As a huge fan of milblogs – personally and professionally – I do my best to keep up with issues in the milblogosphere. And to be honest, I have to say I wasn’t aware of huge issues among our bloggers. There has been at least one high profile case, but I haven’t been on the grapevine of information about widespread shut downs of military blogs. From my foxhole, I meet new commanders and leaders in our Army every day who openly embrace milblogging in the ranks. Gone are the days when LTG William Caldwell was one of the few champions of engaging the blogosphere. These days everyone from the Secretary of the Army to battalion and brigade commanders across the field aren’t just supportive of blogging – many of them are blogging themselves.
I absolutely admit that there are still areas, and leaders, where blogging in the ranks is not met with open arms. And most of the issues milbloggers have are with their local command, not a headquarters Army action item. We consider our left and right boundaries when it comes to social media engagement and blogging to be the Uniform Code of Justice and Operations Security. Contrary to some opinion, you don’t avoid UCMJ responsibility when you log into the Internet – you’re responsible for maintaining military standards and decorum even online.
Surprisingly, in all my years of blogging and even when I participated in a Film in Iraq (Bad Voodoo's War), I’ve never been censored by the military. Frankly, I never write about anything controversial. I’m just too lazy. Typically when someone starts talking to me about Politics or the news or the economy or other literally hundreds of other topics you could choose from, I start daydreaming and just nod my head in between the pauses.
Hold on a minute, my wife is talking to me *nodding head*
Read the entire message here.
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This son who has grown up on e-mail and text messages now has no computer or cellphone, so he puts pen to paper, the only letters he has written to her since he was a boy at summer camp. The letters are short, a few paragraphs about rifle training and a 10-kilometer march up a hill called Agony. The envelopes holding his words travel an achingly slow path from Kentucky’s Fort Knox to Needham.
She loves his letters and she is proud of her son, proud that he has found the strength to get through these grueling months, proud that he has stuck with his choice. But she is a mother, so she worries.
She worries that he does not get enough to eat. She worries because he has been sick. But mostly, she worries about what will happen after he finishes basic training, and medic training, and gets deployed.
This blog helps Laurie Tishler Mindlin understand her son’s new world. She named the blog after her son, who enlisted two years after he graduated from Needham High School. It is called Corey Mindlin US Army.
Honestly, this is a nice story and all, but this would've been totally un-COOL if my Mom had written a blog for me. Seriously, folks. It's basically impossible for my Mom to go five minutes without calling me a nickname like "Chipperdinkle" or reminding me to eat my vegetables. If she had written a blog for me, it would be just like a Military Blog, except susbtitute "Military" for "My Baby Photo Album"...and I'd imagine her entries would be something like this:
"And here's my Chipperdinkle in Afghanistan...Wh-where's his hat?!! Sweet Jesus! HE'S GONNA CATCH A COLD!!!"
...Followed up with an email to my Commanding Officer.
You can check out the blog here and you can read the entire new story here on The Boston Globe. And if you’re a Mom or Dad, you can search through the Milblogging.com database and view 70 other military blogs written by parents.
Thanks to CJ for the tip.
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A Chief Scientist at Twitter recently posted the Top Twitter Trends of 2009 on the Twitter Blog. Despite all the efforts of the dedicated military community and all the supporters on Twitter, #MilitaryMon didn’t make the 2009 chart. Of course most don’t tweet the hashtag #MilitaryMon with the goal of seeing it trend, but since I enjoy writing about the Military and Social Media, I was hoping to see the hashtag started by my friend Greta Perry of Kiss My Gumbo somehow crack the chart. Some theorize that #MilitaryMon hashtag can’t trend due to blocked characters, but trying to get a response from Twitter is near impossible.
Either way, #MilitaryMon has been riding a huge wave of support in 2009. Already widely used among the Military Community on Twitter, it’s certain to continue expanding across the Twitter universe. Here’s an excerpt from the Twitter blog, written by Abdur, who is part of Twitter’s Research Team:
In 2009, Twitter’s Trending Topics helped us understand what was happening around the world showing us that people everywhere can be united in concern around important events; excited about a new movie; or geek-out about a major new technology.
Among all the keywords, hashtags, and phrases that proliferated throughout the year, one topic surfaced repeatedly. Twitter users found the Iranian elections the most engaging topic of the year. The terms #iranelection, Iran and Tehran were all in the top-21 of Trending Topics, and #iranelection finished in a close second behind the regular weekly favorite #musicmonday.
I glanced at the Twitter chart, but didn’t see any U.S. Military trends listed anywhere. What’s that, G.I. Joe, you say? That’s a tough call. Then again, it did showcase the Military’s Accelerator Suit.
I mean, uh, Op Sec.
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I guess I can see why some in the military might have a problem with that. Perhaps they fear that one of our enemies could use Grisham’s dissent against the government as propaganda in their own region of the world. Sort of a, “Look, even an American soldier disagrees with his own government. So why should we listen to America?”
However, the PTA dispute is of a completely different nature.
Read the entire story here.
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The National Guard website has a new design. From the standpoint of a visitor interested in the National Guard, it makes it easy to find information. Of course, the best aspect of the site is that it has a section called Soldier Journals - which publishes first-hand accounts from National Guard Soldiers, online. And I’m not just saying that because I love blogs, but it’s helpful for people curious about the Guard to read stories written by Guard members. The National Guard web site is also tightly integrated with social networking tools like Facebook, YouTube, MySpace, and Twitter. It’s so interactive you can even live chat online with a soldier.
I talked to a recruiter in-person when I joined the Guard, but I highly recommend you visit NationalGuard.com to get the 411 beforehand if you’re just searching for information. The website has tons of info and the Live chat is a really neat feature.
I’m a big fan of Chat. When I first met my wife of almost 10 years, we would chat online and I would try impressing her with made up stories of me being a rocket pilot or a professional Salsa dancer. I always told her the truth a minute or so later, but I was able to do it with a straight-face over messenger.
Once she asked me about a scar on my forehead, and I told her I was bit by a lion at the zoo during a summer internship where I nursed baby lion cubs back to health. It might have been a mosquito, I dunno. I have very sensitive skin. I mean, I still don’t remember. It all happened so fast.
Check out the Citizen-Soldier Journals here.
Thanks to my good pal Keith for the tip.
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If you’ve ever wondered if the person you’re following on Twitter is authentic or just an impersonator, Twitter’s Verified feature helps you know. Admiral Mike Mullen, the current Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, is one of the latest public figures to have their account verified on Twitter – a feature that works to establish authenticity. If a Twitter account has a blue checkmark above their name, they are the “real deal”. According to Twitter:
With this feature, you can easily see which accounts we know are 'real' and authentic. That means we've been in contact with the person or entity the account is representing and verified that it is approved. (This does not mean we have verified who, exactly, is writing the tweets.)
We're starting with well-known accounts that have had problems with impersonation or identity confusion. (For example, well-known artists, athletes, actors, public officials, and public agencies). We may verify more accounts in the future, but because of the cost and time required, we're only testing this feature with a small set of folks for the time being. As the test progresses we may be able to expand this test to more accounts over the next several months.
The Verified feature has been available for some time, but I’m glad Twitter actually takes the time to verify accounts. I was almost 90% certain that @Michael_Mullen was the “real” Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, until he tweeted: “Feel like I'm getting man flu. Hot whiskey I think”.
You can follow the “real” Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff here @TheJointStaff.
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Dozens of military bloggers and their allies declared Dec. 16 a blogging blackout to protest the treatment of Army Master Sgt. C.J. Grisham.
“Readers will have the chance to imagine a world without milblogs, and to do something about it,” reads a post echoed on many of the sites participating in the grassroots campaign. “Those participating are urging their readers to contact their elected representatives in Congress, and to let their opinions be known to them and to other leaders in Washington.”
Many of those pledging support have said they’ll run silent through the end of the week.
Read the entire story here.
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Being a war correspondent could be considered the most dangerous area of journalism, and the war correspondents of World War II put themselves right in the very heart of that danger.
Read the entire story here.
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VatorNews published their list of Top 10 Biggest Social Media Stories of the Year, and you guessed it, the DoD made the list. Among the top stories are: Twitter being valued at $1 billion, Facebook buying FriendFeed, Electronic Arts acquiring Playfish for $275, the rise of Citizen Journalism and even the US Government which includes the confusion over the social networking policies within the DoD.
Similarly, the US Army has gone to great lengths setting up multiple accounts across all the most popular social networking sites in order to get the most direct access with possible recruits. On the other hand, troops have had to deal with mixed and confused orders over the use of social networking while serving, as policies teetered constantly between full access and an all-out ban. Still, the government's embrace of social media is just one more sign (as if we needed more) of the massively growing influence of online networking.
What’s crazy is the Military has (as VatorNews points out) launched a ton of social media sites since the debate over the social media reached an all-time high earlier this year. With many of their newly launched social media efforts going online even before the official DoD Social Media policy has been published.
It’s been just over 10 minutes since I started writing this post, and I’m pretty sure a dozen more new DoD Social Media sites went online during that time.
Just saying.
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There are many ways you, or your organization can sponsor the 2010 Milblog Conference and Party. Sponsorships include:
Platinum Sponsorship $3,000
You companyʼs promotional items distributed in attendee gift bags (all attendees will receive a gift bag)
Company logo and link featured in the official conference program
Cocktail Reception Sponsor (April 9), Breakfast and Gala Sponsor (April 10) – Your company logo featured on signage at the cocktail reception, the breakfast and at the Party
Presenter of the Milbloggie Awards (April 10) - Someone from your company will announce the winner of a milbloggie award and present the award to the winner
Booth in the reception area the day of the conference (April 10)**
Full page ad in official conference program
Gold Sponsorship $2,000
Your companyʼs promotional items distributed in attendee gift bags (all attendees will receive a gift bag)
Company logo and link featured in the official conference program
Breakfast Sponsor (April 10) - Your company logo featured on signage at the breakfast*
Booth in the reception area the day of the conference (April 10)**
Half-Page ad in official conference program
Table Only $300
Booth in the reception area the day of the conference (April 10)
Full-Page Advertisement $500
Full-Page advertisement in the official conference program. Companies may add a Full-Page ad to the Table Only Sponsorship, or purchase an ad separately for only $500
Half-Page Advertisement $250
Half-Page advertisement in the official conference program. Companies may add a ½ page ad to the Table Only Sponsorship, or purchase an ad separately for only $250
* Sponsors will jointly sponsor the Cocktail Reception, Breakfast and Party. Each sponsor will have their logo featured on signage and/or banner at these events
** Booths are first-come, first-served. There are only eight booth opportunities
For more information, email Andi.
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Cat5 Commerce, an online retailer that focuses on the military and owns properties like BDU.com and Tactical.com, has officially issued a press release announcing the acquisition of A Soldier’s Perspective. While the announcement was made on the Soldier’s Perspective blog last week, the press release was published today. CJ Grisham, a good friend and long time military blogger, had decided to shutdown the website in early November after it became more trouble to operate. Marcus, another great writer on the site, has a recap of what caused CJ to shutdown the site. Military Times even ran a story about CJ earlier this week about his blogging and the controversy it was causing in the military.
With the ownership change, Cat5 has committed to keeping the site online and CJ and his band of contributing authors will continue to write. Congratulations to Cat5, Soldier’s Perspective, CJ, and all of the authors who have contributed to the success of the website over the years.
You can read the press release below:
After being shuttered due to censorship threats, A Soldier's Perspective returns as a leading blog for candid military commentary.
Chesterfield, MO (PRWEB) December 11, 2009 -- Cat5 Commerce, a niche online retailer, has acquired A Soldier's Perspective, a top military blog currently at the epicenter of a controversial free-speech battle.
Master Sgt. C.J. Grisham, one of the first and most prominent military bloggers, has sold the rights and domain name for A Soldier's Perspective to Cat5 Commerce in an attempt to keep the blog running under new ownership. Grisham, an active-duty U.S. Army non-commissioned officer, has candidly shared personal opinions and stories on the blog since its launch in December 2004.
“I'm pretty happy with the fact that Cat5 Commerce is going to continue to maintain the integrity and traditions of A Soldier's Perspective. It's encouraging to have the backing from a company like Cat5, which will help to move the site forward and possibly reach an even wider audience.”
After a dispute involving Grisham and his children's school PTA, which he documented on the blog, and an investigation from the U.S. Army's Office of the Inspector General, Grisham announced that he was shutting down A Soldier's Perspective.
“As a firm believer in first amendment rights, I found C.J.'s situation to be compelling and astonishing said Chad Weinman, Cat5 Commerce President. “We will do everything in our power to preserve this tremendous outlet he created.”
Grisham and other blog contributors have vowed to return to A Soldier's Perspective and continue to share personal experiences, adding to the ongoing online conversation about military developments. With no major changes planned, Cat5 Commerce will maintain and support A Soldier's Perspective as an uncensored platform where active-duty soldiers and veterans alike can voice their opinions.
You can read the full press release here.
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Last week I took part in an interview with Jon Anderson, a Staff writer for Military Times. The article, “Facebook face-off”, discusses the squabble over the future of social media within the Department of Defense. The focus of the story is my good friend C.J. Grisham, who has been wrestling with the military over his blogging, but the story also discusses Twitter. My new favorite social media tool. In case you didn’t know, some of the Top Military Leaders use Twitter, making a case solidly for its use within the DoD.
As Jon writes in his story:
Meanwhile, internal debate continues among the military’s top IT managers over how to practice safe social networking, given that hackers constantly prowl for access to military networks.
“This has been a huge issue with the G6s [the military’s computer czars],” said a Pentagon official familiar with the debate, describing concerns that hackers could use social networking sites as back doors.
“What are the implications going to be for DoD professionals who tweet?” asks Borda, a sergeant in the Army Reserve who has 65,000 Twitter followers. (Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs, has only 9,000.)
Sooner or later the DoD is gonna publish their policy on Social Media, and I wouldn’t be surprised if “Twitter” is spelled out in the policy.
I’m a big believer in Twitter. And having lots and lots of followers is a great way to help spread your word – whether you’re tweeting about the military, your deployment, or just day to day things. I often get asked how I have so many followers. The answer: I try tweeting as often as I can. I also follow everyone. Literally, if you follow me, I’ll follow you back even if you have an account setup pretending to be a cat. I don’t even know most the people I tweet back and forth with.
In fact, I think I chatted with a cheeseburger earlier. Right after I chatted with a unicorn.
Who knew? Unicorns love the military.
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But he says he has had enough.
“Blogging is no longer worth the trouble,” Grisham recently wrote on his blog, A Soldier’s Perspective, under the headline “ASP Closed for Business.”
Read the entire story here.
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It’s not often that I brag about one of my sons on this blog, but my oldest son, who is nine years old now, has been through two deployments with me – first Afghanistan, then Iraq. He was only three years old when I first deployed to Afghanistan in 2004, and six years old when I went Iraq in 2007. He knows a lot about the military including our Veterans, and knows firsthand what military families go through on the home front. For my longtime readers, you’ll remember him in my stories as the kid who back home in the States carried a Goofy doll around everywhere he went, while I was in Afghanistan – and he called the Goofy doll: Daddy.
So I’m not really surprised by the news we got today because he loves art, and I’m even more proud of him, since he did it all on his own. He was one of the 3rd and 4th Grade Poster Finalists in the 2009 Veterans Day Poster Contest run by the non-profit organization: Paralyzed Veterans of America.
If you’re wondering who is who in the picture (up top), the green bean looking thing with two potatoes for shoes and the words above saying “Walking with Pride” is supposed to be me.
The winner in his category did a really good job (immediately above), a little too good if you ask me though :) I mean, life like looking figures? Soft brushstrokes? Shadows? Of course, what really gives it away is the Coloring inside the lines. We're dealing with a "kid genius" here, folks. I’d like to know this kid’s opinion on the Economy? Or world peace?
Dammit, someone get me this kid on the phone, STAT! I need advice on my 401K.
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What You Need To Know
Milblogging.com will be the official website of the Milblog Conference, so I’ll be communicating all the details here. Bookmark this URL for the latest news and updates on the 2010 Milblog Conference.
When? Friday, April 9, 2010 and Saturday April 10, 2010
Where? The Westin Arlington Gateway, 801 North Glebe Road, Arlington, VA 22203
Want to Attend? You'll be able to register online starting early January. I’ll post the web address for registration as soon as it’s available.
What’s Going On?
Registration will include:
Friday:
6:30PM - 7:45PM, Kickoff Panel
8:00PM - 11:00PM, Cocktail Reception (light fare)
Saturday:
9:00AM - 5:30PM, Conference (breakfast)
8:00PM - Midnight, Dinner and Party (full dinner plus drink tickets, keynote address, MILbloggie awards).
Twitter Hashtag: #milblog
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As a fellow military blogger, what can I say about CJ Grisham? He’s been a friend to me since 2004/2005 when I blogged from Afghanistan and he and I have remained friends ever since. He has dedicated himself over the years to telling the story of the military from the soldier’s perspective, which says a lot in terms of him as a person. While many bloggers who launch a site, more often than not will stop writing, CJ has kept up with military blogging year after year after year but ultimately made the decision to shut down his popular military blog A Soldier’s Perspective. All I can say is that it was disappointing to learn that news not too long ago, and though I don’t know everything firsthand about the circumstances of his situation - I would vouch for my friend anytime.
If you’re not familiar with CJ’s story, you can read his newest article that’s posted on YouServed which details his situation – and as he puts it, “I feel like I must humble myself and ask for help on my own behalf in this instance.”
In September, my kids brought home a note from their school stating that the school would transition to uniforms beginning in January — midway through the school year. Naturally, this concerned me as the cost for each kid (I have two who would be affected) would be at least $400. A note home to parents assured us that the principal would entertain concerns during the upcoming “uniform fashion show.” However, the principal ended that meeting without answering a question, even though numerous hands were up. After that meeting, I organized parents with concerns and began a letter-writing and phone-calling campaign to members of the school board and media. We succeeded in getting the uniform issue tabled until next year. But parents still weren’t given a voice about whether we even wanted uniforms.
Instead of deal with me and other parents who disagreed with her new policy, the school’s principal began contacting the Army with fictitious complaints that I had threatened her. She pointed to posts on my personal blog about her behavior at the meeting as proof. However, after being referred to military investigators, they concluded that I had never issued any threats through email, blog or otherwise. I collected letters from other parents attesting to my behavior at the meeting.
Unfortunately, the Army took what the principal was saying at face value and formally counseled me. Suddenly, I was a trouble maker after 15 years of honorable service. The Army practically forced me to shut down my blog, though the decision was mine alone and no orders were given to do it.
There’s much more to the story here.
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Read the entire story here.
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Phase 1 (Submission period open 11/10 - 12/04) - We want to know what social media websites you use most frequently. Phase 1 is now open. Please use the box below to submit the name of the social media website you use the most. After your answers have been submitted, we will open the voting phase (phase 2) of this process. You will then have the opportunity to vote on the submitted social media website of your choice. The results will then be tallied and displayed on defense.gov We look forward to hearing from you.
* Please include only one social media website per submission - you can submit more than once.
* Please look through the previous submissions to ensure that it is not already in the system. If more than one variant of the same website is submitted only one will be listed. This is to ensure that your votes are not diluted by voting on different submissions that are essentially the same question.
By the looks of the current results, I’m assuming the criteria for what constitutes "social media" isn’t necessarily clear. Previous submissions that are highlighted on the website include: Comcast.net and Email.
I can’t say for certain, but at this rate I’m pretty sure by the deadline, other top submissions will include cheeseburger and stapler.
Submit your nomination here.
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