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FbL, here...

Thanks to Blogger.com for highlighting this blog as a "Blog of Note."

As it says in the sidebar, this blog is an outlet for the Talking with Heroes radio program. Host Bob Calvert is in Iraq right now, interviewing soldiers and locals about the good aspects of what is happening (re-development and reconstruction, etc.). This is a work of the heart for him, and he has nearly bankrupted himself to cover his two previous trips to Iraq as an "independent embed." Bob is an Army Dad and doesn't pretend for a moment to be "objective" or analytical. Rather, his work is an attempt to bring out the positive things that are happening in Iraq that aren't getting major airtime in the big media.

Bob is more of a documentarian who lets his subjects speak for themselves, but those who find this blog interesting might enjoy reading the following people who are currently operating as independent journalists and blogger-analysts in Iraq:

Michael Yon - Former Special Forces soldier
Wesley Morgan - Student at Princeton University
Matt Sanchez - Former Marine
Bill Roggio - His non-profit, PMI, supports several embeds)
Michael J. Totten - Civilian analyst
Laughing Wolf - Civilian, and career independent journalist (preparing to go)

[There's at least one more good one, but I but I can't think of his name at the moment.]

And if you're looking for broad military coverage/analysis from an informed perspective that is supportive of servicemembers, check out the Big Daddy of milblogs, Blackfive.

Coming Soon...

FbL here...

I'm awaiting the hosting link for an audio file Bob just sent me. It's an interview with a former Iraq Air Force officer who is now a project manager for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Baghdad. Fascinating stuff. I'll get it uploaded ASAP.

I'm also expecting some photos in the next 24 hours. I'll get them posted as soon as I receive them.