Social networking sites have been confronting the difficult subject matter of what happens to your account when you die. Sites like Facebook, MySpace, and YouTube all have policies in place to address what happens to accounts of deceased users, but new social media sites like Twitter still have no policy in place – something you would think would be one of the first considerations for a website that now has millions of users.
Instead, Twitter puts out new enhancements dealing with location based tweets, lists, even a site dedicated to the World Cup, while Twitter pages of deceased users, including “fallen military” remain online with no indication of what’s happened to the user. No way for families or friends to setup a memorial page.
It’s a topic I’ve discussed here on Milblogging.com a number of times [here and here] and a topic recently discussed by Voice of America News in a story titled “Virtual Life and Digital Death” that examines what happens to your digital life when you die.
It is likely that you may come across news stories of the fallen - stories that often talk about how families have now set up memorial pages to remember their loved ones. It’s a fact that many of the troops deployed, stay in touch with loved ones through social media sites. And it’s a fact that millions of people around the world use sites like Facebook. It’s reported that over 100 million people use Twitter alone. According to Twitter’s own About page:
At Twitter, we often think about what it means to build a company today and our role in making our community and the world a better place. We believe that the open exchange of information can have a positive global impact and will actively work to support this principal in everything that we do.
This is a lofty goal for a San Francisco start-up. But, interestingly, we’ve found that this open exchange also has the impact of making the world a smaller, more attainable place.
For a website that claims to help you follow people and stay informed, Twitter really needs to get its act together soon.
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The DoD’s Social Media Hub has a new look and feel (yes, again) that was unveiled yesterday as you can see from the screenshot above. The home page of the Hub was previously a WordPress blog, which now appears to have faded into the background and recent blog posts have been removed. The redesign of the website focuses on the resources the site has to offer – particularly the policies and procedures.
The brand new look and feel and the launch of a number of blogs on the DoD Live network is part of the DoD’s launch into Social Media, which is even being emulated by the Ministry of Defence.
According to the Hub’s new home page:
Social media is an integral part of Department of Defense operations. This site is designed to help the DoD community use social media and other internet-based capabilities to share responsibly and effectively, both in official and unofficial capacities.
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Leading military support nonprofit Soldiers' Angels announced yesterday the appointment of military veteran, new media expert and lobbyist Mark Seavey to its Board of Trustees. Drawing on thirteen years' experience advocating for veterans, Seavey will work closely with COL (ret) Henry Cook on legislative liaison efforts. A strong advocate for veterans, Seavey began his career with The American Legion in 1997 as an Appeals Representative and later served with the National Legislative Commission as an Assistant Director and Grassroots Coordinator. Recently promoted to New Media Manager, Seavey serves as steward of the Burn Pit blog and also runs a highly-respected personal milblog (www.thisainthell.us), which specializes in debunking fraudulent military service claims.
(PR Newswire)
Soldiers' words heard at Fromelles
With the French summer sun beating down upon the very earth where the Battle of Fromelles took place 94 years ago, relatives of World War I soldiers who lost their lives there listened to the words of their loved ones. "We left trench at 2am. I had a good sleep after the bombardment, but I was terribly nervous," wrote Private Henry Alfred Cressy in his diary on July 18, 1916.
(Brisbane Times)
Soldier who foretold his own death: 'Disgraceful' lack of kit will cost lives, warned officer in his diary
An Army officer shot in Afghanistan foretold his own death in a diary warning about a 'disgraceful' shortage of medical equipment, an inquest heard yesterday. Lieutenant Mark Evison, 26, bled to death after being hit in the shoulder while leading his platoon under heavy fire in Helmand.
(Daily Mail)
Soldiers Gone Gaga
YouTube sensations don't usually stick with you. Sometimes they stick around (cf: Bieber, Justin), but even the most successful viral videos rarely offer more than passing amusement. So why is it that, almost four months after first entering cyberspace, a video of members of the Army's 82nd Airborne Division rocking out to Lady Gaga's "Telephone" while based in western Afghanistan is, for lack of a better word, haunting me?
(The Atlantic)
US Citizen Believed Behind al-Qaida Online Magazine
An American citizen, Samir Khan, is behind Inspire, a new online magazine published in English by al-Qaida that is geared toward recruiting Western youth, Fox News reported Monday, citing a U.S. official.
(MyFox)
Siegfried Sassoon archive goes on show at Cambridge
The tiny black notebook in which the poet Siegfried Sassoon wrote his Soldier's Declaration, a shout of rage against the first world war which could have cost his career or even his life when it was read aloud in parliament, goes on display for the first time today. The notebook, still stained with the mud of the trenches, will be displayed at Cambridge University near his diary recalling his first day in the carnage of the Somme, and the telegram summoning him to Army HQ when his declaration became public.
(The Guardian)
IDGA’s Social Media for Defense and Government Conference
The Institute for Defense and Government Advancement (IDGA) is pleased to announce its 3rd Social Media for Defense and Government Conference, scheduled for October 18 - 20, 2010 in Washington, DC. Web 2.0 and Social Media strategies have been implemented throughout most of the government and the Department of Defense. However, simply having a Facebook page, Twitter account, YouTube channel or Linked In page is not enough; organizations and commands need to be strategic in developing and integrating communications strategies using social media.
(Business Wire)
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A lot of people have asked me over the last couple months where I got so many followers on Twitter – nearly 100,000 followers. This week I’ll probably hit 90,000 followers and by September I should be close to my goal of 100,000.
By comparison, Admiral Mike Mullen (Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff) who tweets @thejointstaff has just over 20,000 followers.
Now, it’s not a popularity contest.
But in the world of blogging and news, attracting new readers is key to building an audience and getting out the news about the military - and Twitter (like many social media websites) can help. Twitter is just another way of getting the news out about the military, and in my case, about military bloggers.
I am not a celebrity, which, if I were, would certainly help build a mass following quickly on Twitter. I got involved in the world of blogging and social media because of my experience in the military with deployments to Afghanistan and Iraq as a National Guardsman in the Infantry (which comes to an end here soon) - July 21st, 2010 to be exact.
I don't have a magic bullet. And to be honest, my Tweets aren’t even all that interesting.
What it takes is hard work.
The key to my Twitter following is simple. I constantly follow new people on Twitter. And I do my best to follow back everyone who follows me. I regularly follow as many as 100 new people per day, and out of that I catch 10 to 20 percent of those people following me back.
It’s amazing what you can do, without paying for gimmicks or signing up for programs that make empty promises.
Like any social media site (such as MySpace friends), there are those who say the number of friends or followers doesn’t mean much. But you’d actually be surprised how many people in completely different circles will retweet my tweets, click on stories I tweet, and send messages to me directly through email and Twitter.
I’m sure at least half of you reading this will openly admit you’ve followed users like porn stars and other Twitter users who you’d otherwise keep your distance from. But let me tell you, there’s nothing more exciting than getting a Tweet of support for the military, than by a porn star. Just saying...
Kidding, my wife is sitting next to me giving me the evil eye as I type this.
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A prolific -- and popular -- blogger at the Transportation Security Administration is also now spreading his insight to the Defense community. Bob Burns, a.k.a. Blogger Bob, wrote his first post for the Armed With Science Blog, which appears on the DoD Live website.
(Nextgov)
Tyler Tirado, Moron of the Day: Calls Military Woman a 'Baby Killer,' Hits Her With Beer Bottle
Today's Moron of the Day Award goes to Tyler Tirado, a 20-year-old candy ass from Monterey, California who gives the rest of us liberals a bad name. He was partying on a Pacific Grove beach with friends when they encountered a military group...The young soldiers-in-training are students at the Defense Language Institute...his friends decided to approach the young soldiers and call them "baby killers."
(True Crime Report)
Riding with ghosts
KANDAHAR, AFGHANISTAN—We are motoring down a bare-dirt back road in Kandahar Province, a road where NATO patrols never go. This way is better, explains the ghost behind the wheel, because roads without soldiers tend not to explode. The car is “soft-skinned” — no armour. There are no body vests. No helmets. No blast goggles. No convoy. There is a gun on board, but it is concealed to avoid undue attention. Just plain vanilla wheels with two men from Canada dressed as Afghans — one, the driver, surveying the way ahead with purposeful, probing eyes, the other, a reporter, wondering what fresh hell awaits on this sweltering Friday afternoon.
(Toronto Star)
Shackles in a Twitter world
How do news organisations separate public perception of the journalist from the individual on social media? Journalists all over the world are tweeting away, presumably acquiring a following that helps build their brand. They comment on stuff happening on their beat, and occasionally offer cute personal takes on kids or gardens. That should be good for the newspaper or TV channel.
(The Hindu)
Mission-minded
In addition to satisfying Holm’s desire to help the people of Afghanistan, the mission had another benefit, as U.S. military reporter David Quillen noted on a military blog a few days later. It served to show “that the Afghan Air Force, and through it, the Afghan government, has the ability to reach and provide assistance into all regions of Afghanistan.”
(Spokesman)
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Earlier this week, Mudville Gazette reported that Alex Horton will soon be starting a new job with the Department of Veterans Affairs. That new job, also means a new blog for the popular writer. A blog that will give the Veterans Affairs a way to better connect with its community online, something it's been needing - as branches like the U.S. Army, Air Force and others have been striving to improve their online presence and interactions with people for months, and some cases years with the service-specific sites launched on YouTube, Twitter, Facebook and other popular social media destinations.
Alex gave me permission to print an email he sent to myself and a handful of other military bloggers, in which he describes his plans: “on the blog side there will be a way for questions to be collected, analyzed for trends and forwarded to the people within VA who know the best answer. I will also be collecting guest posts from employees within the VA system so we can have folks explain what they do in their own words.”
There’s probably no one better for the job and the blog. Alex has been in the media spotlight over the years – most recently in March 2010, as the film “Hurt Locker” came under fire by the military during the Oscars.
Fox published a snippet from Alex’s blog Army of Dude: “Alex Horton, for example, wrote on the ARMY of Dude blog that “the way the team goes about their missions is completely absurd,” but he added that it was still “the best Iraq war movie to date.”
It’s not his blog he writes from stateside that brought him into the spotlight - Alex is best known for war blogging about his experience in Iraq with the 3rd Stryker Bridge in the late 2000s – and nearly won The 2007 Weblog Awards for “Best Military Blog”. Losing out to Michael Yon.
Alex has a way of telling a story on his blog, that will make the launch of his new blog even more interesting. Here’s what Mudville Gazette had to say:
Milblog readers will recognize Alex as the author of Army of Dude, for me one of the few must-read blogs during the surge in Iraq. I was there for the surge too, but couldn't offer much public insight into what I was doing (boring) or what I knew (classified). Alex, on the other hand, was far from boring. He was the voice of Joe - the guy who told you what he saw and thought - from his location at the exact spot where the pointy end of American policy drove deep into the... er... sands of Babylon. If you've read his deployment awards post you know exactly what I mean. I finally met him in person at the Milblogs Conference in '09 (hey - we even went to the White House together...) and he's an authentic good guy - we've stayed in touch.
I got to spend some time with Alex at the 2009 Milblog Conference too, and I can tell you firsthand, he’s a standup guy who has built trust with readers. The VA blog will be an exciting addition to the military blog community.
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The U.S. Navy has set some ground rules to ensure its IT workforce is well equipped to handle issues of cybersecurity. A directive from the Navy secretary puts the deputy CIOs of the Navy and Marine Corps in charge of ensuring that Navy information assurance (IA) workers are complying with cybersecurity identification, training, and certification requirements of the military service.
(InformationWeek)
Scouts USA were allowed to use Twitter and Facebook
On the eve of the U.S. State Department and Defense Department issued a special internal circular to employees of the two above mentioned structures are allowed to make greater use of popular social network Facebook and Twitter. However, the paper sounds a warning that these "social media" can be used against officers, and in addition the data presented in them can compromise the number of operational actions.
(IT - Chuiko)
DoDLive Bloggers Roundtable: Professionalization of ANA NCO Corps
We have scheduled a DoDLive Bloggers Roundtable with U.S. Army Sgt. Maj. Michael Logan, NATO Training Mission-Afghanistan/Combined Security Transition Command-Afghanistan for Tuesday, July 20, 2010, at 10:30 a.m. EDT.
(DoD Live)
Anna Chapman Breaks Her Silence on Facebook
Anna Chapman spent nearly a week in solitary confinement while awaiting charges for espionage connected to her double life in the U.S. as a Russian spy, but she's making up for it now by connecting with her growing fan base via Facebook with a quote from Dickens.
(CBS News)
Matt Stewart's 'The French Revolution,' a novel first released on Twitter
You've got to admire a guy who, unable to sell his book, breaks it down into 140-character bits, releases them one by one on Twitter, garners publicity, turns the tweets back into novelese and then -- voila! -- gets a publisher. It's harder, though, to admire the novel itself, which arrives just in time for Bastille Day.
(WashPo)
Air Force Exploring Mobile Learning Systems
Today, I’m taking a trip to Edwards Air Force Base to watch a friend’s change of command. During the dead time in my travel, I often look for ways to be productive. One of the options that we don’t have is access to training through our mobile devices. Mobile learning is looking to change that by providing small (15 minutes or less) sections of courseware that can be taken anytime/anywhere. So, if you want to take your laws of armed conflict annual training from your lounge chair at home on a Saturday, you will be able to.
(Armed with Science)
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I received an email this evening from SGM Troy Falardeau, who helped create the Military Blog: Blogs Over Baghdad - a web blog run by the 314th Public Affairs Operations Center during their mission in Baghdad. SGM Troy Falardeau has made an offer for up to 5 established military bloggers to attend this year's Army Reserve Best Warrior Competition at Fort McCoy, Wisconsin, held July 25-30.
This is a fantastic opportunity.
While I can't attend the event, if you're a military blogger and interested in covering the event in person, you should contact SGM Falardeau before the slots are gone. There are some requirements you'll need to meet, but here's the info:
Do you know any military bloggers that would be interested in attending the Army Reserves' Best Warrior Competition at Fort McCoy, Wisconsin (July 25-30)? We have coordinated for up to 5 media/bloggers/documentarians to attend this years' event -- including 3 days living with the 30 competitors in the field environment. Anyone who takes us up on the offer will be on invitiational travel orders once they arrive at Fort McCoy (free food, free lodging, free transportation).
You can also email SGM Falardeau @ troy.falardeau@us.army.mil
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There’s a bunch of news coming out this week from the world of social media. The former Social Media Manager for the U.S. Army, Lindy Kyzer is back to blogging on her website (www.lindykyzer.wordpress.com), and she’s breaking out on her own after leaving the Army Public Affairs. Lindy announced today on her blog that she’ll be consulting. CNET is reporting that the DoD and DoS are allowing greater use of Facebook and Twitter (picture of policy above). The Army Live web site posted some stories about blogging titled “The history of military blogs” which also appeared on the DoD Social Media Hub and another story “Blogging Appreciation for the Troops”.
There’s lots of news, so scroll down and check out the newest stories from the web.
Pentagon, State Department OK social-network use
The U.S. Defense Department and State Department are allowing greater use of Facebook and Twitter, while warily noting that social media can be a boon for spies and "compromise operational security." Last week, the State Department released a manual (PDF) saying that personal use of Facebook and Twitter is permitted on work computers, and the agency "will not arbitrarily ban access to or the use of social media."
(CNET News)
Plugged Into the Power of Facebook: Emerging Careers in Social Media
But since Twitter and Facebook are the Wild West of corporate communications and public relations, social media professionals don't have the same freedoms as those who represent only themselves. That's not the case for Lindy Kyzer, a former social media consultant for the U.S. Army, who has had full creative control of the @USArmy Twitter feed. "Our chief of public affairs told me, 'I want you to be edgy,'" said Kyzer, 26, who frequently tweets about "don't ask, don't tell," and responded to the Fort Hood shootings via social media as events unfolded. "Our efforts would not have been as successful if I had an intense approval process. You want it to be as immediate as possible."
(Express)
Decisions, decisions
Since leaving the Army and deciding to transition into this role, I’ve been asked by a lot of different folks what my exact reasons were, so I’ve decided to share with you some of the pros and cons that went through my head in taking this route. Since social media is all about sharing, why not help walk you through my decision-making process?
(Lindy Kyzer Communications)
Blogging appreciation for the troops
Elaine Wilson recently spent some time at the U.S. Embassy in Iraq with Vice President Joe Biden and his wife Dr. Jill Biden. During her trip, Elaine experienced some pretty remarkable moments, many of which she detailed in the Family Matters Blog. In this post, Elaine talks about how her rough nights in Iraq gave her an enhanced sense of appreciation for the sacrifices made by our American servicemembers every day.
(Army Live)
Facebook: Signs that politics & patriotism are going viral (video)
Within the Facebook social network, red-blooded Americans are quickly finding friends as they tap into the full power of this social networking tool to reach out to others who feel the same as they do about God, family, and country and the American way.
(Examiner)
ISRAEL: Army probe of flotilla raid finds mistakes; blogger finds a big one
The committee appointed by the Israeli army to examine the military's performance in the ill-fated takeover of the Mavi Marmara, part of a Gaza-bound aid flotilla, submitted its report Monday.
(LA Times)
The history of military blogs
Today we’re featuring a guest post from Daniel Bennett, who discussed the history of military blogs on his own blog, Reporting War. Daniel breaks down the evolution of the military blog in impressive detail, so make sure you check it out and then tell us where you think military blogs are headed.
(Army Live)
China Think Tank: Facebook Incites Political Unrest
This comes on the heels of a recent announcement that military troops are banned from running blogs and personal sites, or using internet cafes and online dating sites. In China, the eerily similar Facebook-equivalent RenRen and other alternatives are largely used for socializing and games; political resistance online, even the casual kind, is rare.
(Geekosystem)
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Today we’re featuring a guest post from Daniel Bennett, who discussed the history of military blogs on his own blog, Reporting War. Daniel breaks down the evolution of the military blog in impressive detail, so make sure you check it out and then tell us where you think military blogs are headed.
Always well written, Daniel has done his research on the history of official military blogs within the DoD. So as promised from last week, I’m posting a link to Daniel’s story so you can learn more and contribute any information you have.
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After the success of the recent MasterChef episode filmed at Holsworthy Barracks in Sydney, the Australian Army enlisted Facebook to help give an insight into what it's really like cooking for our troops. In the episode, nine contestants were put through a gruelling two-hour bush trek then charged to cook for 100 hungry soldiers that had been on course for three weeks.
(Australian Government Department of Defence)
Minn. candidate tweets, blogs from Guard officers' training
The four-term House DFL party member joined the National Guard and, at 37, is blending his military role with his candidacy for reelection to his St. Paul seat. Before he left for Officer Training School this summer, he held a reelection fundraiser touting his military plans. From the training school in Fort Benning, Ga., he has been tweeting and blogging about his experiences and mixing in suggestions about which events for fellow DFL candidates his supporters should attend.
(The Republic)
A teenage cartoonist’s diary of horrors
“The Forgotten War, the Reality of Division,” at the National Museum of Contemporary Art has at its core the day-to-day sketches of Kim Sung-hwan. Perhaps Korea’s most influential cartoonist, Kim is now in his late 70s, but as a teenager at the outbreak of the Korean War, Kim sketched the gruesome events he witnessed in Seoul, where he lived.
(JoongAng Daily)
China group says US uses Facebook to sow unrest
BEIJING — A Chinese government-backed think tank has accused the U.S. and other Western governments of using social networking sites like Facebook to spur political unrest and called for stepped-up scrutiny of the wildly popular sites.
(Associated Press)
Tech Skeptic Is Petraeus’ New Boss
Meet the new prospective leader of all American forces in the Middle East and South Asia: Marine General James “Mad Dog” Mattis, whom Defense Secretary Robert Gates tapped this afternoon to take charge of U.S. Central Command. Not many intellectuals have such mean-muchacho nicknames. But Mattis is the kind of guy who rabidly gnarls through the gristle of pretty much every military shibboleth.
(Wired)
Twitter a key tool for China dissident writer
BEIJING — Chinese dissident writer Yu Jie spends his days between two worlds: the spiritual, with the Bible to offer him guidance, and the virtual, with Twitter as the best way for him to get his message out.
(AFP)
'Restrepo' comes to the State Museum
More than 300 packed the museum's Huxley Theater and into an adjacent viewing area to see the 90 minute film and hear from Tim Hetherington and one of the featured combat veterans, Brendan O'Byrne. The public screening is the latest in an ongoing series of special programs and events at the museum following the May 28 opening of its latest exhibit – "The Citizen Soldier in the American Century," about the New York Army National Guard. The exhibit runs through March 2011.
(Read Media)
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I’ve listed several of the MoD blogs here on Milblogging.com, which can be found in the Recently Added section under the Category Foreign National Military.
If you recall, back in August 2009, the Ministry of Defence issued a document titled Online Engagement Guidelines (click the link to read) that provided guidance to British troops on the appropriate use of social networking websites like Twitter and Facebook. And blogging, at least on government websites, has seemed to take off. Here’s a Summary from the document:
Service and MOD civilian personnel are encouraged to talk about what they do, but within certain limits to protect security, reputation and privacy. An increasingly important channel for this engagement, and to keep in touch with family and friends is social media (such as social networking sites, blogs and other internet self-publishing).
Now, it’s no secret that the United States Department of Defense has been busy over the couple years building out its own network of dozens of blogs on its DoD Live network. And it looks like the British MoD could be doing the same.
In fact, the MoD has their own Social Media Hub, which provides links to documents providing social media guidance, MoD Official channels on social media sites (such as Twitter, Facebook and YouTube).
Have you ever taken a look at the DoD’s Social Media Hub which launched in 2009?
See any similarities?
Despite being late to the social media game, it looks like the U.S. DoD’s initiative online could serve as the model for military organizations around the world. At least in the case of the MoD, it looks like it already has. And like the DoD’s expansion with blogs and other forms of social media, the MoD has big plans too according to their own press release:
Although this is an initiative for the current deployment (Op HERRICK 12), the aim is that it will continue through future deployments, with more and more Service personnel encouraged to put themselves forward as 'online correspondents'.
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FOX News has been digging up all sorts of information on the Afghan Soldiers who went AWOL in late June from the Defense Language Institute at Lackland Air Force base in Texas.
A FOX News reporter working on the story, easily found several of the reported AWOL Afghan Soldiers on Facebook - and even traded messages with them. From the FOX exclusive in June:
And, by the look of things, they're not unlike millions of other young men on the social networking site. One proclaims to be a fan of Paris Hilton and is a member of a group named “FREE Webcam Sex with ME!” Another is a fan of hip hop music, Michael Jackson, the tearjerker movie The Notebook, Family Guy and Sports Center. Another is a fan of soccer and the Godfather.
It turns out there is much more to the story that FOX has been tracking, but what many milbloggers from around the world may be asking themselves: “Will we see frontline military blogs written by Afghan Soldiers?”
While internet access, my guess, is the least of concerns for the Afghan National Army, it certainly would be interesting to read the perspective of an ANA Soldier serving in Afghanistan.
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Military figures go on campaigns. So do politicians. Usually, they aren't one and the same, but state Rep. John Lesch is testing whether they can be. The four-term House DFLer joined the National Guard and, at 37, is blending his military role with his candidacy for reelection to his St. Paul seat.
(Star Tribune)
When Milbloggers Unite
One of rarest of creatures at Yellowstone – unknown to most tourists – is the elusive milblogger. Yet, on a cool July afternoon at the foot of the famous Old Faithful Geyser, two such creatures were spotted together.
(A Soldier's Perspective)
Secret Israeli army base exposed… on Facebook
265 of Israel’s best soldiers may have been smart enough to serve at a top-secret base, but they weren’t smart enough to keep it off of Facebook. What did they do? They created a private Facebook group for their top-secret military base… and then started approving strangers, including a newspaper reporter, for membership.
(Palestinian Note)
Nigeria: The Facebook Page of Nigeria's President
Nigerian president Goodluck Jonathan is on the popular social networking site Facebook. He opened his page to communicate with Nigerians at home and abroad on 28 June 2010. He send regular messages spelling out his vision for Nigeria and responds to comments from his followers. At the time of writing this post, his page has 97,443 followers.
(Global Voices)
Newest friends on Facebook? Pakistan militants.
Pakistan militant groups are using Facebook, Twitter, and text messages to share their views and even incite violence. They are targeting a wider, more educated, and urban, audience. The Pakistan government has "no plans" to block the messages.
(Christian Science Monitor)
Blunt-Spoken Gen. Mattis to Lead US Central Command
The general picked to oversee two wars and lead troops in the most strategically sensitive region in the world is sometimes known as "Mad Dog." At other times he's been "Chaos" and "Warrior Monk."
(AOL News)
China thinktank: Facebook threatens national security
Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) yesterday unveiled a survey report that the Facebook, a social networking site, lurks a wide range of problems including personal privacy, commercial secrets, political and military information, all of which might nurture the ground for infiltration from overseas, according to Central New Agency report.
(Taiwan News Online)
Tomorrow’s GI Joe May Be Too Fat to Fight
A generation of couch potatoes may be perfect to fight the next PlayStation war, but the Pentagon wants to know who will do the actual rough stuff on the ground.
(Miller-McCune Online)
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WikiLeaks case: Army charges soldier in release of Iraq cockpit video
US soldier Bradley Manning – suspected of secretly providing the website WikiLeaks.org with video of a US helicopter shooting unarmed civilians in Iraq – has been charged with multiple counts of mishandling and leaking classified material, and endangering order and discipline in the military, according to an Army statement released Tuesday.
(Christian Science Monitor)
Israeli Soldiers Dance Into Trouble on Patrol
A YouTube video that’s gone viral in recent days — showing six Israeli soldiers performing a mock dance routine to the tune of a global pop hit while on patrol in the West Bank city of Hebron — is a reminder that while the war of ideas in the Middle East might have ancient roots, it is often waged by young people more interested in contemporary youth culture than age-old texts.
(The New York Times)
War Crimes PTSD Documentary
“War Crimes” in which Correspondent Kaj Larsen (a former SEAL) takes a sobering look at PTSD and its impact on American soldiers returning from Iraq & Afghanistan. Kaj explores the growing crisis of incarceration among soldiers traumatized in the wars in Iraq & Afghanistan and hears stories from the men and women who, after serving our country, now find themselves behind bars.
(CurrentTV)
A Closer Look at the AWOL Afghans
Sardar Mohd Ahmadi: Age: 32. Went AWOL from DLI in January 2009, after graduating from DLI but before boarding scheduled flight back to Afghanistan on January 23. He told FoxNews.com in a phone interview and in a series of Facebook messages and chats that he wasn’t missing, was an infantryman until he went to Canada and should not have been included in the BOLO. Currently living in Toronto.
(FOXNews)
Alleged Army whistleblower felt angry and alone
With his custom-made "humanist" dog tags and distrust of authority, Bradley Manning was no conventional soldier. Ostracized by peers in Baghdad, busted for assaulting a fellow soldier and disdainful of the military's inattention to computer security, the 22-year-old intelligence analyst styled himself a "hactivist." On Tuesday, the U.S. Army charged him with multiple counts of mishandling and leaking classified data and putting national security at risk.
(AP)
Singapore detains 'radicalised' army trainee
Anwar al-Awlaki, a Muslim who holds dual US-Yemen citizenship, is known as the "Bin Laden of the Internet," as he has a blog and Facebook page and posts his lectures on popular video-sharing website YouTube. The MHA said Muhammad Fadil had "initiated online communication" with the radical cleric and "expressed his desire to fight alongside Anwar" in places like the Palestinian territories, Iraq and Afghanistan.
(My Sinchew)
BLOG: Another letter and past letters from Luke at Basic Training
Sandusky Register staff photographer Luke Wark joined the Army National Guard earlier this year and has been sending letters for me to share with all of our readers.
(Sandusky Register)
US Astronaut Sends July Fourth Message From Space
"Happy 4th of July! Celebrating Independence Day morning in the Russian 'Service Module', the ISS Command Post," wrote Wheelock, also a U.S. Army colonel.
(AOL News)
'Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ Surveys Hit Servicemembers’ Inboxes
At noon today, Defense Department officials e-mailed surveys to 400,000 servicemembers as part of a special review to prepare the military for a potential repeal of the so-called “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” law that bans gays and lesbians from openly serving, Pentagon officials announced today.
(Department of Defense)
Are the Waters off Parris Island Shark-Infested?
Reliable Marine sources have told The Rumor Doctor that recruits at Parris Island, S.C., were warned not to try to escape boot camp by swimming for freedom because the ocean is filled with sharks.
(Stripes)
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If you don’t know Daniel Bennett, you should. When it comes to information and news about military blogs Daniel provides a lot of good coverage on his blog over at the Frontline Club. He’s a PhD student who has been researching the impact of blogging and new media on the BBC's coverage of war and terrorism – and he’s a regular at the Annual Milblog Conferences, traveling from across the ocean to attend. He is based at the BBC and at the War Studies Department located at King's College in London.
Earlier today on Twitter, Daniel started an interesting thread, asking “When was the first official US military/DoD blog launched?” – which even got a reply from Lindy Kyzer, the former Social Media Manager of the U.S. Army who tweets @LindyKyzer.
If you know the answer, you can reply to @ Dan_10v11 his Twitter handle.
There are several leads at this point, provided by other Twitter users who are participating in the conversation.
@ salottimc tweeted a link to an interesting article that appeared on Defense.gov in 2006, discussing how CENTCOM engages bloggers. At the bottom of the story, a note reads:
(EDITOR'S NOTE: The author wrote a daily blog for hometown online newspaper Orlando Sentinel as part of his official duties during his yearlong deployment to Iraq in 2004-2005. CENTCOM officials said his blog, the first official U.S. military war blog published by a daily newspaper, helped in conceptualizing the blog team.)
Daniel has agreed to share the information as soon as he has the details, and I’ll make sure to pass it along to curious readers.
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Here is a recap of the latest social media and military news. Topping today’s wrap-up, Lindy Kyzer, the now-former Social Media Manager of the U.S. Army posted her last tribute to milblogs on the Army Live website titled, “What I learned from milblogs”. Southern Living Magazine, a magazine created in the 1960s to highlight the beauty and culture of the growing South, featured military blogger and supporter Greta Perry in their Southern Living Mama Blogger of the week, July 4th Edition.
Also, it’s #MilitaryMon, so if you are part of the twittersphere, don’t forget to tweet about the military using the hashtag #MilitaryMon -- which Greta Perry created.
What I learned from milblogs
Well, folks, this is it – my last day as the Army’s social media manager. Boy, has it been a fun ride, and I’m proud to say that for a long time I had the best job in the Army. My Army career has been pretty short. But I feel as though in the relatively brief amount of time I’ve been here I’ve packed in a lot of experiences, and made a number of great friendships and connections. It’s true of most people who leave the service, whether civilian or military – when you reflect on your time it will be the people who have made a difference.
(Army Live)
Southern Living Mama Blogger of The Week July 4 Edition: Honoring Greta Perry & Military Families
In honor of July 4 we wanted this week's Southern Living Mama Blogger of The Week to feature a mom who has devoted a good part of her life, and her blogging, to supporting her military family. Yesterday we called for suggestions via Twitter (we're @Southern_Living) and were overwhelmed by the response. Turns out there is an active military blogging community -- fantastic!
(SouthernLiving.com)
Latest Results for #MilitaryMon
See what’s happening right now!
(Twitter)
5,000 sign Facebook tribute to Lt Gen Earley
MORE THAN 5,000 people have signed up to a special website honouring the late Army chief Dermot Earley. The Facebook page, which was set up by his former Defence Forces colleagues, has been flooded with messages and memories from members of the public.
(Herald.ie)
Retirees returning to military add old-school savvy to the ranks
“They are not the Facebook generation,” Brig. Gen. William D. “Razz” Waff, deputy commander of U.S. Army Human Resource Command, said Friday. “Instead, they bring a seasoned wisdom that comes with having been there and done that.” The Army’s retiree recall program has put nearly 1,000 soldiers back in boots since 9/11, Army figures show. Two of them, 1st Sgt. Jose Crisostomo and Maj. Steven Hutchinson, were killed in combat in Afghanistan in 2009. And a combined 1,000 Marines, sailors and airmen have left retirement to serve again, USA Today reported in February.
(Stripes)
Army Bloggers Roundtable with U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Dana J. H.Pittard and Maj. Gen. Howard Bromberg
We have scheduled an Army Bloggers Roundtable with U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Dana J. H. Pittard, Deputy Chief of Staff, G3, United States Army Training and Doctrine Command, Fort Monroe and U.S. Army Maj. Gen. Howard Bromberg, Commanding General, Fort Bliss for Wednesday, July 7 at 1130 ET.
(DoD Live)
BIG PEACE
The latest outpost of the Breitbart empire, Big Peace, was launched today. Big Peace will focus on defense and security issues and will be led by our friend Peter Schweizer, Frank Gaffney and milblogger BlackFive.
(Power Line)
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It’s not to say that these Twitter accounts are really any good in terms of influence or messages – but their usernames are definitely relevant to the military world. I have written about this subject a number of times over the last year, and I have a hard time figuring out what it takes for Twitter to release a suspended Twitter username back to the public.
Names like @Army, @Military, and @War.
These military-related usernames have been suspended by Twitter for months (and in some cases years) without any updates on their fate in the Twittersphere.
Twitter accounts are suspended for a number of reasons like “strange activity” (which is the nice way of saying, the owner violated the Twitter ToS). But accounts can be restored if the owners contest the suspension and demonstrate the violation wasn’t intentional.
In the internet world of social media sites, vanity URLs can sometimes be in as much demand as owning a premium web address on the internet.
Is Twitter planning to auction them and sell them to the highest bidder?
Does Twitter plan to make hundreds, if not thousands, of usernames that have been suspended available at some point in the future?
Or will Twitter keep the names to create their own news channels like they have done with their special site @WorldCup?
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Army of 'citizen journalists' create headaches, opportunities for aid world
Social media like Twitter, YouTube and Facebook and the availability of cheap, hand-held technology means the pool of potential news reporters has exploded. But many of those filing from the frontline have no experience of reporting and organisation behind them to monitor their information for accuracy or ethics.
(Reuters/AlertNet)
Soldiers encouraged to blog
British forces fighting in Afghanistan are being encouraged to blog about their frontline experiences for the first time via official government websites, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said on Thursday.
(News24)
Death on Facebook
I found out about this sad loss on Facebook when I noticed on my newsfeed that several of my Army friends had joined a group called “Rest in Peace 1Lt Joe Theinert, a True Hero!” I was taken aback at first, so unexpected was the news, when suddenly it struck me
(The New York Times)
Military widows feel caught between two worlds
Many surviving spouses try to continue living near bases to maintain a connection to their previous life. Some send care packages to their husbands' units -- even if they did not know many of the new troops. They go to military-sponsored balls. But many find themselves trapped in a state of restless uncertainty. They don't feel as comfortable as before in military life, but they don't want to totally leave it, either.
(Richmond Times-Dispatch)
Joint Forces Command tests latest tools
Shopping for sophisticated military technology would be easier if U.S. officials could pick up the latest issue of Consumer Reports for some unbiased advice. Instead, the Defense Department has tried to do the next best thing.
(Daily Press)
Remembering July 4 and September 11
Two weeks ago, Chairman Allan Cors and I went to New York City to visit with Peter Miller, who is a Special Projects Manager for the Port Authority of NY & NJ. He is in essence the keeper of the remaining unclaimed pieces and artifacts from the attack on the World Trade Center towers on 9/11. His mission is to distribute items to museums and other venues around the country that will respect, preserve, and display them or to dispose of in a reverent manner the pieces the authorities decide should not be distributed.
(American Wartime Museum)
China’s Troops Lose a Love Connection
Life in the People’s Liberation Army just got lonelier for single soldiers, after a series of classified leaks via the Internet prompted a ban on online dating, the state-run China Daily reported. The new orders don’t stop at dating, however, and include banning military personnel from popular social-networking sites such as Kaixin001.
(Wall Street Journal Blog)
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