion became so lively that Jack Holt of the Office of the Secretary of Defense Public Affairs took the microphone and answered questions regarding the how the DOD planned to embrace Milblogs rather than shut them down. Once again, a fantastic panel with lively discorse.

Next up, Panel #4- Support- More Than Just a Bumper Sticker.

ALL IN THE FAMILY, Moderator Andi of Andi’s World

My personal favorite panel as it was composed primarily of those I consider to be America’s real heroes. I’ve often commented that though our men and women serving in the armed forces are the foundation of this nation, the families of our servicemen and women are the cornerstone.

Rachelle of ArmyWifeToddlerMom is an amazing woman who married a Soldier several years ago and shared her experiences with the audience. I found most moving is that her Soldier spouse was deployed during both births of their children and yet they stand ready to survive yet another deployment for our sake.

Sarah of Trying to Grok is also married to a Soldier and damn near brought me to tears with her compassionate plea for all deployed servicemen and women to please remember that their families back home live from phone call to phone call or email to email.

Becky of Military Families Voice of Victory provided thoughtful insight into what our military families go through, herself with 3-sons serving and having survived 22 straight months with them deployed.

Another mom, Carla of Some Soldier’s Mom captivated the room with her recount of how she reacted to the news of her son being wounded in Iraq. Amazing women all and a fascinating panel adding just the right flavor to the overall conference.

Next up, Panel #3- Rapid Fire- Roundtable.

FROM THE FRONT, Moderator: Matt of Blackfive.

I had the honor of being asked to participate in the Milblog Conference 2007 Panel #1, From the Front. I of course jumped at the opportunity. Sitting on the panel with me were Bill Ardolino of InDCJournal, Bill Roggio of The Fourth Rail, yours truly of Sgt Hook, and last but certainly not least, Sean of Doc in the Box.

The panel was able to provide insight on milblogging while deployed. This unique perspective raised several questions regarding limitations on content and access and a discussion ensued regarding the new Army regulations concerning OPSEC.

Bill Roggio did a good job of answering questions comparing, actually contrasting, Milblogs and the Main Stream Media as they report from the field. The consensus from the panel seemed to be that Milbloggers on whole do not resent the MSM, nor try to compete with them, but recognize that Milbloggers don’t feel the need to have explosions and casualties to publish a post, and are quite content with that. Most of the panel was hopeful that they are able to fill in the gaps that are missed by the MSM.

As the first panel was wrapping up, an audience member approached the microphone and shared a story of how while on his way to the conference he had met a young soldier (in uniform) in the airport and stopped to thank him for his service. A moment later he noticed a lady hugging the same soldier and saying loudly to him that she was doing everything she could to bring him home. The audience member asked our panel how he should respond to such comments. Feeling my blood temperature rising I quickly answered, “that’s an easy one, I’d tell her that we don’t want to come home until we’ve won.”

Next up, Panel #2, All in the Family.