Widow learns of soldier's death via Facebook
Friday, April 13, 2012, 02:09 AM - News Stories
Staff Sgt. Christopher L. Brown, was killed April 3 in Afghanistan after he died of wounds suffered in an IED attack.Unfortunately, SSG Brown’s wife didn’t learn of his death through the military’s casualty notification process. Ariell Taylor-Brown found out her husband Staff Sgt. Christopher Brown was killed through Facebook after another soldier in his platoon posted a message on her Facebook page that there was an emergency.
The Facebook message came hours before casualty notification officers with the Army arrived at her home.
According to NBC4:
"I was told via Facebook," said Taylor-Brown. "It was a girl in his platoon. She wrote to me and told me to call her immediately," Taylor-Brown said.
Taylor-Brown called her, and the soldier told her of the death. Taylor-Brown, who has two children and is pregnant with the couple's third was at home alone with the kids.
"She told me over the phone, right in front of my kids and I completely had a meltdown. She wasn't supposed to but I guess she took it on her own power to do it," she said.
Taylor-Brown told NBC4, “"It was a horrible way for me to find out. She didn't even give me a chance. I could have been driving and I could have harmed myself learning this.”
Full story here.
[ Add comment ] | [ 0 trackbacks ] | permalink | Discussion | Digg this | Add to del.icio.us
2012 Milbloggie Nominations close April 12
Thursday, April 12, 2012, 02:28 AM - Sixth Annual Milbloggies
The 2012 Milbloggie Nominations close later today. While hundreds of tweets, Facebook likes, and nominations have been entered, not every category has the minimum number of eligible blogs nominated. Remember: At least five blogs must be nominated during the Nominations phase of the 2012 Milbloggies in order for that particular category to go into the Voting phase. Right now, nominations are light in U.S. Reporter, U.S Air Force, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps, U.S. Military Parent and U.S. Army.
If a blog isn't nominated, it won't even be considered as a finalist. Please don't assume your favorite blog has been nominated unless you check its Nominations page and see a comment with the blog’s name.
Nominations will start closing around 7PM EST today, at which time comments will be disabled. If a category doesn’t have the minimum number of blogs, the nominations phase may be extended.
Nominate a blog by clicking a link below.
U.S. Military Parent - Nominations
U.S. Military Supporter - Nominations
U.S. Air Force - Nominations
U.S. Army - Nominations
U.S. Navy - Nominations
U.S. Marine Corps - Nominations
U .S. Coast Guard - Nominations
U.S. Military Veteran - Nominations
U.S. Military Spouse - Nominations
U.S. Reporter - Nominations
[ Add comment ] | [ 0 trackbacks ] | permalink | Discussion | Digg this | Add to del.icio.us
News: Pinterest for Government
Wednesday, April 11, 2012, 08:50 PM - News Stories
Pinterest for Government: A Recipe for Success? Recent news reports confirm what social media devotees have known for a while: The bulletin-board style image sharing website Pinterest is gaining ground as an online platform. With its current rank as the third most popular social networking site, behind only Facebook and Twitter, Pinterest can no longer be sidelined as simply a forum for exchanging recipes and decorating ideas. Indeed, Pinterest’s mission statement reveals a much grander vision for the site, to “connect everyone in the world through the ‘things’ they find interesting." But the rapid rise of Pinterest raises an interesting question for public agencies: Should governments use this tool to engage their citizens? (Government Technology)
US Anthropologist in Mali Becomes Sought-After Blogger. A U.S. anthropologist has become a sought-after Internet blogger in the wake of the recent upheaval in Mali. A recent post on the "Bridges from Bamako" blog is titled, "Light at The End of the Tunnel?" It analyzes a recent statement by coup leaders on transferring power to civilian rule. The blog's writer, Bruce Whitehouse, a Fulbright scholar from Lehigh University in Pennsylvania, offers in-depth analysis, historical background, links and local reaction to events in Mali. The posting was quickly picked up by influential news and opinion disseminators on the social media website Twitter...
(Voice of America)
Marine will fight discharge over Obama comments. Marine facing discharge over criticism of President Barack Obama on a Facebook page he administers will fight in military and civilian courts, his attorney said Tuesday. A military board recommended last week that Sgt. Gary Stein be given an other-than-honorable discharge on grounds that he violated "good order and discipline" by calling Obama a liar and suggesting he would not follow some orders issued by the president, among other comments posted to his Armed Forces Tea Party Facebook page. The board found he also violated rules limiting political conduct by service members. "This is not just a First Amendment case," attorney Gary Kreep said on CNN Tuesday...
(CNN)
Updating your status? State-sponsored cyber spies want to know it too, researchers say. Your Facebook profile is a “treasure-trove” for state-sponsored hackers looking to gather intelligence about U.S. troop locations and organizational hierarchies, according to the cybersecurity firm Imperva. A new report from the California-based firm says hackers can analyze connections between “friended” business partners and colleagues, to map out the hierarchy of different organization, reports Nextgov. “The organizational structure can be used for corporate espionage, foreign-government and even military intelligence,” a draft reportedly states...
(MilitaryTimes)
Anti-Obama Marine: Discharge decision based on 'personal opinion' not law. Marine Sgt. Gary Stein, who is facing dismissal for posting critical comments about President Obama on Facebook, accused the review board that recommended he be discharged of basing its decision on "personal opinion" Tuesday. "I believe it was more based on personal opinion on the three members than it was based on the legalities on the case. They denied four expert witnesses that were there to talk about the legalities. They didn't even want to hear or take written testimony from them," said Stein on CNN's "Starting Point" Tuesday morning...
(The Hill)
Veteran blogger, others raise doubt about night raid security with Afghans in charge. While a weekend U.S.-Afghan agreement that will allow Afghan forces to head up all Special Operations night raid missions has been heralded by most as a step toward Afghan independence, the move is raising key objections by a few. The deal, brokered Sunday, would allow Afghan judges more authority to oversee the raids and limit the power to search houses to Afghan troops. It also limits the ability of U.S. forces to interrogate detainees and gives approval power and review for all U.S. “special operations” in the country to an Afghan military panel. In a statement released by International Security Assistance Force, the U.S. Forces Afghanistan commander, Marine Gen. John Allen, lauded the agreement...
(Human Events)
[ Add comment ] | [ 0 trackbacks ] | permalink | Discussion | Digg this | Add to del.icio.us
Milblog Conference extends Early Bird pricing
Wednesday, April 11, 2012, 04:32 PM - 2012 Milblog Conference
The early bird registration discount for the 7th Annual Milblog Conference has been extended to April 30, 2012. Through then, ticket prices will only be $89. After April 30, the prices go up to $110.Tickets will get you the all Inclusive Conference Pass which includes the Friday night Dinner Reception & Milbloggie Awards, as well as the Saturday Breakfast, Lunch (sponsored by Wal-Mart) and the Conference.
Go to the Official Milblog Conference website for more information.
To register for the conference, go here.
[ Add comment ] | [ 0 trackbacks ] | permalink | Discussion | Digg this | Add to del.icio.us
U.S. Military among most engaging social media
Tuesday, April 10, 2012, 03:52 AM - News Stories
Best in Show: Armed Forces on Social Media. It was only a few years ago that the U.S. Marine Corps banned social media sites from its network, including Twitter, MySpace, and Facebook, citing high risk for malicious actors and content. The ban was reversed less than a year later--in time to welcome the new Department of Defense social media hub for its military branches. Today, the U.S. Marine Corps maintains a Facebook page with the most Fans of any military branch, as shown by data from OhMyGov. Overall, the U.S. Military maintains some of the most active and engaging social media accounts in the federal government, as reflected by OhMyGov Analytics, and perhaps all of corporate America, according to business and technology consultant, Shel Holtz...(OhMyGov!)
Promgoers tweet for the stars, asking celebrities for a date. Social media "celeb-ing" became widely known after Mila Kunis, Justin Timberlake and Kristin Cavallari accepted requests to go to military dances last year. As this year's prom season rapidly approaches, it's really taking off. The rise of Twitter and Facebook make people "feel completely entitled" to just ask a celebrity to be their date, says Christine Monnier, professor of sociology at the College of DuPage...
(USAToday)
State-sponsored cyber spies want your Facebook status, researchers say. Facebook frequently takes flack for privacy invasions, but the next controversial byproduct of the social network may be cyber espionage, according to security researchers. Status updates on Facebook posted by friends and family of government officials or the officials' own unencrypted Facebook activities can be used to gather intelligence such as U.S. troop movements, says Rob Rachwald, security strategy director for cybersecurity firm Imperva. While data brokers profit by collating social communications for advertisers, spies and hackers on government payrolls can profit by parsing the same information. And there's a lot of it...
(Nextgov)
Lebanon TV cameraman killed 'by Syrian army' on border. BEIRUT: Al-Jadeed TV cameraman Ali Shaaban was killed Monday at a border crossing in the area of Wadi Khaled, north Lebanon, security sources said. Al-Jadeed blamed the Syrian army for the incident. The TV crew was reporting from Khat Naft in the Wadi Khaled area when their vehicle was shot at as it neared the Syrian border town of Armouta, the sources added. Shaaban, a 32-year-old assistant cameraman, was shot in the chest and transferred to a nearby hospital where he was later pronounced dead. Prime Minister Najib Mikati, whose Twitter account was flooded with messages from people asking the government for immediate action, said he would ask the Syrian government to investigate the shooting and hold the attackers accountable...
(Daily Star)
Clarksville’s Civil War Story Video Wins Award from Tennessee Association of Museums. Clarksville, TN – “Crossroads of Change, Clarksville, Tennessee 1861-1865,” a locally-produced video providing a perspective of the impact of the Civil War upon Clarksville and its inhabitants during the years 1861 to 1865, was honored with a 2012 Certificate of Commendation from the Tennessee Association of Museums (TAM) at its annual convention held recently in Memphis Tennessee. The video was entered into the competition on behalf of the City of Clarksville by Customs House Museum and Cultural Center, which provided research support for the project. Developed as a component of the permanent exhibit at Clarksville’s Fort Defiance Civil War Park and Interpretive Center that opened in April 2011, the 18-minute program is shown daily at the Interpretive Center...
(Clarksville Online)
[ Add comment ] | [ 0 trackbacks ] | permalink | Discussion | Digg this | Add to del.icio.us
2012 Milbloggie Nominations are now live
Monday, April 9, 2012, 06:54 PM - Sixth Annual Milbloggies
Nominations in the 2012 Milbloggies are now open. Nominate a blog by clicking a link below.
U.S. Military Parent - Nominations
U.S. Military Supporter - Nominations
U.S. Air Force - Nominations
U.S. Army - Nominations
U.S. Navy - Nominations
U.S. Marine Corps - Nominations
U .S. Coast Guard - Nominations
U.S. Military Veteran - Nominations
U.S. Military Spouse - Nominations
U.S. Reporter - Nominations
On Thursday, April 12, nominations will close.
Please make sure to read the rules before nominating a military blog.
[ Add comment ] | [ 0 trackbacks ] | permalink | Discussion | Digg this | Add to del.icio.us
WWI soldier's life on Twitter @Williams_war
Monday, April 9, 2012, 04:04 AM - Twitter
Plenty of war diaries have been posted to Twitter since the site’s launch.Now, the life of a World War I soldier who served in the British Army will be shared through Twitter.
According to the news site Leicestershire:
Diary entries by William Grudgings are to be put on the social media website to give his first-hand account of the conflict after he joined the Leicestershire Regiment in 1916.
William was a school teacher in Leicester and Loughborough before he enlisted as a private and was sent with the Eighth Regiment to fight the Germans in France and Belgium.
His diary is held by the Loughborough Carillon War Memorial Museum, which has decided to regularly tweet extracts on the corresponding day he made them between April, 1916, and the start of 1919.
Mel Gould , chairman of the trustees of the museum, said: "We had the diary and we want to find a way of sharing it with as many people as possible.
You can follow the diary entries on Twitter @Williams_war
The first tweet appeared on March 30 and reads: "Coming soon! Throughout my service in WW1 I kept a diary I now intend to share it with you."
Then on April 2: "Joined up yesterday, now in the Leicestershire Regiment. Sent home for 10 days to sort out my affairs at the school. Mixed emotions"
Full story here.
[ Add comment ] | [ 0 trackbacks ] | permalink | Discussion | Digg this | Add to del.icio.us
2012 Milbloggie Nominations to kick off Apr 9
Sunday, April 8, 2012, 05:17 AM - Sixth Annual Milbloggies
Nominations in the 2012 Milbloggies will kick off on the evening of Monday, April 9, 2012.The nomination pages are now online and commenting will be enabled when the nominations open.
This year’s Milbloggies include the following categories:
U.S. Military Parent - Nominations page
U.S. Military Supporter - Nominations page
U.S. Air Force - Nominations page
U.S. Army - Nominations page
U.S. Navy - Nominations page
U.S. Marine Corps - Nominations page
U .S. Coast Guard - Nominations page
U.S. Military Veteran - Nominations page
U.S. Military Spouse - Nominations page
U.S. Reporter - Nominations page
IMPORTANT:
Please read before entering your nomination.
- only one nomination per blog is necessary per category. Duplicate comments may be deleted.
- each nomination must include a web address and title.
- nominations must be relevant to their respective category.
- A link to the author’s bio demonstrating eligibility in their respective category is highly recommended. If category eligibility cannot be confirmed, the blog may not considered.
- spam and unrelated comments may be deleted.
- a minimum of five nominations must be placed in each category for different blogs, in order for that category to go onto to the Voting phase. This rule may be changed due to the lower number of blogs in some categories.
All nominees will be considered, so please do your best to read through the list of nominees to ensure you are not nominating the same blog.
For additional information on rules, FAQs and deadlines, please check out the Rules & FAQs page.
[ Add comment ] | [ 0 trackbacks ] | permalink | Discussion | Digg this | Add to del.icio.us
Syrian tank satellite images posted to Facebook
Sunday, April 8, 2012, 04:57 AM - News Stories
US envoy to Syria reveals Assad's tanks on Facebook. The United States released satellite images on Friday that it said showed Syria has artillery poised to hit residential areas and has moved some forces from one town to another despite calls for a withdrawal. Robert Ford, the U.S. ambassador to Syria, posted the commercial satellite images on Facebook in what seemed an effort to pressure Syrian President Bashar Assad to pull back forces as called for in a peace plan devised by former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan. Annan is trying to end more than a year of violence in which Assad's forces have sought to crush pro-democracy demonstrations across Syria... (MSNBC)
Marines seek DOD guidance on social media use. Marine Corps officials are seeking additional guidance from the Pentagon regarding service members' use of social media amid discharge proceedings against a Camp Pendleton sergeant who criticized President Barack Obama on Facebook. Joe Kasper, spokesman for Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., said Friday that Hunter's office was notified of the plans in a letter from a Marine Corps major general. Hunter had urged authorities to withdraw discharge proceedings against Sgt. Gary Stein because he said the Pentagon's policy limiting service members' free is ambiguous about the use of social media...
(TODAY TECH)
Should Members of Military Be Free to Publicly Rap Civilian Leaders? The U.S. military has limited the free speech of troops since the Civil War, including not being allowed to criticize civilian leaders like the president. So it's no wonder that Marine Sgt. Gary Stein is facing an other-than-honorable discharge for bashing Barack Obama on his Tea Party Facebook page. Should these First Amendment restrictions apply in this era of social media?
(Fort Stewart Patch)
War stories program scheduled for April 24 at Military Museum in Saratoga Springs. A live dramatic performance, “War Stories,” is scheduled for 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 24, at Proctors GE Theater in Schenectady. The program, which is free and open to the public, is based on writings about war by students, staff and faculty of SUNY Empire State College. In order for warriors to reintegrate, they need to tell their stories, and the community needs to hear them and acknowledge the sacrifice those in the military have made on behalf of the community. Soldiers aren’t the only people affected by war. Others who have experienced war directly or indirectly, and who have protested war, also have stories that need to be told and heard...
(Saratogian)
[ Add comment ] | [ 0 trackbacks ] | permalink | Discussion | Digg this | Add to del.icio.us
9-yr old Navy Child of the Year is a blogger
Saturday, April 7, 2012, 03:04 PM
Operation Homefront announced the winners of the 2012 Military Child of the Year Award.The Navy Child of the Year winner, James Nathaniel Richards, also happens to be a blogger, and he's only 9 years old.
"From a pool of more than 1,000 nominees, each award recipient was chosen by a committee including active duty military personnel, Family Readiness Support Assistants, teachers, military mothers, and community members. The five awardees will receive $5,000 each and will be flown with a parent or guardian to Washington, D.C. for a special recognition gala on April 5, 2012. The awards will be presented by senior leaders of each branch of service, and keynote speakers at the event will include Gen. Martin Dempsey, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and Medal of Honor recipient Sammy Davis."
James writes a blog called natethegreatmilitarybrat “Nate the Great” and says he started writing his blog so his Dad and brothers could read all about his adventures as a military brat even while they are away and deployed.
You can find James' blog at http://natethegreatamilitarybrat.wordpress.com/
According to Operation Homefront:
"At one time, James Nathaniel Richards’ three brothers and father were deployed at the same time. As a son and the fifth of six kids, James has seen a lot of the military life. To share his wisdom about being a military brat, he started a blog. James said he started the blog while his brothers and father were deployed to deal with the difficulty of their absence. There are currently 87 military kids around the country who follow James’ blog. In between football, soccer, and baseball practices, James heads up the anti-bully committee at his school which meets once a week to discuss ways to end bullying in the school, and James describes it as one of the most important things he does all week. In the community, James volunteers at the USO and spent over 200 hours last year collecting toys for needy children for Christmas and wrapping hundreds of stockings to send to troops in Afghanistan. When parents arrived to pick out Christmas gifts for their children, James babysat the children so that each parent could more fully enjoy the season of giving."
Winners in the other categories included:
AIR FORCE
Chelsea Rutherford, 17
Panama City, FL
ARMY
Amelia McConnell, 17
Carlisle Barracks, PA
COAST GUARD
Alena Deveau, 17
Fairfax, VA
MARINE CORPS
Erika Booth, 16
Jacksonville, NC
Congratulations to all of the winners.
[ Add comment ] | [ 0 trackbacks ] | permalink | Discussion | Digg this | Add to del.icio.us
Board recommends dismissal of Facebook Marine
Friday, April 6, 2012, 03:11 AM - News Stories
Military board says Marine should be dismissed. A Marine who criticized President Obama on his Facebook page has committed misconduct and should be dismissed, a military board recommended late Thursday. The Marine Corps administrative board made the decision after a daylong hearing at Camp Pendleton for Sgt. Gary Stein. The board also recommended that Stein be given an other-than-honorable discharge. That would mean Stein would lose his benefits and would not be allowed on any military base...(USAToday)
Kony sequel is out and firing back at critics. A famously viral and controversial video that turned an African warlord into a household name in February now has a sequel. On Thursday morning, the San Diego-based organization Invisible Children released "Beyond Famous." Coming in at 19 minutes – about 10 minutes less than the group's first video – the sequel addresses media criticism of the first "Kony 2012" video, which caught fire on Twitter and was reportedly viewed on YouTube 100 million times. It also explains what politicians in Washington and in Africa have done in the past month since the original "Kony 2012" video...
(CNN)
Soldier's Civil War diary donated to NY museum. The state Military Museum has acquired the Civil War diary of a New York soldier who was wounded and captured at the battle depicted in the movie "Glory.” Museum officials in Saratoga Springs say the diary of Cpl. William Howard was donated by Jim Livingston and Sherry Penny, of Braintree, Mass. Penny, a former history professor and University of Massachusetts chancellor, obtained the diary decades ago. Howard enlisted in the 48th New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment in Schenectady in September 1861. He was wounded in the failed Union assault on South Carolina's Fort Wagner in July 1863...
(Seattle Post-Intelligencer)
'Chilling effect' of monitoring social media. The head of a conservative legal action foundation warns that the White House is heading down a road that will eventually trample on the First Amendment rights of those on social networking websites. Gary Kreep, executive director of the United States Justice Foundation (USJF), tells OneNewsNow the Obama administration is targeting Marine Sgt. Gary Stein for remarks he made on Facebook while off duty (see earlier story). Stein is currently facing possible disciplinary action "for daring to say that he would obey the U.S. Constitution, as opposed to an unconstitutional order from Mr. Obama," Kreep reports. "They're trying to run him out of the Marine Corps."
(OneNewsNow)
Military police investigating bullying claims against woman soldier who hanged herself after accusing two colleagues of rape. New details have emerged about the way the 30-year-old corporal was allegedly bullied by other soldiers after making a rape complaint. She said she was accused of setting up the Royal Military Police pair and was called a 'bitch'. And the role social networking sites may have played in her death will also now be examined, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) today told MailOnline...
(Daily Mail)
[ Add comment ] | [ 0 trackbacks ] | permalink | Discussion | Digg this | Add to del.icio.us
2012 Milbloggies: Rules & FAQs
Thursday, April 5, 2012, 02:22 AM - 2012 Milblog Conference, Sixth Annual Milbloggies
The Milbloggies Award recognizes military bloggers for their contribution to blogging, news and information, and to the military over the past year.For deadlines and an overall timeline of the 2012 Milbloggies, please visit the main Milbloggies page.
2012 Milbloggies categories
This year’s Milbloggies include the following categories:
U.S. Military Parent
U.S. Military Supporter
U.S. Air Force
U.S. Army
U.S. Navy
U.S. Marine Corps
U.S. Coast Guard
U.S. Military Veteran
U.S. Military Spouse
U.S. Reporter
Nominations Rules
- only one nomination per blog is necessary per category. Duplicate comments may be deleted.
- each nomination must include a web address and title.
- nominations must be relevant to their respective category (for example, only bloggers currently serving in the Army National Guard, Army Reserves, or Active Duty Army are eligible for the Best U.S. Army Blog category). Nominations placed in the wrong category may not be considered.
- A link to the author’s bio demonstrating eligibility in their respective category is highly recommended. If category eligibility cannot be confirmed, the blog may not considered.
- spam and unrelated comments may be deleted.
- a minimum of five nominations must be placed in each category for different blogs, in order for that category to go onto to the Voting phase. This rule may be changed due to the lower number of blogs in some categories.
Nomination FAQs
Q: How do I nominate a blog for the 2012 Milbloggies?
A: Place your nomination in the Comments section for the respective category.
Q: How are finalists selected?
A: This year’s Milbloggies finalists will be selected from the nominees left in the Comments sections. Up to 10 finalists will be selected.
IMPORTANT: Rules, deadlines and awards are subject to change at any time.
Eligibility
Blogs that meet the criteria of a participating category are eligible for a Milbloggie nomination. However, a blog must be nominated in the comments in order to be considered.
Blogs that are part of the official Military.com network such as Carl Prine’s Line of Departure and SpouseBUZZ are not eligible for the Milbloggies.
[ Add comment ] | [ 0 trackbacks ] | permalink | Discussion | Digg this | Add to del.icio.us
Military investigates gay pride flag Facebook pics
Thursday, April 5, 2012, 01:55 AM - News Stories
U.S. military investigating photograph of soldier 'raising gay pride flag at base in Afghanistan'. The U.S. military is investigating a photograph that shows a soldier allegedly raising a gay pride flag at a base in Afghanistan.The series of three photographs, which were originally posted on the wall of a Facebook group called ‘Wipeout Homophobia,’ have been incredibly polarising. While the gay community is largely praising the flag-flying, some conservatives are livid, and are saying that U.S. troops are in mortal peril because of it...(Daily Mail)
Marine Sues to Block Discharge Over Facebook Posts. A Camp Pendleton Marine is taking his First Amendment fight to the federal courts. Attorneys representing Sgt. Gary Stein filed a lawsuit against the Department of Defense, Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus, and Brigadier Gen. Daniel D. Yoo. "I can confirm that my lawyers on behalf of me are filing a lawsuit in federal court," Stein said told Fox 5 Tuesday afternoon. The nine-year Marine veteran is working with the ACLU and U.S. Justice Foundation in the lawsuit against his commanding officers and the Pentagon...
(Military.com)
Tea Party Marine gets congressional support. A GOP congressman is reaching out to military leadership in defense of a Marine sergeant facing dismissal from the Corps after posting comments critical of the president on a Facebook page. Sgt. Gary Stein, an outspoken conservative who began a Facebook page called Armed Forces Tea Party, faces allegations that he violated DoD policy in engaging in political activity while in his capacity as an active-duty service member...
(Human Events)
Civil War diary is latest military museum acquisition. The diary of a 25-year old New York Civil War soldier who was wounded and captured at the siege of Fort Wagner, S.C., made famous in the movie "Glory," is now part of the collection of the New York State Military Museum. The 85-page diary of Cpl. William B. Howard, a member of Company F, 48th New York Volunteer Infantry, was donated to the museum by Braintree, Mass., couple Jim Livingston and Sherry Penny, a professor emeritus at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and retired Chancellor of the University of Massachusetts respectively...
(DVIDS)
Social media panel tours WV. The West Virginia University School of Journalism’s Ogden Newspapers Seminar Series presented 'The Revolution will be Tweeted: Social Media and Free Speech in the Middle East.' A panel of journalists, activists, and bloggers met to discuss the role of social media in the recent power shifts in the Middle East. What’s become known as the Arab Spring is a revolutionary wave of demonstrations and protests occurring in the Arab world that began in December 2010. To date, rulers have been forced from power in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, and Yemen; civil uprisings have erupted in Bahrain and Syria; major protests have broken out in Algeria, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, and Morocco...
(West Virginia Public Broadcasting)
Invisible Children postpones release of Kony 2012 sequel. The charity Invisible Children has postponed the much anticipated release of the sequel to Kony 2012, the viral video released last month about Ugandan warlord Joseph Kony viewed online more than 86 million times. Although initially scheduled to be released on Tuesday, the charity announced via Twitter that the second video, entitled Kony 2012 Part II: Beyond Famous, would instead be released on Thursday...
(National Post)
China's Internet Censors Decide Comments Are Dangerous. On March 20, China’s microbloggers couldn’t resist spreading rumors that an overnight coup had happened in Beijing. Nothing came of those rumors, of course, and by the end of the day, online censors had deleted them. Ordinarily, that would have been the end of it. But on March 31, in a move that outraged a large swath of Chinese netizens, China’s two leading microblogging sites, Sina Weibo and Tencent Weibo, announced a 72-hour suspension of the comment function that makes the microblogs such rich and dynamic forums. While the handful of state media news stories did not blame the moratorium on China’s Internet regulators, nobody was fooled: China’s microblogs operate at the whim of Chinese Communist Party authorities...
(Bloomberg)
Fort Lee pictorial history makes social media splash. The story of Fort Lee's transformation from a World War I-era camp to the modern home of U.S. Army logistics, depicted in more than 180 photos spanning nearly a century, was unveiled recently on two popular social media sites. The garrison switched its Facebook page (www.facebook.com/ArmyFortLee) to the new timeline format, which now includes descriptive milestones with historical photos dating to the establishment of the first Camp Lee in 1917. An even larger collection of photos entitled "Fort Lee - A Pictorial History" is now available on Flickr at www.flickr.com/ftleetraveller/collections...
(Progress-Index)
[ Add comment ] | [ 0 trackbacks ] | permalink | Discussion | Digg this | Add to del.icio.us
2012 Milbloggies Schedule Announced
Wednesday, April 4, 2012, 04:01 AM - 2012 Milblog Conference, Sixth Annual Milbloggies
This year’s awards will be presented by USAA at the 2012 MILblog Conference being held May 11 and 12 in Arlington, VA.USAA will be donating $250 in the name of each winner.
You are not required to attend the conference in order to nominate a blog, vote for a blog, or to receive an award if your blog wins in its category.
How it works
Monday, April 9. Nominations open.
This year’s Milbloggies include the following categories:
U.S. Military Parent
U.S. Military Supporter
U.S. Air Force
U.S. Army
U.S. Navy
U.S. Marine Corps
U .S. Coast Guard
U.S. Military Veteran
U.S. Military Spouse
U.S. Reporter
Thursday, April 12. Nominations Close.
Up to 10 Finalists selected in each category by Milblogging panelist(s)
Sunday, April 15. Finalists Announced.
Tuesday, April 17. Voting Starts.
Friday, April 20. Finalist voting closes.
May 11/12. Finalists receiving the most votes in their respective category will be designated as the winner for that category. Milbloggie Winners will be announced at the 2012 Official Milblog Conference held in Arlington, VA.
More information to follow.
The main information page can be found here.
Rules & FAQs can be found here.
Questions? Send an email to milblogging –at- gmail.com
[ Add comment ] | [ 0 trackbacks ] | permalink | Discussion | Digg this | Add to del.icio.us
Teen plans to record 1,000 stories of war vets
Tuesday, April 3, 2012, 03:30 AM - News Stories
15-year old Kyle Miller plans to capture in writing and record on tape the stories of 1,000 veterans as part of his Eagle Scout project, reports Janet Thiede for ColumbusLocalNews.com.According to the story, "Miller has already completed and posted four stories of veterans on his website and has 17 other interviews of veterans that are being edited for the online living history site by other scouts."
Since the news story has been published, two more stories have been added to the online archive.
The first big interview event is scheduled for April 21, 2012, in Reynoldsburg, Ohio. In one day, Kyle hopes to capture another 50 stories.
To help reach his 1,000 goal in 2012, Kyle is also recruiting volunteers and has launched a website called Voices From The Front where the stories will be archived.
Here is information I found on the website if you'd like to learn more.
Veterans
If you have served in our nations armed forces and want your story to become part of the Voices from the Front Archive, this page will give you all the directions you need to have your story submitted and published.
As a veteran you have two options on how to submit your story. You can submit it yourself by writing about or making a video of you telling your experiences. Or you can sign up to be interviewed by one of our volunteers. The choice is yours.
If you would like to record your own story click here to become a registered member.
If you would like to be interviewed by one of our volunteers, click here to sign up.
Volunteers
Interviewing military veterans is both a fun and eye opening experience. We have many great ways to get involved and training to teach you all the basics.
If you are registered already, please login.
If you are not yet a member, click here to register as a volunteer.
Official website (voicesfromthefront.org)
[ Add comment ] | [ 0 trackbacks ] | permalink | Discussion | Digg this | Add to del.icio.us
Military-social media news links: Apr 3, 2012
Tuesday, April 3, 2012, 02:49 AM - News Stories
Here’s a look at some military-social media related stories that have been in the news the past couple days, some more interesting than others.To combat PTSD and unemployment, two locals create a ‘Facebook for veterans’. What do you get when you combine a former defense contractor with a Web technology whiz? A new social network for veterans — or at least that’s what its founders hope the site Veteran Central will become. Many soldiers face a harsh reality upon their return from abroad. Veterans of recent wars are more likely to be jobless than the general population — those who served in Iraq and Afghanistan had an unemployment rate of 11.6 percent in August 2011, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, compared with the national average of 8.3 percent...
(The Washington Post)
In Afghanistan, Learning to Use Facebook to Protest. The image is striking and heartbreaking. It captures a young teenage boy at the height of his grief. A tear streaks his cheek, his mouth drawn into a grimace and his eyes are swollen from crying. "Thank you USA And World For Killing My Complete Fmily and Helping My Tears to Shed [sic]," is the message written across the image in bright yellow letters. The internet meme of Afghan youth mourning the loss of family and neighbors after 17 Afghan civilians were murdered in Panjwai district on March 11 — allegedly by U.S. Army Staff Sgt Robert Bales — spread rapidly on social media networks among Afghans in and out of the country...
(TIME)
Jodie Marsh wears infamous army belt - pictures. Jodie Marsh has posted a picture of herself on Twitter wearing the army belt which she infamously fashioned into a top almost a decade ago. The glamour model-turned-bodybuilder, 33, announced on the micro-blogging site that if she reached over 200,000 followers, she would recreate the scantily-clad look she debuted at an FHM bash back in 2004...
(Digital Spy)
Invisible Children to Release 'Kony 2012' Sequel. San Diego-based Invisible Children is set to release a sequel to its viral documentary about the notorious Ugandan warlord Joseph Kony. The non-profit posted on its Tumblr that it will release "Kony 2012: Part II" on Tuesday and will feature more information "Cover the Night," an event to raise awareness about Kony and his group, the Lord's Resistance Army. The 30-minute "Kony 2012" skyrocketed to popularity on YouTube, propelled by thousands of posts on Twitter and Facebook, garnering over 86 million views since its March 5 release...
(FOX40)
Letters found during Iwo Jima battle tell an uncle's story. YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan — Growing up, Naoko Tomioka had only a murky perception of her uncle. She knew he’d died as a sailor in the Imperial Japanese Navy during World War II, which had ended 15 years before her birth. Little else was clear about the short life of Tadashi Matsukawa, her father’s brother. Tomioka’s childhood curiosity about him was greeted with quiet muttering by her father and grandparents. “I asked some questions about my uncle, but my grandmother said, ‘no, you should shut your mouth,’ ” Tomioka recalled...
(Stripes)
[ Add comment ] | [ 0 trackbacks ] | permalink | Discussion | Digg this | Add to del.icio.us
Blog goes viral for supporting Karilyn Bales
Monday, April 2, 2012, 11:51 PM
Witty Little Secret, a military spouse blog written by Lori Volkman, is well-known among the military blogging community. In 2011, the blog was a finalist in the Milbloggies, which recognizes military bloggers for their contribution to blogging, news and information, and to the military.Now Witty Little Secret is going viral across the web, after Lori posted an “Open Letter to Kari Bales”.
According to a story in The Columbian, “The letter, sent March 19, has gained Volkman, 40, nationwide attention and made her a face for military wives: She appeared on NBC News with Brian Williams in a segment titled “Silent Rank,” and on a CNN morning show. Her letter also was quoted in Newsweek’s online blog, “The Daily Beast.”
Here’s an excerpt from the Open Letter:
“Dear Kari,
I can’t imagine the thud you felt in your heart and the ice that coursed in your veins when you heard a knock and saw a uniform standing at your front door. I can’t fully imagine the fear and the shock and the way that you couldn’t breathe as you thought about what this visit could possibly be about. Was probably about.
And then, the relief in your stomach that quickly turned to sickness when the shock wore off that your husband was alive, only to be told that something terrible had happened for which your husband was the primary suspect. Something very very horrible that you could never understand or imagine your husband, the father of your own children, embarking into the early morning hours to accomplish. I can’t imagine the questions that flooded your brain like a rush of moving water, threatening to drown you and offering no relief for a gasp of air.”
Kari Bales did respond.
On March 28, Lori posted a message from Kari on her blog.
“When I read your letter I began shaking and crying. You had so eloquently summed up all of the questions and emotions that I had been feeling since my whole world had been turned upside down. I am not looking at the news very much these days. Instead I read your letter every night before I go to bed and let all of the supportive words and prayers sink in.
I came back to your blog today to read the wonderful sentiments, blessings, and supportive comments that your audience has left. I know that there is a roller coaster ride ahead of me. I am so overwhelmed, appreciative, blessed, soothed, cyber-hugged, supported, loved, cared-for, in awe and thankful for all of the comments that your readers have shared. It was brave of you to write such a letter and all of the readers who chose to reach out are brave as well.
I am taking every day as it comes, enjoying our children and taking deep breaths.
I will continue to come back to your letter everyday, and read all of the comments and soak in the support. Please let everyone know I am feeling their support and understanding. Thank you.
Sincerely, Kari Bales”
For readers not familiar with Kari Bales' online background, she too, is a military spouse blogger.
You can read more over at Witty Little Secret (wittylittlesecret.com).
[ Add comment ] | [ 0 trackbacks ] | permalink | Discussion | Digg this | Add to del.icio.us
Social Media a Double-edged Sword
Sunday, April 1, 2012, 06:16 AM - News Stories
Social Media a Double-edged Sword for Government Officials. Police officers and detectives are using Twitter and Facebook to solve crimes, yet social media can be as much a curse as a blessing. In preparation for the six-week long 2011 Rugby World Cup, New Zealand officers scrolled through YouTube, Twitter, Facebook and other sites, searching for signs of intended criminal activity. Information was plotted on an interactive map on officers' computer screens, as the cops searched for 'Folks who want to take out your mum,' as officer Neal Macrae described the potential suspects in an interview. The monitoring system the officers used included a mashup of geo-located tweets and streams of content from other social sites, including YouTube, which was found to have the least accurate information...(OhMyGov)
Coup Rumors Spur China to Hem in Social Networking Sites. China started a sweeping crackdown of its vibrant social networking media over the weekend, detaining six people, closing 16 Web sites and shutting off the comment function for two gigantic microblog services. The campaign, which was announced late Friday and put in place in stages through Saturday, was directly linked to the political instability that has gripped China since one of its most charismatic politicians, Bo Xilai, lost his post in March...
(The New York Times)
Civil War relics tell individuals' stories of battle. Every Civil War bullet, every sword and every musket tells a story. There’s the .69- caliber musket made in 1831 by a company founded by cotton gin inventor Eli Whitney, the leaden bullet found at bloody Shiloh, the intricately crafted soldier’s sword made by Tiffany and Co. Since the end of the Civil War, countless artifacts from soldiers’ uniforms to heavy cannons have been found on battlefields, in antique stores and in attics and basements of relatives of Union and Confederate soldiers who fought at Gettysburg, Vicksburg and the other big battlefields of the past. These are the relics left behind that recall individual and collective stories of struggle between North and South...
(Tennessean)
Army Reserve reprimands soldier who endorsed Ron Paul at Iowa rally in military uniform. A soldier who went on national television in his military fatigues to endorse Ron Paul’s presidential campaign after the Iowa caucuses has been reprimanded but not dismissed from the Army Reserve, a spokeswoman said Friday. The Army determined that Jesse D. Thorsen violated policies that bar soldiers from participating in political events in their official capacities or while in uniform. Experts say a reprimand may become a problem if Thorsen seeks a promotion or could be used to justify more serious punishment if he gets in trouble again...
(Washington Post)
[ Add comment ] | [ 0 trackbacks ] | permalink | Discussion | Digg this | Add to del.icio.us
The United States Army Band is blogging
Friday, March 30, 2012, 03:00 AM
I received a note from Nicole Lemmer, who works with Army Strong Stories, letting me know that The United States Army band is now blogging on the Army Strong Stories website.Nicole writes, “The U.S. Army Field Band’s Concert Band and Soldier’s Chorus Spring 2012 tour is now underway. The Field Band is considered by music critics to be one of the most versatile and inspiring musical organizations in the world. Its members, selected by highly-competitive audition, represent some of the finest musical talent in America. Several of them have taken the time to blog about their experiences on Army Strong Stories, the U.S. Army’s signature Soldier blog. Col. Thomas Palmatier performs for national dignitaries and at international events while representing the Army Band “Pershing’s Own.” Staff Sgt. Lauren Veronie made her childhood dream come true when she joined the Field Band to play euphonium.”
In the latest post on Army Strong Stories, Col. Thomas Palatier writes about The United States Army Band "Pershing's Own" recently celebrating its 90th Anniversary with a concert hosted by the Vice Chief of Staff of the Army, GEN Lloyd Austin.
You can find current content on Army Strong Stories and you can learn more about the band program here.
Thanks to Nicole for the tip.
[ Add comment ] | [ 0 trackbacks ] | permalink | Discussion | Digg this | Add to del.icio.us
Moose petting vid puts milspouse in hot water
Friday, March 30, 2012, 02:25 AM - News Stories
Petting a moose puts military spouse in bad light with agency, on Facebook. ANCHORAGE, Alaska — Petting a moose had been a goal for Chantelle Hernandez since she and her Air Force husband moved to Anchorage in September. Hernandez is from Miami, where she says alligators are common and owning a pet tiger is not unheard of. Moose, on the other hand, are very uncommon. On Sunday, she got her wish. What Hernandez, 24, didn’t count on was someone making a video of her and the moose, which went viral online, and prompted condemnation by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, as well as strangers who have called her crazy in Facebook messages, and even her grandmother, who called from Florida, to yell at her in Spanish...(Stripes)
Allowing the Military to Make Political Statements is Dangerous. There are many things wrong with what United States Marine Corps Sergeant Gary Stein has been doing. In case you missed this piece, Sgt. Stein has created a Facebook page where he has posted comments that are critical of the president. But that’s not the problem. Military personnel that are not in uniform are normal people, too, and enjoy the same rights and privileges that all other Americans do, like the right to express their opinions on political matters. However, Sgt. Stein called his page “Armed Forces Tea Party”; a title which, seemingly elevates his opinions, and makes it sound like his beliefs and statements reflect the viewpoint of the U.S. military...
(PolicyMic)
Writer Naomi Wolf urges boycott of Katy Perry video, calls it military propaganda. Katy Perry transforms herself into a U.S. Marine in her latest power-pop single, "Part of Me," which addresses female empowerment and pays particular tribute to service women. However, at least one media type doesn't support Perry's Marines shout-out. Prominent feminist Naomi Wolf, author of "The Beauty Myth" and one of many who were arrested amid the Occupy Wall Street protests last year, is urging Americans to boycott the singer, labeling her video "a total piece of propaganda for the Marines."
(Fox News)
Kony 2012 still trending on Facebook. Most students on Facebook this March have seen at least one Kony 2012 thread, if not the embedded video or even an occasional meme. The viral video, released March 5, gained over 85 million views on YouTube and continues to spark conversation in the Armstrong community. The video targets a college-age audience to buy action kits. The almost 30-minute presentation follows Invisible Children, Inc. leader Jason Russell as he visits Jacob, from Uganda and educates his 5-year-old son about the country’s political situation. The video urges the viewer to purchase action kits...
(The Inkwell)
[ Add comment ] | [ 0 trackbacks ] | permalink | Discussion | Digg this | Add to del.icio.us
