Thank you, Mr. President

I can’t imagine living through the current Global War on Terror without milbloggers. Without them, I frankly don’t think I’d know what was going on in Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, the Philippines, or elsewhere. Especially not at the level of detail that milbloggers provide. They provide a “pulse” that civilians like me can check to see how things are going, especially when the incessant political rhetoric starts to obstruct our view of the facts and the viewpoints of those actually in the midst of all the action.

I’ve said thank you to them before and I support their efforts with donations, but it feels rather feeble at times considering the time they must spend blogging.

So! I was particularly delighted to read THIS POST by Mrs G last Friday night after work. In fact, I thought it was so terrific that this morning I dropped a "thank you" note in the mailbox. I’m posting my note here, too, because it’s a fun way to bring Friday’s event to your attention and to remind you to check out the most recent posts from Mrs. G, Bill Roggio, Blackfive, and, of course, Greyhawk (also here).

September 17, 2007


Dear Mr. President,

It was not your intent, but you did me a huge favor last Friday morning.

You see, I am a regular reader of several of the bloggers that you invited to the White House for a chat. While some of them may manage to cover the costs of their blogging with donations from readers, overall they give much more than they will ever get in return.

What do they give? The best coverage I can find about what is going on in Iraq, Afghanistan, and the rest of the Global War on Terror. Whether it is the daily news reports at Bill Roggio’s site www.LongWarJournal.org, the voices of assorted milbloggers via Mrs. G’s “Dawn Patrol” at www.MudvilleGazette.com, or profiles of our military heroes in Blackfive.net's “Someone You Should Know” series, I get informed reports with valuable context and commentary. Frankly, I can not imagine how many unpaid hours they spend in providing these reports, and my thanks and donations only go so far.

However, the priceless gift of your time and recognition helped balance the scales quite a bit.

With much gratitude,

Lisa

P.S. My only disappointment is that you did not get to meet Mrs. G’s husband and my favorite milblogger, Greyhawk. He is busy with his second tour in Iraq. Maybe another time? :-)