(The National Guard) The National Guard's top officer encouraged a "healthy debate" on the use of social media by the U.S. military today.
"Somewhere in the middle, I know there's a happy medium," said Air Force Gen. Craig R. McKinley, chief of the National Guard Bureau. "And that's why it's important for groups like this to come together and discuss."
He spoke to nearly 50 government professionals, who met here for a Social Media for Defense and Government event.
Participants said social media's presence in the military can include a variety of online tools for personal, career and development goals.
Read the entire story here. Thanks to my pal Keith for the tip.
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A couple of years ago, we began choosing military charities to feature at The MilBlog Conference. This year, given it's the Fifth Anniversary Conference, we've chosen two charities to feature. They are:
Homes For Our Troops
We are Homes for Our Troops, a national non-profit, non-partisan 501(c)(3) organization founded in 2004. We are strongly committed to helping those who have selflessly given to our country and have returned home with serious disabilities and injuries since September 11, 2001. It is our duty and our honor to assist severely injured Servicemen and Servicewomen and their immediate families by raising donations of money, building materials and professional labor and to coordinate the process of building a home that provides maximum freedom of movement and the ability to live more independently.
The homes provided by Homes for Our Troops are given at NO COST to the Veterans we serve.
Soldiers' Angels
Soldiers' Angels is a volunteer-led 501(c)(3) non-profit organization providing aid and comfort to the men and women of the United States Army, Marines, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, and their families. Founded by the mother of two American soldiers, we are an international, volunteer-led organization supporting America's men and women in uniform. With over 30 different teams and projects, our nearly 200,000 volunteers assist veterans, wounded and deployed personnel and their families in a variety of unique and effective ways.
This year, we're bringing back the fun and highly successful Jail-N-Bail. We'll run the jailhouse for one hour during Friday's opening cocktail reception. All funds from the Jail-N-Bail will go to the featured charities. Attendees who issue arrest warrants and criminals who raise bail money will choose which organization will receive their donation. Both organizations will be presented with funds raised at Saturday night's dinner and party.
In the past, our attendees and sponsors have been very generous to our featured charities and we're grateful to all who have donated. There is no pressure on attendees to give to the charities. At a minimum, we want to spotlight organizations which are doing great things for the military community, and if we can raise some money to help them continue their great work in the process - all the better.
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Federal Computer Week and many news sites are covering the story about the launch of milblook - an initiative to connect people across the AKO/DKO community. According to the milSuite home page, milBook acts as a central hub for networking workforce professionals with others of similar interests, much like the popular social media sites Facebook and LinkedIn.
The milBook application joins an enclave of other federal social networking platforms modeled on popular mainstream sites, including the Navy Office of General Counsel’s internal Facebook or the Defense Intelligence Agency’s A-Space, also inspired by Facebook.
As part of the milBook program, several military and government programs have implemented professionally-based and social Web presences for their internal communities, using popular or familiar sites in the public domain as a model, Filler said.
“We are actively engaged across the DOD with social media and Web 2.0 projects and are always looking to integrate where possible if the audience is appropriate,” he added.
The military is even planning to develop SmartPhone apps for its milSuite. But as of now, the milSuite is only accessible by military members and others within in the AKO/DKO community.
This is great news and all with the blog and wiki and now the ‘book’, but honestly, I don’t think there is five people on Earth I know who use any of these sites for social networking.
Seriously, ask me to name five people who use milSuite to blog about stuff, and I’d have a better chance of knowing the answer to why the sky is blue or what is the secret of the universe.
Read the entire story here.
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Special Thanks to Our Sponsors
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Admiral Harvey to Speak at The MilBlog Conference
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It's Official: The "Fifth Annual Milblog Conference and Party" Scheduled for April 9 and 10, 2010, Going to Be the Best Yet!
More here
"The Charitable Landscape" Panel Announced
More here
Official Milblog Conference Banner: Now Available for Download
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Registration for Fifth Annual MilBlog Conference & Party NOW OPEN!
More here
2010 Milblog Conference and Party, Sponsorship Packages
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Jake Wood who blogged from the frontlines of Iraq and Afghanistan, while dealing with sniper fire and hunting I.E.Ds, is now blogging about the relief efforts in Haiti. On January 17th, Jake and his 4 man team began taking medicine and much-needed supplies to the people of Haiti. His web site Jake’s Life, has now become Team Rubicon. You can stay updated on all the good they’re doing by visiting Jake’s blog. Military Blog Blackfive has also been covering their journey since the beginning, posting daily updates including photos and dispatches. Team Rubicon’s efforts have also received attention in the news – including a story by Catholic Online, a Catholic news site that reaches over 100 thousand users per day.
Jake Wood, a remarkable young US Marine military blooger (milblogger) and former University of Wisconsin Badgers football player, has established Team Rubicon for a joint medical relief operation with Jesuits in Port au Prince.
The operation is able to move more swiftly than larger, established aid organizations because it is privately-funded and overcomes three critical blocks in the flow of aid: security, lack of water, and organizational cumbersomeness.
Wood blogged his recent combat experience in Iraq and Afghanistan as Badger Jake at Jake's Life, which has now become the home of Team Rubicon. He also served as a volunteer in the aftermath of hurricane Katrina.
According to Jake’s blog, Team Rubicon is assembling a second team to go to Haiti and they’re in need of: ER doctors, EMTs with pediatric skills. Rally point will be Fayetteville, NC. Click here for more info.
Read the entire Catholic Online story here.
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Admiral Mullen was sworn in as the 17th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff on October 1, 2007. He serves as the principal military advisor to the President, the Secretary of Defense, the National Security Council, and the Homeland Security Council.
A native of Los Angeles, he graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1968.
He commanded three ships: the gasoline tanker USS Noxubee (AOG 56), the guided missile destroyer USS Goldsborough (DDG 20), and the guided missile cruiser USS Yorktown (CG 48).
As a Flag Officer, Admiral Mullen commanded Cruiser-Destroyer Group 2, the George Washington Battle Group, and the U.S. 2nd Fleet/NATO Striking Fleet Atlantic.
Ashore he has served in leadership positions at the Naval Academy, in the Navy's Bureau of Personnel, in the Office of the Secretary of Defense and on the Navy Staff. He was the 32nd Vice Chief of Naval Operations from August 2003 to October 2004.
His last operational assignment was as Commander, NATO Joint Force Command Naples/Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Europe.
Admiral Mullen is a graduate of the Advanced Management Program at the Harvard Business School and earned a Master of Science degree in Operations Research from the Naval Postgraduate School.
Prior to becoming Chairman, Admiral Mullen served as the 28th Chief of Naval Operations.
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General Electric
Vets4Vets
VA Mortgage Center
USACares
USAA
U.S. Naval Institute
Readeo
Pin-Ups for Vets
Military.com
Key Edition Inc, for Senator's Son: An Iraq War Novel by Luke S Larson
Hillsdale College
AAFES
Without their support, the conference wouldn't be possible. We greatly appreciate all of our sponsors!
We have a variety of sponsorships available, several options can be mixed and matched. Our packages can accommodate the smallest of budgets and are constructed so that both large and small organizations can participate. For more information on sponsorships, click here.
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ArtDaily, an online fine art newspaper, has a story about a war photography exhibition being held at the Stellam Holm Gallery in New York. The works being showcased, have also been published in a book called I.E.D.: War in Afghanistan and Iraq and it includes military blogger stories from Doonesbury’s Sandbox. It’s another testimony to military blogs – as the article states, “This 'boots-on-the-ground' testimony adds a powerful voice to the compelling and harrowing photographs constructed by Levinthal.” The photographs aren't of real people, but of tiny miniature Soldiers and figurines.
I.E.D.: War in Afghanistan and Iraq features eighteen color photographs by renowned photographer, David Levinthal, which seek to examine the way in which our society looks at war. The idea for this series was conceived when Levinthal recognized a flood of figurines and models available to the American consumer, depicting the ongoing conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan...
Released by powerHouse Books, the publication, I.E.D.: War in Afghanistan and Iraq, compiles the entirety of Mr. Levinthal's series of photographs. The book features seventy color photographs along with an introduction by the artist. It is accompanied by a series of writings culled by David Stanford, editor of The Sandbox, an online military blog that posts writings from troops deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Though the photographs look stunning, I was slightly disappointed. It doesn't appear as though David Levinthal consulted any military action figure experts (like my 3-year old) before publishing the book.
I mean because, when I glanced at the book online, I didn't see any "Pew! Pew! Pew!...Pew! Pew! Pew!" balloons photoshopped on top of the photos...
Read the entire story here.
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By Andi
Admiral John C. Harvey, Jr. is no stranger to blogging. In addition to authoring his own blog, he's also a contributor at the USNI blog. We're pleased to announce that ADM Harvey will be a featured speaker at the 2010 MilBlog Conference. ADM Harvey will join contemporaries from other branches to address the use of social media by senior military leadership. More on this panel soon.
Our Generals and Admirals are busy folks these days. They have pesky little things to deal with, like wars and natural disasters.... Confirmed speakers on this panel are tentative. They plan to appear unless duty dictates otherwise.
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It’s part of an ongoing distinguished visitor embark program that has been reaching out to community bloggers as a way to communicate U.S. military missions to a whole new audience.
“The Navy recognizes the importance and the reach of social media,” said Capt. Brett Genoble. “Taking out this group of San Diego-based bloggers is a great communications opportunity.”
Read the entire story here.
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It's Official: The "Fifth Annual Milblog Conference and Party" Scheduled for April 9 and 10, 2010, Going to Be the Best Yet!
More here
"The Charitable Landscape" Panel Announced
More here
Official Milblog Conference Banner: Now Available for Download
More here
Registration for Fifth Annual MilBlog Conference & Party NOW OPEN!
More here
2010 Milblog Conference and Party, Sponsorship Packages
More here
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Ever wonder what Civil War buffs do for fun? A Curator for the National Civil War Museum, based in Harrisburg PA, will live the life of a Civil War soldier on picket duty for 2 weeks starting February 6 at 10:00am through February 20 until 5:00pm. Picket Duty basically means maintaining watch for the enemy. The story is getting press, and Brett Kelly the curator who will be pulling duty, is also going to be tweeting updates according to the news.
Brett Kelley's plans for two weeks in the Union Army include picket duty, 10-mile marches, improving defensive position and taking care of Twitter and YouTube.
It is not the Civil War of the 1860s.
Kelley, curator of collections at the National Civil War Museum in Harrisburg, will serve two full weeks standing guard at the museum in a fund-raising and consciousness-raising activity,
"People say I'm crazy for doing this in February," he says. But then he talks about wearing a wool uniform being produced by a manufacturer of period clothes in Gettysburg. He does not want to emulate the slow-cooking process that drained Civil War combatants in the summer campaigns.
"I'd really be nuts to do this in July," he says.
Kelley will be on duty Feb. 6 to 20 outside the museum, trying to experience life as a Civil War soldier. He will be housed in a wood-floored tent and cook meals in a cast-iron stove.
It’s actually pretty interesting, although, I could think of better things to do for 2 weeks. Normally when I’m really into something I watch a movie or read a book about the subject. But truthfully, that’s only because dressing up like an enchanted mythical creature outside of my apartment, would likely end up in a phone call to the Police by my neighbors.
I anxiously wait the day unicorns are accepted as people, too.
Read the entire story here. You can check out the museum’s web site here.
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American country music artist and American Idol contestant, Kellie Pickler recently packed her bags according to her Twitter account and is off on her third USO Tour. Her first two USO tours in 2007 and 2008 took her to military bases all around the world including Iraq, Germany, Afghanistan, and Kosovo. In addition to participating in USO Tours, she’s trying to bring attention to the USO through microblogging – and hear nearly 200,000 Twitter followers. In her most recent tweet sent on Jan 10th @4:12 PM, she wrote:
Bringing a little piece of home to our service men and woman in Iraq. #USO
And earlier that same morning, she tweeted:
All packed for the Middle East. Lets make #USO a trending topic!! ;)
Seriously, this is a cool story. I think it’s great any time someone uses their fame to support the troops. But Kellie doesn’t seem too interested in following others on Twitter. While she has nearly 200,000 followers, she follows exactly ZERO people back *sniff* (despite repeated requests).
Now I don’t personally know all 73,000 of my Twitter followers, but life without friends can be pretty lonely.
Patting cat on head. “Isn’t that right, Linguini?”
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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.
Greta Perry – Moderator
Keith Hensley - Wounded Warrior Project
Vivian Greentree - Blue Star Families
Shelle Michaels - Soldiers' Angels
Taylor Kiland - United States Navy Memorial
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A vertical sidebar banner is now available for download as a way to spread the word about the Fifth Annual Milblog Conference Bash. This is the first banner I’ve used on the Milblogging.com site and hopefully more will be added soon. I’m using the banner at the top of the right sidebar. When more banners or buttons are available I’ll make sure to update the Milblog Conference section of Milblogging.com.
On a side note: Another year has passed, and the conference is right around the corner in April. You can keep updated on the goings-on about the huge Conference Bash planned here. Registration and hotel information is also available. I’m sure several of you are gonna point out the banner is pretty big. And because it’s vertical it’s a little difficult to read. But it’s actually freaking awesome if you look at it long enough.
I highly recommend turning your head all the way to the left until your ear touches your elbow. Then hold that position. If you do it for like 5 minutes the banner starts animating and changing colors. Neato.
Download the image here.
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For Legg, a typical day starts off with getting her two boys ready for school. After her six-year-old and four-year-old scoot off, Legg has a few quiet hours to get to work.
Legg writes in her blog, called “9 to 5 to 9” (http://debralegg.com), about a wide range of subjects but focuses on things in her immediate world, like the challenges of raising a 6-year-old with severe food allergies. Legg herself grew up with food allergies ranging from egg pork to seafood, and devotes sections of her blog to product reviews and adapted recipes tested in her own kitchen.
Read the entire story here.
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9/11 The terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Pronounced “nine eleven.”
blog A web site for publishing a chronological and ongoing series of related entries, especially when they are all by the same person(s) or on the same topic. Also a productive combining form: blogosphere, blogerati, milblog, blogola.
google Verb meaning “to search the Internet.” Generic form of the trademarked “Google,” the world’s dominant Internet search engine.
green Related to ecological or environmental conservation or protection. Also a productive combining form: greenwashing, green collar, etc.
text Verb: to send a text message via a mobile phone. Noun: such a message.
war on terror A global effort to prevent terror and terrorists.
It would’ve been nice to see Milblog make the list, but it’s not surprising considering I still get puzzling stares when people ask me about milblogs. Who knows, maybe in the next decade it’ll top the list? If it does, I’m really hoping they’ll use the Urban Dictionary definition (see below). Who ever wrote it is my hero.
Military Blog. Weblogs written by military bloggers.
We don't need more sissy reporters at the front. Just tell those pansies in the mainstream media to copy/paste from the milblogs.
I actually tell people this when they ask me what a milblog is.
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The Task Force Mountain website, the official site for news and information from the 10th Mountain Division, gained a lot of attention over the last year after the Commander Major General Mike Oates regularly blogged on the web site. At least year’s Official Milblog Conference held in the D.C. area, Major General Oates even called in from Iraq (you can watch the video here). MG Oates departed Fort Drum in August, but the new commander Major General James Terry picked up right where he left off. By the looks of it, MG Terry is doing everything he can to keep the communication open with soldiers and families. In late November he posted a story titled: Communication – How are we doing? That received nearly 2 dozen comments from readers.
We have a lot of venues for communication and information here: FRGs, the Mountaineer, DrumTV, Channel 13, the Fort Drum and Task Force Mountain websites, etc. But I keep hearing Soldiers and Families don't feel like they are informed of what's going on.
How do you get your information? What is the most effective way for me to get the community the information they need?
While many in the ranks of the DoD are still trying to figure out the best way to use social media, MG Oates has left a lasting impression on the 10th Mountain Division’s new commander – and how they communicate.
Now I’m not saying every General in the Military should become versed in the way of blogging, but it’s great to see participation at all levels. I mean, you’ve got to respect people like the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs and Major Generals who can find the time to blog...
I’m sure nothing brings them more joy than hopping on Facebook or Twitter in between fighting for the free world and running the entire military.
Thanks to my good pal Andi, who has been busy behind the scenes organizing the Fifth Annual Milblog Conference, for the tip.
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Yesterday at 8:50 AM:
“Got arrested at the Seattle airport for refusing to say how much money I make. (The uniformed ones say I was not “arrested”, but they definitely handcuffed me.) Their videos and audios should show that I was polite, but simply refused questions that had nothing to do with national security. Port authority police…eventually came — they were professionals — and rescued me from the border bullies.
Yesterday at 9:03 AM:
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