Whew!!  I’m finally able to see straight again after the weekend around all those energectic and gab gab gabby Milblogger people.  It was so much fun!!  In fact, I was having so much fun and yes, gab gab gabbing, that I didn’t take many photos.  But that’s ok, because a lot of other people did.  I’ll put up links to other bloggers with photos.

I got there about 3 pm Friday, settled into to my room and met Zero Ponsdorf outside having a cigarette.

A lot of the milbloggers were at the White House to meet with Senior Admin Officials and then to the Pentagon.  Cj has the write up about that here.  Yep, they reached out to the Milbloggers ~ about time!

Troy at Bouhammer had done the wonderful and set up for us to watch a screening of Scott Kesterson’s movie, “At War” for that evening.   Everyone should see this movie.  Go here to see the trailer and then work on getting it to come to your local movie theater.  If you want to know what our guys and the Canadians (who also kick butt!!) are doing in Afghanistan - and you should - this movie will give you an on the ground perspective.  One htat you won’t forget.

While we were waiting for the movie, I went into the hotel bar and I was able to meet up with JP Borga and his beautiful wife, Matt from Blackfive, Greyhawk and Mrs. Greyhawk, The Sniper, TSO, Jonn Lilyea, TankerBabe, Concrete Bob, Uncle Jimbo, and The USO Girls (who are absolutely adorable!)    If I met you there and left you out, I do apologize.  Time and faces got blurry there after awhile.  It doesn’t matter that a lot of us had never met in person, that just didn’t matter one bit.   We started talking to each other as if we had just seen everyone yesterday.

Many of the bloggers that were at this conference I have been reading since 2005.  They (unknowingly) had become my oh, so important support oasis when I started my new adventure as a Military Mom.  I can never thank them enough for being there every day.  So never underestimate the power of the blogosphere, no matter what category you may write under.

The reception was first class and gave us a chance to talk to more people as they came in.  Bill Roggio, JD Johannes, Matt from Great Americans, (he has videos up of interviews he did with some of the bloggers) Toni from Bearcreek Ledger (I met her at the last DC conference), Sherri (a true troop supporter!), Miss Ladybug (finally!  She and I are in a lot of BTR chatrooms together) and so many more

The young’uns (and some not so young, god love ya!) decided to go on to the bars after the reception.  I myself decided to get to bed so I could keep up with all the conference panels the next day.

The panels were varied and interesting, at the least.  So much terrific information from so many comes under the heading of Milblogs.

You can read some wonderful live blogging by FbL over at Argghhh!  FbL is ever so much more talented than me as she can listen and blog at the same time.  Remember - I’m the one who can’t talk and take photos…

1st Panel: Back to Our Roots
Panel #2: Beyond Milblogging
BG Oates from Iraq
Panel #3: Taking Care of Our Veterans
Panel #4: New Media Agora

In fact, just go over here and follow the links to read other bloggers recaps.

I don’t think the Milblogging community will ever go back to it’s roots, per say - the Milblog has evolved into so much more than an internet letter home or therapy for those of us sitting at home.  Watching the media over the years and how they handled the war and the politics behind it, the milblog has also become a soapbox on what is so wrong with the cable news shows and their agenda, a place to expose those who are not “military-friendly”, as well as a place to get the real story.

It is so exciting to see the “next level” of milblogging - books, videos, entry into journalism.  We need these voices out there in a broader venue than a little community on the net.  The civilian world has been distanced from the Military and the wars, mainly due to the mainstream media’s rude and silly coverage of it.  (ex: Airtime for Medal of Honor recepient vs latest spoiled little rich kid getting arrested.)

The third panel on Veteran’s care brought out in vivid detail the “broken soldier” vs the “warrior” mentality.  I, for one, do not let anyone in my hearing call our warriors “broken”.  I have visited too many warriors in hospitals and heard too many stories from other visitors of wounded warriors, to know of their tremendous spirit and strength.  Yes, they have a difficult road ahead of them as their life drastically changed in a minute of combat, but that does not mean they are “broken” or “victims” or “lost forever”.  And we need a lot more vets out there to be available to help these latest combat vets transition into the best possible life.  As it is with drunks, only someone who has been through it can fully understand that look in one’s eyes.

Totally awesome to listen to MG Oates, live from Baghdad.  Watch a video if you can.  We have the finest in uniform, no matter what the media or our elected idjits say.

The last panel was on the New Media.  I thank god for them - they go out and tell the story as it is actually happening.  No stringers, no agenda.  Just real reporting like the good ol’ days.   We need them on the frontlines and bless ‘em for having the guts and fortitude to go there!

An exceptional variety of topics and bloggers!

After all that I needed a nap.  Slept right through dinner hour and beyond!  Went down to have a cigarette and found Sherri and Concrete Bob.  Well, it bacame story hour and we all laughed and had such a super duper “bonding experience”.  (I’ll deny I was ever there, if certain things show up on the web….)

I stayed the night so that I could go on the field trip to the Tank Farm.  More on that later.  What a great experience!!  One more to check off my  I - so - want - to - do - that  list!

Some of my favorite people all at one table

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