Question...

[Greyhawk]

Does anyone know if an American journalist has reported from Sadr City before?

If not, blogger Bill Ardolino is first.

Before I Was a Soldier's Mom

[Soldier's Mom]

Before I was a Soldier's Mom

I never tripped over a rucksack or knew the words to the Army song.

I didn't worry whether or not my child could shoot or had "zeroed up".

I never imagined saying, "Good job!" when my child told me he had jumped out of a perfectly good airplane... or when he qualified with a grenade launcher.

I could not have told you the difference between division, brigade, regiment, battalion, company, platoon or squad.

I cheered for Navy.

Before I was a Soldier's Mom

I never looked into a soldier's eyes and cried.

I didn't understand "HOOAH".

I never imagined I could be so gloriously happy over a simple "Hey, Ma."

Before I was a Soldier's Mom

I had complete control of my mind and my thoughts.

I slept all night.

I never sat up late staring at a computer screen or woke in the middle of the night just to check if the computer and cell phone were working.

Before I was a Soldier's Mom

I never knew that so few words could affect my life so deeply: Deployment. Bradley. Wounded. and I never knew the alphabet could rob me of breath: OIF. IED. RPG. WIA. KIA.

I never felt my heart break into a million pieces when I couldn't stop my child's hurt.

I didn't weep at the sound of "Taps", the National Anthem or "American Soldier".

I never held back a scream or had my knees go weak at an unexpected knock at the door.

Before I was a Soldier's Mom

I never had so many sisters! (and brothers) nor so many sons and daughters!

I never felt fear so completely.... and

I never felt such pride.

x-posted at Some Soldier's Mom

Re: Welcome Home

[Greyhawk]

Meanwhile, another deployment begins. (bonus: a trip to the White House.)

Read this, too:

Yesterday someone called to say goodbye to my husband before he left, not knowing that he'd been bumped forward. And in the conversation, this person asked if my husband thinks that being in Iraq is worth it, if his job means anything, and if he thinks we should've gone there in the first place. How do you answer that question 1) politely and 2) succinctly? And then what do you do when that person says, "Well, I don't think it was the right idea in the first place"?

Sarah was one of the first spouse milbloggers - she's been there and done that before.

Lex

[Greyhawk]

...prepares to retire.

There are two sets of paperwork sitting on my desk just now. One is a packet of documents formalizing an offer of post-naval employment. The other is a packet of documents that will end my active service. I can’t seem to make a start on either of them.

I know the feeling.

The job of "highest ranking active duty milblogger" - with all the associated perks, will pass on. (Except for the reserved parking space near the front at all official functions.)

The Money Quote...

[Greyhawk]

...from this story of Sadr's surrender:

"It is not the government who pressured the Sadrists into entering this agreement," said Ali al Adeeb, a leading member of the Dawa party. "It is the pressure from the people inside Sadr City and from their own people that will make them act more responsibly."

The competition was tough, that was hard to nail down, so read the whole thing.

Previous 'money quote' post here.

Update: You really have to read that whole link - it's amazing good news, especially coming from McClatchy, the most virulent "anti-war" news group in America. But because it is McClatchy, there's at least a feeble attempt to downplay the significance of this story, which means that in addition to a "money quote" its got some "funny quotes":

It also would be a startling turnaround in fortunes for Maliki, who'd been widely criticized for picking a fight with Sadr's forces, first in the southern port city of Basra and then in Sadr City.

An odd description, since the Iraqi Army actually won a hard fought battle in Basra. But according to McClatchy, they didn't - the Sadrists simply "ceded their areas":

But after initially resisting Maliki's offensive, the Sadrists ceded their areas, and the change in atmosphere has been palpable.

Much in the same way the Japanese "ceded" Iwo Jima.

Inexplicably, this factual paragraph comes from the same story:

The Mahdi Army, and the Sadr movement in general, has been losing support in the past two months in the face of a government offensive intended to force the militia from its controlling positions in Basra and Sadr City.

So maybe the "startling turnaround in fortunes for Maliki" bit is a fabrication inserted for journalistic "balance."