....is underway and going strong. Right now we're listening to a spouses and loved ones panel discussing what it's like to have a loved one deployed and at war. The first panel was milbloggers who blog or blogged from in theatre. Sgt. Hook, Bill Roggio, Doc in a Box and Bill Ardolino were on the Panel and Matt Burden of Blackfive was the moderator.

There was a lot of discussion about PAOs and how the Marines are great and the Army sucks. Then some people stood up for some of the Army PAOs that they know personally. Like anything else, there are great ones and not so great ones, but the military really needs to get on board with the 21st century. (The Army PAO that contacted me for an interview has never responded to my emails. I'm sure he's busy, but really! It's 2007!)

There was a lot of discussion as well about how things are going in Iraq and how there are good reporters in the field who submit stories every day, but their editors back in the US never publish them unless they are sensational. One questioner walked up to the mike and began by sarcastically saying that we'd been discussing the media for 45 minutes and not once had we mentioned Paris Hilton. So the conference is obviously a failure.

A small anecdote, true, but very to the point. Our media isn't interested in telling the truth. They're interested in telling sensational stories that will generate revenue, and they particularly like the ones that portray the US in a negative light.

The second panel has been sharply critical of the jerks that leak deployment information before the families are notified. Yes, the media bears some responsibility for this, but the real culprits are the self-centered jerks in the Pentagon who put their personal pride ahead of the feelings of the military community.

They've also discussed PTSD and other problems that military families have to deal with routinely and how we need to make the people of America more familiar with the problems that military families endure. Vickie of Some Soldiers Mom made an incredible statement - "not all the wounds our troops suffer are visible".

Now Robert Stokely, who lost his son in Iraq, is speaking about how the milblog community "gave him his life back" after his son died. He said, "I get asked all the, 'Is Iraq worth it?'" His answer is, "Ask the little boy who grew up to be a man and gave his life for Iraq."

Cross posted at Media Lies

Contributed by antimedia on May 5, 2007 at 12:41 PM in Antimedia | Permalink

Comments

Posted by: Bill Faith

Thanks, anti. Keep 'em comin'.

Posted by: Bill Faith | May 5, 2007 1:11:07 PM