The more astute among you – a signal honor, as compared to the general population – are aware that, so long as the brain-cell slaughter currently embarked upon remains at sub-critical levels, your correspondent intends to present himself at the Milblog Conference in Our Nation’s Capital during the upcoming weekend, the Good Lord willing, and the creek don’t rise.
It may amuse you to discover that I have been asked to sit as a panelist on the “Rapid-fire Roundtable” hosted by John Donovan, of Castle Argghhh! fame. It’s apparently to be something of a potpourri – a French word meaning, “bunch of guys talking about, you know: stuff.”
Da Buckethead has solicited ideas from our panelists as to what form our discussions should take – how much time should be spent on self-important bloviating for example, and how much saved for ducking hard questions?
So, I’m asking: If you were there, and your correspondent had about 5 minutes to talk about what interested him – keeping in mind that other, better qualified panels are embanked to talk about the really important things – what’s actually happening on the front, on the home front, and how can the rest of us help – what would you like to hear us talk about?
I’m not sure if this bleeds over into the big picture, but I’m absolutely exasperated by the lack of coverage on all levels of this ground war. Not to take anything away from Yon, John Burns, et.al., but the story here is that the story isn’t being told.
Personally, based on what I’ve read about last year, I’d just like to be a fly on the wall for the weekend…
Seriously, your thoughts on the situation in Afghanistan would be interesting. It doesn’t get the coverage I think it deserves and I’m very curious as to why…
junior officer retention, and then mid-career field grade officer retention.
if it please.
I will be there and the one thing I’m hopin’ to hear y’all talk about is what MORE folks like me can do. How can we have an impact?
Well that and more sea stories of course…..
Just go with your gut, and speak about what you think is important. The rest of us are just along for the ride.
Perhaps a brief discussion of the power of MILBLOGS as “force multipliers” to provide a balanced account of things military; as opposed to the coverage presented by the mainstream media?
Come on Lex, talk about what makes you crazy. To hell with the “big” picture. (No one’s got a handle on that anyway).
How you forsee milblogging may influence, if at all, the future of military readiness or oversight.
Shipmates,
Actually, I see Milblogs as a counterpoint to the MSM, as well as the Government. A way to get out the news, the messages, the ideas that normal channels either cannot or will not.
I’m not talking about violating opsec or any of the UCMJ, but I’ve seen firsthand what kind of an agenda the “Major News Media” has, and how it bullies it way through to the front.
The only way to counteract that, to make certain that TRUTH and OBJECTIVITY (at leaset, as close to objective as we can, but that’s another argument) get out to the citizens so that they, at least can make up their own mionds about what’s going on and whether or not they should do anything to help or hinder it.
The Milbloggers are in the same feted company as the Panphleteers of our own nation were when facing the Royal Governors and their own agenda and publications. The King and his supporters had a lock on many outlets of news, and could control what people heard, and how it was interpreted. Thomas Paine, Ben Franklin and many others used their own private presses to make those small but valuable pamphlets and distributed them everywhere, in order to counter-act the King’s message(s).
Now, some may say that’s a reach, but as someone who has made a fair bit from the studt of American Military History, I can say that it’s no reach at all. Freedom of the press belongs only to those who own a press. The Milblogs give the virtual press to those most in need of a voice, those closest to the salient actions which deserve the widest dissemination.
We are a fortunate people to have them, and to have access to them. Our military would be foolish to act in any manner that would impede their generation of news, within, of course, the bounds of actual security.
Respects,
Lex, if it comes from your brain and out of your mouth, it’s all gold. Just tell it like it is.
And…we want photos.
Time for a beer while in the Fair City?
Suggested topics:
-any and all examples of how we (meaning the good guys) actually got factual information in the media that made us look good, and how the Home Guard can help do it again.
-the scandalous lack of good SEAL photos
Kris sez: And?
Kris sez: And…we want photos.
Second that!! LOTSA photos!!
I think there’s something to be said for “the power of the milblogs”, as I’ve heard it once said.
Speaking as someone with really no connection at all to the military, having had no exposure to any milblog, actually having never visited any blog before I came here, its been a fascinating and always a learning experience to have hung out here for the past eight months. And although I don’t agree with everything I read, it has definitely expanded (perhaps forcibly
shreddedstretched) my world view. Which has got to be a good thing. Perspective is everything, as they say.But seriously, that milbloggers never underestimate the power of what they are doing, even when you may not realize you are doing it.
Oh yeah, pictures. Preferably of men in uniform. Cuz that kind of stuff can just grow on a girl.
Just a reply to Bad Cat Robot about the lack of good SEAL photos. I understand from a friend of ours, a retired SEAL who is a distinguished author and film writer, that this is deliberate on the part of most SEALs. They don’t want their pictures taken and widely distributed, for security reasons. Some of them are ostensibly retired and yet still active in one or another ways. This young man doesn’t even have the obligatory author portrait on his latest book.
Marianne Matthews
Lex,
You gotta talk about network-centric human capital forcenet strategies (from, of course, the sea…)
Also, sounds like it will be a free-for-all so remember Nose’s third rule of leadership:
In a confusing situation, the loudest person in the room is the leader.
Go get ‘em.
N
what AW1 Tim and MAJ Mike said. Milbloggers as a force multiplier; company and field grade retention.
“When I entered his room and approached his bedside, he struggled with great difficulty to sit up, stiffened his body as if he were trying to stand at attention, grasped my hand tightly and wouldn’t let go. And then he whispered to me not to worry, "We can win this fight. We can win this fight."..” –SEN John McCain on his meeting with PO1 Mark Robbins
Many hands writing a Victory narrative, because “We can win this Fight.”
Don’t let go.
I wish you’d talk about the state of the Navy’s aircraft, that being what you prolly know the most about.
The F/A-18s are mostly kinda new, and seem to work OK, but the Navy’s other flying machines do seem to be getting a bit long in the tooth, so to speak. The E2s and P3s are right elderly, not to put too fine a point on the thing.
Grumman is gone. Who’s gonna replace them?
P.s. Anybody have a Grumman aluminum canoe he’d like to sell? They’re noisy, but damn’ near indestructible.
Cap’n,
I will be unable to attend again this year, but intend to have a great kodomo no hi. Oh, and from the way negotiations are going with my detailer, I may be stationed in DC for next year’s conference, in which case I’ll be sure to save the date in my calendar.
As for your question, I had to go back to the conference web page and review the list of panel topics to be sure my question wasn’t being addressed. It’s not, and so the big question that keeps echoing around the back of my head is, “will the milblogs phenomenon outlive the War on Terror, and if so, what should be our larger role in and appeal to society?”
In other words, are milbloggers here for the long haul, or are we just doing this because of the controversy and debate over the war? And if we are here for the long haul, what is it we as a group hope to achieve, or what should we be hoping to achieve?
Okay, so that’s more than one question.
Chris
Get to the heart of it…$$$. That Mil Blogers tell it like it is should be a given. How can Mil Blogs raise money for worthy causes that benefit all branches of our military? Not just wounded warriors, although they come first, but deployed families having a tough time.
I have no particular suggestion. I will be there and I just want to remind you that even though you are an Airedale…..you are the Navy guy on the panel, so I expect you to “represent”.
No pressure or anything, just remember, I will probably still be drunk and may heckle you.
I think The Future of Milblogging will be on the agenda:
http://www.blackfive.net/main/2007/05/new_opsec_regul.html
Perfect opportunity to lay it all out for those techno-dinos still on AD who don’t get it. Unlike dinos like me who sorta get it!
Get it?
b2
Hey Maggie, let’s hook up… I want to heckle too!
Seriously, I just read at Blackfive that the Army is driving Milbloggers in theatre out of the industry. Do you think this is an overall good or bad thing? I would think, based on current reg’s that this would be a prime topic of discussion.
You are obviously state side. What do you think of our military’s effort to allow voices in this war?
The other thing that I continue to be amazed with is how do we turn out kids that serve our national interest?
I think this is a rather important question as we seem to be bombarded by our culture to reject service to our country. You went to the boat school, you have a son in NROTC. How do American citizens send their best and brightest to the persuit of defense of our way of life? It is still a mystery to me and my son went through USNA!
I am still not sure what we said to him or what we did that made him want to defend his country. Isn’t that a funny thing?
Possibly, you wife should be on a panel to answer this question…
Then again, I am the mother of my Ens. son and I don’t understand it.
I dare say that the egg the Army laid the other day re. clamping down on blogging and email from the front in the name of OPSEC will be the central point of discussion…
- SJS