Winners will be announced at the 2010 Milblog Conference on April 10th by this year's Platinum Sponsors USAA and General Electric. Winners are not required to attend the conference.
Questions? Comments? Concerns? Feel free to send an email to milblogging@gmail.com
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Air Force Captain, Jenna Wilcox, died from injuries suffered when a tire exploded in her lap. She had recently returned home from Afghanistan. Her husband, who also serves in the military, was with her at the time.
Captain Wilcox ran a military blog from Afghanistan called Jenna’s Blog.
In her final post dated March 21, 2010, Jenna writes:
This will be my last entry. Both Scott and I are home, safe and sound and I no longer have a reason to continue with this blog.
There were several purposes for this blog. The first and foremost was to share my experiences with family and friends. I also wanted to let people know about the military and what we experience in a combat zone. As an Air Force Officer who is not a pilot, it is very unlikely that I will again be in a situation where I am the war fighter. I am usually in a support role; my job ensures that planes get off the ground so they can fight the enemy. But this time, I was the one directly fighting the enemy. To the pleasure of my parents, that probably won't happen again.
Scotsman.com has the full story on the tragic event:
WITNESSES have described the moment a car tyre exploded on the lap of tragic Jenna Wilcox – just moments after her husband stopped at a garage to get help.
Decorated US air force officer Ms Wilcox - who survived a roadside bomb attack in Afghanistan - died in Edinburgh's Western General Hospital this week – five days after the freak explosion.
The blast blew out the windows of the couple's sports car, left the 27-year-old critically injured and her husband Scott, who also serves in the US air force, wounded.
Read the entire story here.
Thank you to my good friend Troy for sending me the story.
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Questions? Comments? Concerns? Send me (JP) an email to milblogging@gmail.com I will do my best to respond to your email as quickly as possible, but because of the number of inquiries I receive each year during the MILbloggies, it may take a bit longer to reply. I've responded to every message I've received so far, so please email me if you encounter any problems.
Just a reminder, this year’s MILbloggies will be presented by the Fifth Annual MILblog Conference Platinum Sponsors: USAA and General Electric.
About the MILbloggies
Launched in 2005, The MILbloggies Awards recognize military bloggers for their contribution to blogging, news and information, and to the military over the past year.
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Have questions about nominating military blogs in the Fourth Annual MILbloggies? No problem. Here are some step by step instructions on how to nominate a military blog. Remember, the nomination phase ends tonight at 11:59 PM EST, then the top 5 nominees in each eligible category move into the final Voting phase.
Step 1: Register and Sign In
To register on Milblogging.com, see the Registration page. Registration is required in order to participate in the MILbloggies. It’s free and you won’t receive any SPAM. When you register, an Activation Email will be sent to your email address. You have to click the Activation link in the email in order to get started and sign in. Unfortunately, some email providers block the activation email and password reminder emails, so please email me directly if you encounter problems.
Once you’ve successfully registered, you can sign in at any time and take advantage of all the MILblogging.com features, including participating in the MILbloggies.
Step 2: Find a Military Blog
There are a number of ways to find military blogs on MILblogging.com. You can search Country, Language, Gender, Branch, Alphabetical, and more search features available at the top of every page on the web site. You can use the basic search box, but if you’re looking to find a blog quickly, use the Advanced Search. The Advanced Search gives you the option for making your searches more precise and getting more useful results.
Step 3: Nominate
Once you find a military blog in the MILblogging.com database, you’ll the Military Blog Profile page for that particular milblog (like the screenshot above).
If the blog is eligible for a MILbloggie, you’ll see a Nominate button right at the very top of the blog’s Profile. When you find a military blog you want to nominate, simply click the Nominate button and place your nomination. You can watch the real-time nomination standings here for all categories.
Important: A military blog won't be displayed in the Nomination Standings until it receives at least 1 nomination.
Webmaster Notes
During the Voting phase, you’ll also need to be signed in to Vote.
If you notice a blog is in the wrong category, please drop me a line and let me know. If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, you can also email me directly and I will respond as quickly as possible.
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The term “podcasting” was first used in 2004, and soon every Tom, Dick and Harry with an MP3 player began to record and listen to audio and video snippets across the Internets. Six years later, podcasters are still doing their thing, and us, the listeners, are still enjoying the end product.
(Military Boots Blog)
375th Engineer Company returning to Huntsville after a year in Iraq
HUNTSVILLE, AL -- The 375th Engineer Company out of Huntsville will return home from a year's deployment in Iraq on Saturday. The main body of the 135-soldier unit is scheduled to arrive by charter plane at Signature Flight Support at the Huntsville International Airport at 5:25 p.m., according to 1st Lt. Chris Cunningham, who has written a weekly "Soldier's Diary" column from Iraq for The Times.
(al.com)
Defence of the Realm
A military blog written by defence analyst Dr Richard North, Defence of the Realm provides in-depth analysis of issues facing our troops, the MoD and military-related issues.
(politics.co.uk)
WELCOME HOME TROOPS CELEBRATION 2010
My name is April Dygert, and I am a 3rd grade Language Arts teacher at Tatum Primary School in Tatum, Texas. I am interested in having my students create posters and cards to send. I was wondering if I could get more information on this? If I had my students make banners, where and how would I send these? Also, If we made cards, what is the address for me to send these to? I teach 115 3rd grade students, and I could have all of them create a card."
(Letters to Soldiers)
Got a social media story related to the military? Drop me a line: milblogging@gmail.com
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Here are the full listings for U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Reporter and Foreign National Military.
The nomination phase ends Saturday, April 3, at 11:59 PM EST.
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Air Force, Marines advance on social networks
Be open, but be careful. That's the watchword for those serving in the Air Force and in the Marines, who can now tweet and use Facebook for official military business and authorized personal matters. The U.S. Air Force is slowly and cautiously opening its network to social media sites, starting this week with five bases in the Pacific, to be followed by a wider rollout later in April, according to the Air Force's official Web site. The U.S. Marine Corps, meanwhile, this week opened up full access to all personnel, says the Marine Corps Times.
(CNET)
Reporters Reflect on ‘30 Days Through Afghanistan’
WASHINGTON, March 29, 2010 – Two military journalists behind an ambitious NATO International Security Assistance Force project to traverse Afghanistan in one month and file daily reports in words, photos and video recapped their experiences in a March 25 “DoD Live” bloggers roundtable. The Web-based project, titled “30 Days Through Afghanistan,” concluded March 15. It was the brainchild of Air Force Tech. Sgts. Ken Raimondi, whose background is in broadcasting, and Nathan Gallahan, a photojournalist. Both are based at ISAF’s Joint Command in Kabul.
(Defense.gov)
Corps lifts ban on social networking sites
All Marines can now access popular social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube at work, and they don’t even have to apply for a waiver to do so. Marine Administrative message 181/10, which dropped Monday, officially lifts the previous ban on social networking, giving Marines the access they need to check their personal e-mail or post blogs online while using the Marine Corps Enterprise Network. The move brings the Corps in line with a Feb. 26 Pentagon policy urging the services to provide access to social networking sites on nonclassified computer networks.
(Marines Corps Times)
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--Andi
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You can keep track of the nomination standings in real time on Milblogging.com here.
You must register and sign in to Milblogging.com to nominate a military blog and you can nominate as many blogs as you want in each category, but you can only nominate the same blog once. Registration is free and we do not send spam, but it’s required in order to vote and to eliminate bogus nominations/votes.
Tell your friends, family, coworkers, and neighbors about the MILbloggies and have them nominate your blog by simply logging in, finding your listing on Milblogging.com, and clicking the Nominate button.
If you do not want your blog considered for a Milbloggie award, please send me an email and I can temporarily place your blog in the Uncategorized category. Also, if your blog is not properly categorized, you can update the category by claiming your blog or by sending me an email with the change.
The awards will be presented by the 2010 MILblog Conference Sponsors at this year’s Milblog Conference being held April 9 and 10 in Arlington, VA. You are not required to attend the Conference in order to receive your award(s).
For instructions on how to nominate a blog, see the Official Milbloggies page.
Questions? Comments? Concerns? Send me (JP) an email to milblogging@gmail.com I will do my best to respond to your email as quickly as possible, but because of the number of inquiries I receive each year during the MILbloggies and because I have a day job, it may take a bit longer to reply.
About the MILbloggies
Launched in 2005, The MILbloggies Awards recognize military bloggers for their contribution to blogging, news and information, and to the military over the past year.
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Friday Evening, April 9:
5:00 - 6:00 - USAA presents an hour with filmmaker Jake Rademacher
6:00 - 6:30 - Registration (sign-in, pick up your name badge and informational package)
6:30 - 7:45 - Kick-off Panel
8:00 - Cocktail Reception Begins (cash bar and hors d'oeuvres)
9:00 - 10:00 - Charity Jail N' Bail to benefit Soldiers' Angels and Homes for Our Troops
10:00 - 10:30 - Saving Abel Acoustic Performance
11:00 - Cocktail Reception Ends
Saturday Morning-Evening, April 10:
7:45 - 8:45 - Continental Breakfast
9:00 - 5:30 - Formal Conference Program
8:00 - 8:30 – Cocktails
8:30 - 9:30 – Dinner
9:30 - 10:00 - Awards Ceremony and Special Presentation
10:00 - Midnight - Fifth Anniversary Party and Celebration
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Like other big, risk-averse organizations, the U.S. military's first encounter with social media was marked by outright rejection: Just thinking about all that unstructured, chaotic communication probably gave some senior officers a rash, especially when it carried with it the possibility of security breaches. But in another sign that there is social media hope for even the most curmudgeonly of institutions, the military has changed its tune, according to the Frederick News Post (located in Frederick, Maryland, just a few miles from the U.S. Army's Fort Detrick).
(MediaPost)
Playing by Different Rules: the Military and Private Security Contractors
Be warned. HP posts aren't supposed to go long, especially not long quotes, but the following is a three-page quote. It is taken from the book Kaboom: Embracing the Suck in a Savage Little War, released last week. The author is Matt Gallagher, a former junior Army officer who served in the armored cavalry. He served 15 months in Iraq and ran the popular military blog Kaboom: A Soldier's War Journal.
(The Huffington Post)
The Warriors Wall
If you’re a veteran of military service (or you love someone who is), The Warriors Wall offers an opportunity to create a blog — your own website, actually — as a way to share your experiences and connect with other veterans. In addition to providing a place to do all that for free, The Warriors Wall regularly offers new ideas along those lines from Sue Diaz, an award-winning journalist and leader of writing workshops for war veterans.
(The Warriors Wall)
Dog Tags for Kids
We heard a story about a soldier who was in Iraq, and he wanted to sent his kids a package. They were so excited to receive it because they got something from Dad who had been away for some time. He sent the only things he had access to: a couple of band aids and some sun screen. The kids didn't care, after all, it came from Dad!! Help us send dog tags to troops in Iraq, Kuwait, and Afghanistan so they can send them to their kids back home!
(Dog Tags for Kids)
Corvette - Apache Helicopter Comparison video
Four-star Gen. Richard Cody and his son, Maj. Clint Cody, are Apache helicopter pilots and Corvette owners. In this video they show us similarities between their favorite modes of transportation.
(YouTube)
Wounded soldier collects school supplies to send to Afghan kids
Liisa Temple, an adjunct professor in Tampa, sent what she could to her husband's Air Force team. The team is able to deliver supplies in areas where most humanitarian groups aren't able to go. With the help of other donators, Liisa Temple estimates that at least 600 boxes of supplies have been sent. After Lowe was wounded, she contacted him for support. She said Lowe has been a great spokesman for the cause.
(The Washington Post)
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Without the support of our sponsors, the conference wouldn't be possible. We greatly appreciate all of our sponsors!
--Andi
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6:30 - 7:45p - A Marathon, Not a Sprint
This roundtable brings together a diverse panel of some of the earliest milbloggers. Panelists will reflect on five conferences and several years of milblogging. Speakers will discuss the evolution of milblogging and share their thoughts on what they think the future of milblogging may look like.
Moderator, Greyhawk
mudvillegazette.com
Speaker, Matt Burden
blackfive.net
Speaker, Taco Bell
sandgram.com
Speaker, SGT Mom
ncobrief.com
Speaker, Juliette (aka Baldilocks)
luoamerican.com/baldilocks/military
Saturday, April 10:
9:30 - 10:30a - The Charitable Landscape
Representatives from various troop supporting organizations will examine how the use of social media has changed the way non-profits communicate with their membership, donors and the general public. This panel will discuss the challenges and benefits of social media, and how we can assist in their efforts to support the military community.
Moderator, Greta Perry
yatmedia.com
Speaker, Shelle Michaels
soldiersangels.org
Speaker, Vivian Greentree
bluestarfam.org
Speaker, Keith Hensley
woundedwarriorproject.org
Speaker, Taylor Kiland
navymemorial.org
10:45 - 12:00 - National Security Smorgasbord
A diverse panel of reporters, strategists and pundits discuss a wide range of topics including the state of our National Security, the conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq and media coverage of military
Moderator, Greyhawk
mudvillegazette.com
Speaker, Abe Sofaer
hoover.org
Speaker, Michael Yon
michaelyon-online.com
TBA
1:30 - 2:30 - MG David Hogg Live from Afghanistan
MG Hogg will address Afghan Army Commando Training. The Afghan Army is in a process of development and capability growth, with the primary emphasis on building an Infantry-centric force that can rapidly deploy in support of current operations. The current challenge in Afghanistan is predominantly Counter-Insurgency. To increase the Afghan Army's own COIN capability, it has developed Commando training and Commando units. These are highly trained, Afghan-led units that provide the critical COIN capability. MG. Hogg will discuss Commando training at the Center for Training Excellence, a Commando training overview, and additionally, MG Hogg is open to other questions regarding the successes and challenges of developing an Afghan Army and it's road to self-sufficiency.
2:30 - 3:45 - The View From the Top
Senior military and DoD officials discuss the rewards and challenges of social media in a military environment
Moderator, Jamie McIntyre
lineofdeparture.com
Speaker, Admiral J.C. Harvey, Jr.
usfleetforces.blogspot.com
Speaker, Price Floyd
twitter.com/pricefloyd
Speaker, Col. Gregory T. Breazile (Marine Corps)
4:00 - 5:15 - Legislation, Military-Style
Lawmakers, military advocates and policy crafters discuss policy-making with respect to military affairs
Moderator, Colin Clark
dodbuzz.com
Speaker, Winslow Wheeler
Straus Military Reform Project
Speaker, Brandon Friedman
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
---Andi
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STUTTGART, Germany — The Marine Corps lifted its ban on social media sites Monday, allowing Marines from Japan to the States to sign on to YouTube, Facebook and Twitter and other sites.But it looks like European-based Marines — along with other troops in Europe — will have to wait a little longer: As of Tuesday, servicemembers in Europe were still unable to log onto the sites from their government computers.
(Stars and Stripes)
US Air Force uses social media at SES New York 2010 with David Meerman Scott
Greg Jarboe, SEO-PR, interviews SES NY 2010 keynote speaker, David Meerman Scott, marketing strategist and bestselling author of The New Rules of Marketing and PR and World Wide Rave. David describes how the United States Air Force began following him on Twitter. Exploring this further, David discovered the United States Air force allows all 330,000 thousand of its staff to use social media, such as Twitter, Facebook and linked-in.
(YouTube)
Tweaking the Twitter homepage
Twitter's homepage is a work-in-progress. Today, we're testing a new design that bubbles up more of the information flowing through Twitter. This builds on a series of changes starting last year when we redesigned the homepage to make search and trending topics more visible and easily accessible to everyone. With that version, we brought the power of search.twitter.com to the homepage and let people explore the value of Twitter without an account.
(Twitter Blog)
Army food: the battle of the bulge
It was visions of Ambrosia that sustained the Spartans, while GIs in the Vietnam War imagined the culinary and sensual pleasures of Saigon. For the troops fighting in the Helmand desert, fantasies tend to focus on chilled milkshakes and Double Whoppers served up on a neon-lit strip of Kandahar airbase known as “The Boardwalk”.
(Times Online)
Marine Corps reverses ban on social networks
The U.S. Marine Corps has reversed a ban on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and other popular Internet communication tools on its network. An order released Monday lifted a ban issued last August while the Corps reviewed its policies for the use of social media, Google Docs, blogs, e-mail and instant messaging on its own Marine Corps Enterprise Network.
(San Francisco Chronicle)
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The Milbloggies Award recognizes military bloggers for their contribution to blogging, news and information, and to the military over the past year.
Nomination and Voting Overview
1. A military blog can be nominated ONLY once by the same registered user. However, a user can nominate as many military blogs as they wish and nominating your own blog is allowed. However, please do not register multiple accounts in order to place more than one nomination for the same blog, as we have the ability to track this information. If you encounter problems registering/activating your account, just send me an email milblogging@gmail.com and I will activate your account as quickly as possible. Occassionally, the Activation email gets blocked by your Service Provider.
The nomination phase starts Wednesday, March 31st, 2010 and all nominations must be submitted online through Milblogging.com by 11:59 pm EST on Saturday, April 3rd, 2010.
2. The top five nominees in each branch category will be announced on Sunday, April 4th, 2010 and those nominees will move into the Voting Phase beginning April 4th, 2010.
3. Nominees may be military blogs that belong to the following branch categories in the Milblogging.com database:
U.S. Military Parent
U.S. Military Supporter
U.S. Air Force
U.S. Army
U.S. Navy
U.S. Coast Guard
U.S. Marine Corps
U.S. Military Veteran
U.S. Military Spouse
Foreign National Military
U.S. Reporter
4. To nominate and/or vote for a military blog, you must be signed in to the website. Registration is quick and free and you will not receive any SPAM. This helps maintain the integrity of voting by reducing possible click fraud. To place your nomination, simply click on the listing in the Milblogging.com database starting the evening of Wednesday, March 31st, 2010, and click the Nominate button that appears at the top of the military blog profile. Keep in mind, the Nominate button will not be shown on the website until Wednesday, March 31st.
If you do not want your blog considered for a Milbloggie award, please send me an email and I can temporarily place your blog in the Uncategorized category. Also, if your blog is not properly categorized, please update the category by claiming your blog or by sending me an email with the change.
5. To vote for a military blog (once the nomination phase is over), a chart will be published that includes the top nominees in each category, along with the ability to vote.
The Voting will close on Wednesday, April 7th at 11:59 PM EST.
6. Winners will be presented awards at the 2010 Milblog Conference on April 10th. Winners are not required to attend the conference in order to receive their awards.
Questions? Comments? Concerns? Feel free to send an email to milblogging@gmail.com
To see the winners and finalists of the FIRST ANNUAL MILBLOGGIES, click here.
For updated news on this year’s Milbloggies, stay tuned here.
Twitter Hashtag: #milbloggies
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Social media websites have long been a point of conflict in the military. On the one hand, they would allow deployed service members to stay in touch with their loved ones back home, as well as allow commanders to spread information quickly.
(The Frederick News-Post Online)
North Dakota National Guard Wins Award for Best Social Media Efforts
The North Dakota National Guard Public Affairs office recently won first place for its social media efforts in an Army-wide competition that recognizes journalistic excellence throughout the Department of the Army, beating out all other Army National Guard, Army Reserve, and active-Army forces.
(DoD Social Media Hub)
Reporters Reflect on ‘30 Days Through Afghanistan’
WASHINGTON, March 29, 2010 – Two military journalists behind an ambitious NATO International Security Assistance Force project to traverse Afghanistan in one month and file daily reports in words, photos and video recapped their experiences in a March 25 “DoD Live” bloggers roundtable.
(Department of Defense)
Blogger Combats ‘Working Mom’s Guilt’
My 6-year-old son timidly approached me the other night with a very particular look on his face; the one that usually indicates he did something wrong and a confession is forthcoming.
(Family Matters Blog)
Win $1000 in the ArmyStudyGuide.com's Blogger Contest
Money sure is a motivator - and what better way to win money than to share how you have benefited from the services offered through the military. And now that I've got your attention, while you are competing for this $1000, check out the benefits offered by ArmyStudyGuide.com
(Seattle PI)
WikiLeaks to release video of civilians, journalists being murdered in airstrike
Whistleblower Web site WikiLeaks is planning to release a video that reveals what it’s calling a Pentagon “cover-up” of an incident in which numerous civilians and journalists were murdered in an airstrike, according to a recent media advisory.
(Prison Planet)
Featured Social Media Sites
The Department of Defense now has an official policy on new media, and we are happy to see so many DoD components using social media to get their messages out.
(DoD Social Media Hub)
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It’s no surprise that this year’s conference celebrating its five year anniversary will be the biggest yet. And Andi, who has been organizing the Official Milblog Conference year after year, has been working hard behind the scenes for months putting things together to make this year’s conference very special.
The conference takes place April 9 and April 10, and there’s still time to register and attend. The cost is only $50 and it includes “the works”.
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The Roundtable with MG Hogg will take place from 1:30 - 2:30 p.m. DoD Blogger Roundtables are generally audio-only, so we're thrilled to bring the visual piece to this roundtable. Click here to listen to previous blogger roundtables with MG Hogg.
-- Andi H
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