Interview with Thunder6, Military Blogger 365 and a Wakeup

"(JP, Host): With the media providing only part of the story from the frontlines of Iraq and Afghanistan, the truly personal journals of milbloggers who share what they experience on the ground is reshaping reporting as we know it. From his operating base in Iraq, Danjel Bout aka Thunder6, author of “365 and a Wakeup” a Company Commander in the Army National Guard, has helped to establish military blogs as a powerful source of information for people all over the world. Telling the story of himself and his troops during his deployment he reveals the successes that are being made everyday in Iraq. He writes a reality that no reporter could provide. What follows is a transcript of an email interview I had with Thunder6. It is in part, because of him, and fellow milbloggers like him who are willing to share what they see and what they feel, that we can read about the truth in Iraq and Afghanistan.

This is a transcript of what he said. It has NOT been edited.

JP: Danjel, thanks for taking the time. History is going on in Iraq with the elections. I'd like to get some opening comments from you about the incredible progress you and everyone else is making over in Iraq.

Thunder6: It is difficult to describe just how much we’ve seen change over the last year because you have to have a frame of reference to gauge progress. I think that is the perceptual trap the MSM is falling into – if you spend 10 minutes visiting a stretch of Iraq every 6 months chances are you won’t notice the subtle signs of forward progress. When we arrived Iraq had just completed its first free elections, but for the most part we were still calling the shots. Now Iraq is a free and independent country, and they are preparing to seat their first democratic government. We were too busy to notice it at the time, but over the last year we have had a front row seat to the rebirth of a nation. There is still a long road ahead, but you have to start with a foundation – and I think the Iraq people have achieved that."
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