BlackFive

Today is the Third Blogiversary of Blackfive.net.  Big changes have happened since last year.  We've added five other authors.  I have a regular radio segment every week on Pundit Review Radio.  We've been on TV, radio, in print, and mentioned in Home of the Brave.

There's been an actual MilBlogger Conference and you can see from the Bloggers I've Met sidebar that it's grown because I've met so many great people.  Can't wait for the next one.

And there will be a milblogger book published on Labor Day. 

First, thanks to my wife who must really love me because she doesn't understand the blogging thing, but has supported me working on Blackfive.net for three years.  She's made many sacrifices for our military too.

And there are so many that deserve our thanks.  Here's some I mentioned last year:

...There's a nurse at a prominent military hospital that tells the wounded soldiers when I write about them and makes sure that they know that we care.  If it wasn't for her, I don't know how many might know about MilBlogs.  If it wasn't for her, many of them might think that everyone believes the negative spin of the MSM...

I receive emails from troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.  When you get a message from a soldier in Iraq thanking you for protecting them and their reputations back home...well, it's a bit overwhelming.  I get a few of those per month.  Those keep me going.

Unfortunately, the absolute greatest email of all time cannot be shared, but I will say that it was from a former POW who wrote an extensive email and thinks the world of the people that visit here. I'll probably have it framed when Blackfive shuts down someday.

And then I received an email from a friend of mine who was sitting around a conference table full of General Officers at the DOD just before a meeting and one asked the others if anyone knew "who the @#$% is that Blackfive?"  That's funny and had me chuckling for a few days. I'm just a guy with a blog who knows how to use it...

And because of many of you, I get thanked for the overall effort on behalf of our wounded troops, Fallen heroes, and families that sacrifice so much to keep our country free.

And because of you, I have the opportunity to be a small sphere of influence and make things happen for our troops and their families, dampen the negative media bias, provide an outlet for some the best subject matter experts to express themselves.

Too often, the media  portrays bloggers as punishers.  That may be true in some cases, and many of you know I've busted some chops too (Hello, Eason.  Hello, Hilton.  Hello, HFM).  But we've done so much more good than punish anyone.  You've donated money and time and packages and, most importantly, love for our troops.  Many of you have helped me buy kevlar blankets for unprotected humvees.   You've gone to funerals of the Fallen to protect the families from the evil that some men do.  You've provided untold financial support for our wounded troops.  You've made emotionally, spiritually, financially tough decisions that demonstrate your committment to our warriors.

One last thing that you do - just when I begin to lose faith or begin to believe the media that our society has lost the values that it was founded upon, you all do amazing things to energize me for the next project or call for help.

Thank you.

Airborne!