In the News: Army Secretary Pete Geren Supports Military Blogs, New Media
Monday, September 29, 2008, 09:10 AM
(Star-Telegram.com) To understand how established military blogs have become in the halls of the Defense Department, just check Army Secretary Pete Geren’s computer.Geren, a Fort Worth native who assumed the top civilian post in the Army last year, browses several each morning, just as he reads coverage of the Army in the nation’s major daily newspapers.
"It’s part of my effort to understand what is going on in the communications domain, particularly for the age group that is the heart and soul of our Army," Geren said during a phone interview as he returned from a recent trip to Afghanistan and Iraq.
Just a few short years ago, the military seemed unnerved by the ruminations of its creatively inspired young service members, citing concerns about operational security and the rough and uncensored reality of combat stories.
But particularly beginning last year, the military has altered course and now offers bloggers regular access for interviews with top leaders, reflecting the changing role of both bloggers and public affairs.
Geren, a believer in the power of new media and one of its leading proponents within the Pentagon, held a question-and-answer session at a recent gathering of military bloggers in Las Vegas, a stamp of approval if there ever was one.
Read the entire story here.
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Photo: Me and My Internet Idol Guy Kawasaki (Friday before the Milblog Conference)
Sunday, September 28, 2008, 04:14 AM
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Milblog Conference Wrap-Up from Chuck
Sunday, September 28, 2008, 04:12 AM
(From my position...On the way!) "One of the things we do every year at the MilBlog Conference is pick a charity to support. The Milbloggie winners each get a substantial donation made in their name to that Charity in addition to their other gifts. Meanwhile during the conference we also take up a collection to add to those donations being made by our conference sponsor USAA.The total amount this year: $4560.00
This year the Charity of choice was.....The Mike Stokely Foundation.
Andi just informed me that she has delivered the check to Robert Stokely and as is typical, he is humbled to be honored as such..."
Read the entire story here.
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Milblog Conference Photo: Me and Sherri (one of my all-time favorite military supporters)
Sunday, September 28, 2008, 04:00 AM
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In the News: New Army Blogging Guidelines to be Published in Six Months
Saturday, September 27, 2008, 09:44 AM
(Stripes.com) The Army is working on a set of guidelines for soldiers’ conduct in online forums such as blogs and message boards, but it might be a while before the message reaches the troops.The guidelines — a compilation of the scattered rules and regulations governing online activity by soldiers — will be included in a rewrite of Army public affairs regulations to be published in the next six months to two years, Department of the Army public affairs specialist Lindy Kyzer said in an e-mail. Soldiers will be told about the guidelines during pre-deployment public affairs training, she said.
But that doesn’t mean soldiers can blog with impunity until the new guidelines are published.
Operational security rules, which prohibit the publication by soldiers of classified or sensitive information, and the Uniform Code of Military Justice, already limit what soldiers can do online, Kyzer said.
Read the entire story here.
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In the News: Civil War diary tells of soldier's capture at the Battle of New Bern
Saturday, September 27, 2008, 08:41 AM
(Sun Journal) It was his first real fight, and already he was captured.Before the battle, typhoid pneumonia had weakened Cpl. Columbus Lafayette Turner, though he hadn't said so. He had been made to stay behind the night before, had slept alone in a tent and had awakened feeling the best he had felt in weeks. He intended to fight in the Battle of New Bern, and so he did.
And now he and 13 others from his company were facing their enemy.
He had just turned 20 the month before, but that day seemed distant as the Confederate soldier stood among those "well nigh surrounded" and awaiting capture. He would soon be shuffled to the Albany, a prison boat anchored on the Neuse.
It wasn't long before he scrounged for scraps of paper to record his thoughts, which were later transcribed into a formal journal. That Civil War diary has survived for more than a century - much of that time in the bottom of a filing cabinet.
Read the entire story here.
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First Annual Milblog Conference: Video Documentary
Saturday, September 27, 2008, 08:38 AM
Thanks to CJ for the tip.
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Milblog Conference Photo: Me and Sean (and his Bride) from 'Doc in the Box'
Friday, September 26, 2008, 02:41 AM
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Podcast: What Happens in Vegas Goes on a Milblog
Friday, September 26, 2008, 02:29 AM
(Military.com) This week Ward reports live from Click here to listen to the full Podcast from the Editor’s Desk.
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Milblog Conference Photo: Me and Greta from HooahWife.com
Friday, September 26, 2008, 12:19 AM
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LTG William Caldwell addresses 2008 Military Blog Conference
Thursday, September 25, 2008, 10:27 PM
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Milblog Conference Photo: Me and Troy from Bouhammer.com
Thursday, September 25, 2008, 09:12 AM
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Annual Milblog Conference Moving Back to D.C.
Thursday, September 25, 2008, 07:21 AM
(Milblog Conference Website) Thanks to everyone who participated in, and attended, the 2008 MilBlog Conference. I want to thank the BWE staff for all of their help and assistance. The staff was wonderful to work with and Rick Calvert, Kimberly and Patti have always been huge supporters of the MilBlog community. We appreciate all of their hard work and attention to the MilBlog Track.As we said from the beginning, holding our conference in conjunction with BWE was a trial. While we're certainly interested in having some kind of presence at future Blog World Expos -- it is the premiere trade show for bloggers, after all -- I think the MilBlog community feels most at home in Washington, DC. Our "official" conference will be moved back to Washington in 2009 and will revert back to the model of the 2007 conference.
Read the entire story here.
Thanks to my Mom for the tip.
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The Sandbox, a Book Inspired by Military Blogs Wins Award
Wednesday, September 24, 2008, 09:12 AM
(Bouhammer) The book, The Sandbox, which was a selection of the best milblogs compiled by Garry Trudeau and David Stanford, has won a Gold Award in the Anthology Category from the Military Writers Society of America. I am extremely proud to be a member of the Society which allowed it to be eligible for the competition.Read the entire story here.
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In the News: Read Trevor's blog from the war zone
Wednesday, September 24, 2008, 09:07 AM
(Plymouth Evening Herald) DODGING bullets and winning hearts and minds may be all in a day's work for Sergeant Trevor Skeggs in Afghanistan – but now he has another role.The Command Post Firing Sergeant with 29 Commando Regiment Royal Artillery is soon to become a Herald blogger.
In doing so, the 32-year-old from Widewell will make history by becoming the first Army commando to blog direct from the front line of a war zone.
Trevor will be filing back regular blogs to The Herald's website from southern Afghanistan's Helmand Province.
Read the entire story here.
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Winners of the Third Annual Milbloggies announced in Las Vegas!
Tuesday, September 23, 2008, 10:51 PM
Some Soldier's Mom
Chromed Curses
U.S. Air Force
OPFOR
U.S. Army
Toby Nunn's Briefing Room
U.S. Navy
Doc in the Box
U.S. Marine Corps
One Marine's View
U.S. Military Veteran
Blackfive - The Paratrooper of Love
U.S. Military Spouse
ArmyWifeToddlerMom
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Milbloggers in the News: Military Spouse vs. Military Parent
Tuesday, September 23, 2008, 09:58 PM
(San Diego Union Tribune) I just returned from a bloggers convention in I attended several seminars but one in particular left me thinking. The 'Milblogger's Spouse Roundtable' was a group of military wives, one civilian and one military spouse/parent. It was the comments of the military spouse/parent that grabbed my attention.
This panelist is military spouse with a son also serving in the military, and deployed to combat. She spoke succinctly about the difference of facing the deployment of a spouse versus that of a son or daughter. She explained that it was a 'different heart muscle,' adding, "No disrespect, and none of us would want this, but a husband can be replaced...a child cannot."
Read the entire story here.
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Photo: Me and CJ from A Soldier's Perspective
Tuesday, September 23, 2008, 02:37 AM
Here’s a picture of me and my longtime pal CJ. He was one of many awesome people I finally had the privilege and honor of meeting in person. I’ll be recapping the Conference all week with photos and stories.
I have a lot to catch up on before I can get back to blogging though. Unfortunately, the robot replica I made of myself and sent off to work last week while I was in Vegas didn’t work out. My boss wasn’t fooled, so all my sweat and tears and 15 weeks of planning, designing and building in my basement right up until the night before I left for Vegas were a waste.
I named him “JP 2008”. But at home, we just call him “Trash can and kitchen utensils.”
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Milblog Conference 2008 Recap
Tuesday, September 23, 2008, 01:07 AM
(MAIL CALL! Supporting the Troops) While I'm sure more posts will surface in the next few days (as their blog writers 'surface' from recovery from partying on Friday night, judging by some of the pics floating around,lol)I'm just going to try and do a quick post linking to some of them.
2008 Milblog Convention Links
Mudville Gazette had some good links up to other's posts There Will Be Stories
The guys at Blackfive have some posts up Here and Here
Soldiers Angels-Holly Aho weighs in with So You Missed the Milblog Conference...
Terri from A Soldier's Mind had extensive coverage
Matt Bernard from Veteran's Affairs had a good post up here
Francis Marion from Where I Stand! had the Obligatory Milblog Conference Post
Lt. Nixon Rants weighed in here
Toby Nunn had several good posts on his blog
Read the entire recap here.
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Third Annual Milblog Conference in Las Vegas a Success!
Monday, September 22, 2008, 05:31 AM
I’ve been offline a few days attending the Milblog Conference in Vegas. It was a blast! I’ll write more later today.That's it for now though, I'm going to sleep and hopefully my blood type will go from
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