We are pleased to announce that two Members of the House Armed Services Committee will address attendees at MilBlogCon. Our thanks to The Honorable Rob Wittman and The Honorable Adam Smith for carving some time out of their busy schedules to deliver remarks to our conference. Congressman Wittman will attend in person and Congressman Smith is pre-taping a message which we will play at the conference.
Visit the Milblog Conference website and follow @Milblogcon on Twitter to stay updated on the latest Conference news.
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Marcus accepting the Army Milbloggie for A Soldier’s Perspective
VIDEO: TacoBell accepting the Mibloggie for America’s 1sgt
2010 Milblog Conference Interview with Gina Elise
2010 Milblog Conference Interview with Mark Seavey
In case you were wondering about site badges for the winners of the Fourth Annual Milbloggies, I'm gonna send them out to the winners as soon as they're finished.
By the way, the clip of TacoBell accepting the award for America's 1sgt was one of my favorites.
Call me gullible, but I thought for sure right after TacoBell's speech was over, he was gonna turn to me and yell something like, "YOU EYEBALLING ME PUKE?!" or "WIPE THAT DISGUSTING GRIN OFF YOUR FACE, MAGGOT!!". Then order me to do push-ups forever while he sits on my shoulders and hollers at me to sound-off like I gotta pair...
Just sayin. It was that believable.
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The 2010 Milblog Conference was a great chance to meetup with military bloggers, supporters, DoD officials, and even the staff of The Sandbox, run by David Stanford and Garry Trudeau of Doonesbury. David Stanford is the webmaster of the site and posts stories from service members deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq. David, whom I’ve corresponded with for a couple years over email, is always supportive and encouraging when it comes to the military – any time I talk to him. Last year I had the opportunity to meet David in person, and people that know him, know he cares a lot about our military.
This year, David emailed me and mentioned Garry Trudeau would be attending, and I was hoping to finally meet him in person, but with all the hustle and bustle going on Saturday, unfortunately I missed out. Now, if you’re not in the know about the Sandbox, here’s the lowdown from the website:
This is GWOT-lit's forward position, offering those in-country a chance to share their experiences and reflections with the rest of us. The Sandbox's focus is not on policy and partisanship (go to our Blowback page for that), but on the unclassified details of deployment -- the everyday, the extraordinary, the wonderful, the messed-up, the absurd. The Sandbox is a clean, lightly-edited debriefing environment where all correspondence is read, and as much as possible is posted. And contributors may rest assured that all content, no matter how robust, is currently secured by the First Amendment.
Although I didn’t get to meet GarryTrudeau in person, after the second panel was over and everyone stepped out to take a quick break, he almost tripped over my foot as he walked by my seat. Which I must say, was an honor. Seriously, I haven’t washed my feet since Saturday. I mean, what better way to show my appreciation?
Sure my feet smell like rotten eggs and baby diapers now. But that’s a small price to pay for meeting a celebrity.
*looking at my silly wife, napping on the kitchen floor* Isn’t that right, honey? Honey?
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There was a sell-out crowd this past weekend at the Westin Arlington Gateway Hotel. If you attended the Fifth Annual Milblog Conference, you can share your photos and stories on Facebook on the Fan of Milblogs page. The fan page was founded by Andi Hurley, Mrs Greyhawk, and Greta Perry. So far hundreds of photos, videos and more have been accumulated going back to previous conferences.
Click the link to see Saving Abel, Greta, Concrete Bob, Boston Maggie, Uncle Jimbo, Troy, The Sandgram, the USO Girls, Andi, and literally hundreds of photos of all your favorite military bloggers from this past weekend. In the past 24 hours dozens of links to stories and photos from the 2010 conference have been added by fans.
Years from now when my kids are teenagers and they’re flying around in rocket packs, I’ll share with them the Fan of Milblogs page to help explain about military blogs and their contributions to news and media.
Then, I’ll tell my kids how I used to walk 10 miles to school in the snow. In bare feet. You know? When they start complaining about their rocket packs being too slow. *not enough nitro, they'll say* Pfft. Little brats.
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I’ve followed Matt Gallagher’s story for years online. His Military Blog Kaboom was one of the most widely read military blogs from the frontlines to date. In its beginnings it had a large following of readers, but the following grew even bigger after the blog was abruptly shutdown in June 2008.
This past weekend at the Fifth Annual Milblog Conference, I finally got a chance to meet Matt in person – only to be surprised by how mild-mannered he really is. Having read his brutally honest, raw military blog, and watched the coverage it received from the mainstream media, MTV, and literally hundreds of websites and organizations over the years, I half expected to meet my basic training Drill Sergeant from Fort Benning. But Matt was the opposite. Reserved, modest, polite, and friendly.
Matt and I got a chance to chat several times during the conference, and Saturday he even gave me a signed copy of his book - Kaboom: Embracing the Suck in a Savage Little War. I haven’t had a chance to read the book all the way through since I’m still playing catch-up after this weekend’s conference, but if you’ve been searching for a military book to read with unfiltered, frontline stories of the Iraq War, look no further than Matt’s Kaboom.
While I’ve blogged from both Afghanistan (04/05) and Iraq (07/08), I’ve never considered myself a writer and I’m always impressed by military bloggers who find their calling as writers. Matt, being one of them.
I'll never have the skills it takes to write a book...
My wife once sent me a Journal when I was in Iraq so I could keep a personal diary about my experiences. She was hoping I could turn it into a book someday...
I must say though, my journal writings were most impressive, as were the stick figures I doodled riding on top of unicorns over most of the pages. I'm pretty sure pictures of unicorns slaying ninjas would be a Best-Seller. Just saying.
Here are some links to some of the previous stories I posted about Matt and his blog Kaboom. Also, I'll be posting more highlights of the Milblog Conference over the next couple weeks.
Book Update: Military Blogger Matt Gallagher of 'Kaboom: A Soldier's War Journal' Publishing a Book, 99 Percent New Writing [posted July 22, 2009]
What’s in store for Military Blog Kaboom? [posted June 21, 2009]
Captain Matt Gallagher of Military Blog Kaboom, Signs with Wm Clark Associates to Publish Book [posted December 24, 2008]
More Coverage of Kaboom: A Soldier's War Blog in the News [posted August 3, 2008]
MTV covers story of Military Blog Kaboom that was shutdown by Army [July 30, 2008]
Milblogger in the News: Army Blogger, with Thousands of Followers, Forced to Stop [July 27, 2008]
Kaboom Military Blog Shut Down, Completely [July 3, 2008]
Kaboom Military Blog Goes Offline [June 29, 2008]
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Alot more updates to come throughout the week.
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http://www.vamortgagecenter.com/blog/livestream/
Take a look at the fun-filled, jam-packed agenda and the awesome list of speakers. This year is special as it marks the Fifth Anniversary of the premiere event of the year for military bloggers.
We've stacked the agenda with a substantive, engaging conference and we've filled all remaining holes with more social events than ever before. You can sit down with film director Jake Rademacher, place someone under arrest at the Jail N' Bail, witness a live acoustic performance by Saving Abel, mix and mingle at Friday night's cocktail reception and party till the wee hours at the Fifth Anniversary Awards Ceremony and Party on Saturday night...
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If you didn’t register in time, you’ll be able to catch the conference on Livestream:
http://www.vamortgagecenter.com/blog/livestream/
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While we strongly encouraged early registration, the conference is sold out and there will be no onsite registration available as we’ve reached our maximum capacity. If you didn’t register in time, you’ll be able to catch the conference on Livestream:
http://www.vamortgagecenter.com/blog/livestream/
For those attending this year's conference, please take a look at the fun-filled, jam-packed agenda and the awesome list of speakers. This year is special as it marks the Fifth Anniversary of the premiere event of the year for military bloggers.
We've stacked the agenda with a substantive, engaging conference and we've filled all remaining holes with more social events than ever before. You can sit down with film director Jake Rademacher, place someone under arrest at the Jail N' Bail, witness a live acoustic performance by Saving Abel, mix and mingle at Friday night's cocktail reception and party till the wee hours at the Fifth Anniversary Awards Ceremony and Party on Saturday night...
--Andi
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--Andi
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Friday Evening, April 9:
5:00 - 6:00 - USAA presents an hour with filmmaker Jake Rademacher
6:00 - 6:30 - Registration (sign-in, pick up your name badge and informational package)
6:30 - 7:45 - Kick-off Panel
8:00 - Cocktail Reception Begins (cash bar and hors d'oeuvres)
9:00 - 10:00 - Charity Jail N' Bail to benefit Soldiers' Angels and Homes for Our Troops
10:00 - 10:30 - Saving Abel Acoustic Performance
11:00 - Cocktail Reception Ends
Saturday Morning-Evening, April 10:
7:45 - 8:45 - Continental Breakfast
9:00 - 5:30 - Formal Conference Program
8:00 - 8:30 – Cocktails
8:30 - 9:30 – Dinner
9:30 - 10:00 - Awards Ceremony and Special Presentation
10:00 - Midnight - Fifth Anniversary Party and Celebration
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Without the support of our sponsors, the conference wouldn't be possible. We greatly appreciate all of our sponsors!
--Andi
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6:30 - 7:45p - A Marathon, Not a Sprint
This roundtable brings together a diverse panel of some of the earliest milbloggers. Panelists will reflect on five conferences and several years of milblogging. Speakers will discuss the evolution of milblogging and share their thoughts on what they think the future of milblogging may look like.
Moderator, Greyhawk
mudvillegazette.com
Speaker, Matt Burden
blackfive.net
Speaker, Taco Bell
sandgram.com
Speaker, SGT Mom
ncobrief.com
Speaker, Juliette (aka Baldilocks)
luoamerican.com/baldilocks/military
Saturday, April 10:
9:30 - 10:30a - The Charitable Landscape
Representatives from various troop supporting organizations will examine how the use of social media has changed the way non-profits communicate with their membership, donors and the general public. This panel will discuss the challenges and benefits of social media, and how we can assist in their efforts to support the military community.
Moderator, Greta Perry
yatmedia.com
Speaker, Shelle Michaels
soldiersangels.org
Speaker, Vivian Greentree
bluestarfam.org
Speaker, Keith Hensley
woundedwarriorproject.org
Speaker, Taylor Kiland
navymemorial.org
10:45 - 12:00 - National Security Smorgasbord
A diverse panel of reporters, strategists and pundits discuss a wide range of topics including the state of our National Security, the conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq and media coverage of military
Moderator, Greyhawk
mudvillegazette.com
Speaker, Abe Sofaer
hoover.org
Speaker, Michael Yon
michaelyon-online.com
TBA
1:30 - 2:30 - MG David Hogg Live from Afghanistan
MG Hogg will address Afghan Army Commando Training. The Afghan Army is in a process of development and capability growth, with the primary emphasis on building an Infantry-centric force that can rapidly deploy in support of current operations. The current challenge in Afghanistan is predominantly Counter-Insurgency. To increase the Afghan Army's own COIN capability, it has developed Commando training and Commando units. These are highly trained, Afghan-led units that provide the critical COIN capability. MG. Hogg will discuss Commando training at the Center for Training Excellence, a Commando training overview, and additionally, MG Hogg is open to other questions regarding the successes and challenges of developing an Afghan Army and it's road to self-sufficiency.
2:30 - 3:45 - The View From the Top
Senior military and DoD officials discuss the rewards and challenges of social media in a military environment
Moderator, Jamie McIntyre
lineofdeparture.com
Speaker, Admiral J.C. Harvey, Jr.
usfleetforces.blogspot.com
Speaker, Price Floyd
twitter.com/pricefloyd
Speaker, Col. Gregory T. Breazile (Marine Corps)
4:00 - 5:15 - Legislation, Military-Style
Lawmakers, military advocates and policy crafters discuss policy-making with respect to military affairs
Moderator, Colin Clark
dodbuzz.com
Speaker, Winslow Wheeler
Straus Military Reform Project
Speaker, Brandon Friedman
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
---Andi
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It’s no surprise that this year’s conference celebrating its five year anniversary will be the biggest yet. And Andi, who has been organizing the Official Milblog Conference year after year, has been working hard behind the scenes for months putting things together to make this year’s conference very special.
The conference takes place April 9 and April 10, and there’s still time to register and attend. The cost is only $50 and it includes “the works”.
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The Roundtable with MG Hogg will take place from 1:30 - 2:30 p.m. DoD Blogger Roundtables are generally audio-only, so we're thrilled to bring the visual piece to this roundtable. Click here to listen to previous blogger roundtables with MG Hogg.
-- Andi H
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Without the support of our sponsors, the conference wouldn't be possible. We greatly appreciate all of our sponsors! For a list of more sponsors, click here.
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Without the support of our sponsors, the conference wouldn't be possible. We greatly appreciate all of our sponsors! For a list of more sponsors, click here.
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Without the support of our sponsors, the conference wouldn't be possible. We greatly appreciate all of our sponsors! For a list of more sponsors, click here.
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This service is being provided free of charge as a way of giving back to the community that has made You Served such a success over the last three years.
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