Home - About Us - FAQ - Contact Us - Register - Site Map - Link Buttons - Milbloggies

Welcome to Milblogging.com, a daily snapshot of the top milblogs, milblogs by deployment, and other cool stuff in the military blogosphere.
Search Milblogging.com's Database
Search By: Advanced Search  |  Country  |  Language  |  Gender
Branch  |  Alphabetical  |  Top 100  |  Recently Updated
Sign In
Email Address: Password:
Not a member? Register now
Member Section: My Account  |  My Milblogs  |  Submit a Milblog  |  Submit a Story  |  Manage Favorites  |  Discussion Boards
Friday May 24, 2013 Milblogging.com currently has 3,724 military blogs in 53 countries with 22,069 registered members.  
Let us know what you think of Milblogging.com. Send us your feedback.
Recently Added
Title Date
Adventures of the Triple B's 23 May 2013 
Tiny Texan 23 May 2013 
The Spirituality of War 16 May 2013 
Trials and Triumphs of Loving my Sailor 16 May 2013 
Enchanted Air force Wife 16 May 2013 
Hiccups and Sunshine 16 May 2013 
blazing beautiful 16 May 2013 
The Patriotic Pam 16 May 2013 
Fractured Fairy Tales 14 May 2013 
Diary of She Who Waits 14 May 2013 
View Complete Chart...
More Milblogs
Recently Added
Recently Updated
By Country
By Language
By Gender
By Branch
Alphabetical Listing
Featured Milblogs
Milblogopedia
Advertising

Visit The Milblogging.com Store!


Top 100 Favorite Milblogs
Rank Title Favorited
A Soldier's Perspective 144 
365 and a Wakeup 133 
Blackfive - The Paratrooper of Love 127 
One Marine's View 102 
Michael Yon: Online Magazine 97 
Afghanistan Without a Clue 73 
From My Position... On the way! 70 
The Mudville Gazette 66 
Some Soldier's Mom 54 
10  Semper Fi Parents 42 
View Complete Chart...
More Top Milblogs
Afghanistan Frontlines
Iraq Frontlines
U.S. Army
U.S. Air Force
U.S. Navy
U.S. Marine Corps
U.S. Military (Veteran)
U.S. Civilian
U.S. Military (Spouse)
U.S. Military (Parent)
Foreign National (Military)
Sponsor

Read Milblogging.com

Subscribe in NewsGator OnlineAdd to GoogleAdd Milblogging.com : The World's Largest Index of Military Blogs (Milblogs) to Newsburst from CNET News.com Add to My AOL Add to netvibes Subscribe in Bloglines Add to The Free Dictionary

Milblogging.com In The News

CNN
Fri Nov 13, 2009

The New York Times
Tue Sep 8, 2009

CNET News
Tue Aug 4, 2009

MilitaryTimes
Wed Jul 22, 2009

MilitaryTimes
Tue Jul 21, 2009

Fort Lewis Community Examiner
Thu Apr 23, 2009

Stars & Stripes
Thu May 7, 2009

Examiner
Tue Sep 30, 2008

Deutsche Welle
Sun Aug 24, 2008

Stars & Stripes
Sun July 6, 2008

Newsweek
Wed April 9, 2008

guardian.co.uk
Wed April 9, 2008

New Statesman
Thu November 8, 2007

Knoxnews.com
Tues July 10, 2007

BizTech Magazine
Mon July 9, 2007

Post-Bulletin
Thu June 7, 2007

InternetNews.com
Fri May 25, 2007

MediaShift
Wed May 23, 2007

Salt Lake Tribune
Wed May 23, 2007

CBS 42, Austin, TX
Mon May 14, 2007

SJ-R.com
Sun May 13, 2007

FOXNews.com
Fri May 11, 2007

KVIA.com
Tue May 8, 2007

The Washington Post
Wed May 2, 2007

The Age
Tue Apr 24, 2007

The Register
Thu Mar 1, 2007

Military.com
Wed Feb 28, 2007

PRWeb
Wed Jan 31, 2007

The Washington Post
Fri Dec 22, 2006

The Courier Mail
Sat Dec 9, 2006

The World Almanac
Wed Nov 29, 2006

The Washington Times
Fri Nov 3, 2006

Yahoo! News
Sun Oct 29, 2006

The Salt Lake Tribune
Sun Oct 29, 2006

The Boston Herald
Sun Oct 22, 2006

San Jose Mercury News
Mon Oct 16, 2006

Military.com
Fri Sep 15, 2006

Dallas Observer
Thu Aug 3, 2006

Time.com News and Information
Thu Aug 3, 2006

National Review Online
Wed Jul 26, 2006

CBS News
Wed Jul 26, 2006

The Wall Street Journal
Wed Jul 26, 2006

Columbia News Service
Tue May 2, 2006

The Daily News
Mon Feb 6, 2006

The Leaf-Chronicle
Sun Jan 22, 2006

GX The Guard Experience
Tue Jan 17, 2006

NBC News
Thu Jan 12, 2006

Rush Limbaugh
Fri Dec 30, 2005

The Washington Post
Fri Dec 23, 2005

GX The Guard Experience
Mon Nov 28, 2005

Newsweek
Mon Nov 28, 2005

Army Times
Tue Nov 22, 2005

Other News

USA Today
Wed May 11, 2005

More Military.com Blogs

OPFOR

SpouseBUZZ

Defense Tech

Kit Up!

Military Blog


Welcome to Milblogging.com

Air Force nears 1.2 million Likes on Facebook
Saturday, February 23, 2013, 06:26 PM - Facebook

Air Force nears 1.2 million Likes on Facebook


The United States Air Force is close to reaching 1.2 million likes on Facebook.

As I’m writing this, the U.S. Air Force's official Facebook page is at 1,199,477 million likes.

In the last 7 days, the page added more than 3,500 likes and today it tacked on 400+.

By my calculations, the Facebook page should top 1.2 million likes within a matter of hours.

With over 1 million likes, the Air Force still isn’t the top U.S. military Facebook page.

That honor currently belongs to the Marine Corps page, which is managed by Marine Corps Recruiting Command, at nearly 3 million likes.

The #2 spot is the United States Marine Corps’ official Facebook page, which is managed by active-duty Marines, at over 2.6 million Likes.

# 3 goes to the U.S. Army with 1.7 million likes.

Next, is the National Guard in the #4 spot with 1.3 million likes.

Then, the Air Force is in the # 5 spot, with the U.S. Navy a distant # 6 with just over 800,000 likes.

If you want to help the Air Force reach 1.2 million, you can find them on Facebook at:  https://www.facebook.com/USairforce



[ 1 comment ]   |  [ 0 trackbacks ]   |  permalink  |  Discussion  |  Digg this  |  Add to del.icio.us
News: War documentary on military dogs
Friday, February 22, 2013, 03:37 AM - News Stories
'Glory Hounds' TV documentary tails canine war heroes. Nothing about the dogs of war in Glory Hounds is metaphorical.  The new Animal Planet documentary about the canine soldiers that tramp through the deserts of Afghanistan, sniffing the ruined landscape for explosives and assassins, is too grim to be poetry.
(The Columbus Dispatch)

One Month in Damascus: A Photographer's War Story.
Rebel fighters in Damascus are disciplined, skilled and brave.  In a month on the frontline, I saw them defend a swath of suburbs in the Syrian capital, mount complex mass attacks, manage logistics, treat their wounded -- and die before my eyes.  But as constant, punishingly accurate, mortar, tank and sniper fire attested, President Bashar al-Assad's soldiers on the other side, often just a room or a grenade toss away, are also well drilled, courageous -- and much better armed.
(PBS News Hour)

Syria - Fighter Jet Downed (As It Happened).
Multi cam footage of a Syrian war plane shot down by the FSA today 20/Feb/2013.
(YouTube)

When Terrorists Take to Social Media.
At the end of January, Twitter suspended the account of the Somali-based Al-Qaeda-linked terrorist group Al-Shabaab. The account was taken offline after the group posted a video on Twitter threatening to kill two Kenyan hostages unless the Kenyan government met its demands. Twitter didn't comment on the account deletion, but social-media experts reasoned that Al-Shabaab had violated Twitter's terms of service, which prohibit direct threats of violence.
(The Atlantic)

Post-Dispatch reporter, photographer on radio today talking Afghanistan. For the past month, Post-Dispatch reporter Jesse Bogan and photographer J.B. Forbes have been filing stories, photos and videos from their stint with the Missouri National Guard, 1138th Engineer Company in Kandahar Province in southern Afghanistan. The company is made up of are combat engineers. Their mission is to clear IEDs from the roads.
(St. Louis Post-Dispatch)

Wife defends accused urination video cameraman. The wife of a Marine charged with filming himself and his teammates urinating on Taliban corpses in Afghanistan claims her husband is a war hero who was about to receive the nation’s third-highest combat valor award when the scandal became public.
(NavyTimes)

Police use Facebook to inform mother of her son's death. What do you do if someone who isn't a friend sends you a Facebook message?  Some people might not even know they've received one. It might well appear in their "Other" folder and who looks there?  In the case of Anna Lamb-Creasey, it took her weeks to realize someone had tried to contact her. It turned out that the message -- with the profile picture of Atlanta rapper T.I.-- came from a lieutenant in the police force.
(CNET)

NKorea to allow mobile Internet for foreigners. North Korea will soon allow foreigners to tweet, Skype and surf the Internet from their cellphones, iPads and other mobile devices in its second relaxation of controls on communications in recent weeks. However, North Korean citizens will not have access to the mobile Internet service to be offered by provider Koryolink within the next week.
(Yahoo! News)


[ Add comment ]   |  [ 0 trackbacks ]   |  permalink  |  Discussion  |  Digg this  |  Add to del.icio.us
PEW! Figures in military pic are miniatures
Thursday, February 21, 2013, 03:53 AM - Reddit

PEW! Figures in military pic are miniatures from Marwencol documentary


Image credit: reddit.com/r/military

It looks like the theme this week on the military subreddit is “Badass”.

While there are plenty of “badass” photos to view and stories to read in the subreddit, the top story right now depicts a World War II-era photo of a medic rescuing another soldier (shown above).  The wounded soldier fires his weapon as he’s being carried to safety by the medic.

The photograph looks authentic.

“Bad ass and tear jerking at the same time” reads the title of the user that submitted it.

Agreed...

Well, guess what? The image is actually a photograph of a miniature war scene.  “While I have no doubt scenes like this may have happened in real life.. These are unfortunately miniature toys,” writes Reddit user meissner61.

Truthfully, when I quickly glanced at the thumbnail photo in black-and-white, it looked like a genuine WWII image to me. 

The photo is actually one of many that you can see in "Marwencol”, a documentary about the fantasy world of Mark Hogancamp.  Hogancamp built a 1/6th scale World War II-era town in his backyard he calls “Marwencol” and populates the town with miniatures and creates life-like photographs detailing the town's dramas.

Below is the original PEW PEW PEW! photo posted on Marwencol.com back in May 2011 in a post called Rescuing Major.


Rescuing Major miniature war scene from Marwencol documentary

You can learn more about Marwencol here.

According to the website, "Marwencol" was released theatrically by the Cinema Guild and aired on PBS. It has won over 25 awards.



[ Add comment ]   |  [ 0 trackbacks ]   |  permalink  |  Discussion  |  Digg this  |  Add to del.icio.us
The Duffel Blog tricks Senate Minority Leader
Wednesday, February 20, 2013, 03:51 AM - Milbloggers in the News

The Duffel Blog tricks Senate Minority Leader


Image credit: duffelblog.com

The Duffel Blog has done it again.

This time, the satirical military blog has tricked Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.

In October 2012, The Duffel Blog published “Guantanamo Prisoners To Receive GI Bill Benefits” which said the Department of Defense had begun allowing prisoners at Guantanamo Bay to seek Post 9/11 GI Bill benefits. 

Though the story was intended to be a joke, some took the bait.

According to Stars and Stripes:

The Duffel Blog alarmed one Kentucky resident so much that he or she was prompted to write to Congress.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell’s office forwarded the note to the Defense Department, asking officials to review and respond to the constituent’s concerns, according to a copy of the letter obtained by Stars and Stripes.

The Duffel Blog, which now has over 40,000 fans on Facebook, has made headlines several times over the past year for other pieces of satire that fooled readers, like the story of the DoD banning Tapout clothing for all military personnel.

In November 2012, as reported by the Examiner, thousands of Mitt Romney supporters demanded a recount after reading that military absentee ballots were delivered one day late.  The story was first posted on The Duffel Blog.

Read more about The Duffel Blog’s latest adventure over at Stripes.



[ Add comment ]   |  [ 0 trackbacks ]   |  permalink  |  Discussion  |  Digg this  |  Add to del.icio.us
Actor takes on anti-military Twitter trolls
Wednesday, February 20, 2013, 03:19 AM - Twitter, News Stories
Dean Cain takes on military-bashing Twitter trolls; ‘One day you’ll grow up’ and ‘hide your face’. Boom! Actor Dean Cain continues to push back against anti-military, anti-Bush and anti-Kyle trolls. As we reported, he slammed a Twitter user who said that slain sniper Chris Kyle was not a hero. He continues to defend and honor his friend and American hero.
(Twitchy)

How Social Networks Are Dealing With Terrorists.  At the end of January, Twitter suspended the account of the Somali-based Al-Qaeda-linked terrorist group Al-Shabaab. The account was taken offline after the group posted a video on Twitter threatening to kill two Kenyan hostages unless the Kenyan government met its demands.
(RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty)

High School Students Help Document World War II Veterans' Stories. West Springfield High School students in Fairfax County are racing against the clock to preserve history by interviewing surviving World War II veterans.  WWII veterans are passing away at an alarming rate.  "The rush is we are losing, according to the Veterans' Administration, 600 to a thousand World War II veterans a day," Friends of the National World War II Memorial Director of Education Jim Percoco said.
(NBC4 Washington)

Military Poets Let Slip the Doggerel of War. In a recent guest-post on Tom Ricks' "The Best Defense" blog, military writer and U.S. Army officer Jason Dempsey laments that, unlike his poet-heroes of the Lost Generation of World War I, writers and artists no longer serve to help us make sense of the senselessness of war. The essay is headlined "Where are the poems that could help us grasp the meaning of our post-9/11 wars?"
(Red Bull Rising)

Somalia: $50,000 for Info on Journalists' Killers.  The Somali government is offering a $50,000 reward for information that leads to the convictions of those killing journalists, the country's prime minister said.  Prime Minister Abdi Farah Shirdon said over the weekend that the reward will help ensure that such killers are brought to justice.
(ABC News)

Military invests in smart-phone reconnaissance. Imagine a smart phone that can record your facial features, identify a criminal suspect with voice recognition, and reduce fraud in welfare and other programs.  In a few years, Smart Mobile Identity technology (SMI) may become an essential part of our daily lives, transforming everything from phone reception and online banking to identity verification of criminal suspects and enemies in combat.
(Christian Science Monitor)

Hackers hit Facebook and Apple; Chinese military suspected. Remember last week, during his State of the Union address, when President Barack Obama said he'd pass an executive order on cyber-security because "foreign countries and companies swipe our corporate secrets"? Sure you do, but you forgot all about it after that one guy ruined his speech by taking the hilarious, awkward gulp of water.
(allvoices)


[ Add comment ]   |  [ 0 trackbacks ]   |  permalink  |  Discussion  |  Digg this  |  Add to del.icio.us
Instagram of kid in crosshairs sparks outrage
Tuesday, February 19, 2013, 04:42 AM - News Stories

This is a horrible image that was posted to the Instagram account of 20-year old Israeli soldier Mor Ostrovski, who belongs to a sniper unit.


Image source: Instagram.com/ostrovskimor

This is a disturbing image that was posted to the Instagram account of 20-year old Israeli soldier Mor Ostrovski, who belongs to a sniper unit.

The photo, which shows a Palestinian boy's head in the crosshairs of a sniper rifle, has sparked outrage, as you can imagine.

The Electronic Intifada first exposed photo in a story published on Friday, writing: “The image is simply tasteless and dehumanizing.”  Shortly after posting the story, the photo went viral.

The IDF responded saying, “this is a severe incident which doesn’t accord with the IDF’s spirit and values. The issue was brought to the attention of the soldier’s commanding officers, will be examined and properly handled.”

According to the Guardian, Ostrovski told the Army he did not take the picture but found it on the internet.

Ostrovski’s Instagram account (http://instagram.com/ostrovskimor/) is no longer online.



[ Add comment ]   |  [ 0 trackbacks ]   |  permalink  |  Discussion  |  Digg this  |  Add to del.icio.us
Marines top 2.6 million "Likes" on Facebook
Monday, February 18, 2013, 09:46 AM - Facebook

Marines top 2.6 million "Likes" on Facebook


The United States Marine Corps’ official Facebook page, which is managed by active-duty Marines, has reached a milestone with over 2,600,000 Likes.

The Marines crossed the 2.6 million mark yesterday and currently sit at 2,600,418 likes at the time of this story being published online.  They are ranked number 2 among all the military Facebook pages according to PageData, a website that provides information on Facebook page metrics and trends.

The number 1 ranking currently belongs to the Marine Corps page managed by Marine Corps Recruiting Command.   The page is only 100,000 likes away from the 3 million mark.

The next closest U.S. military Facebook page in terms of Likes is the U.S. Army with 1.7 million likes.

The page with the “Most Total Likes” in any category belongs to “Facebook for Every Phone” which has over 200 million likes.



[ Add comment ]   |  [ 0 trackbacks ]   |  permalink  |  Discussion  |  Digg this  |  Add to del.icio.us
News: Video of American with Free Syrian Army
Sunday, February 17, 2013, 06:28 AM - News Stories
American Appears in Syria Fighting Alongside the FSA.  In this footage, an American with a Salafi (or Amish) beard is seen sitting in a Jeep next to an Arab fighter rejoicing for having shot down a Syrian military helicopter...
(YouTube)

Back to hell: Photographer returns to Afghanistan after being blown up by a landmine. A British photographer who returned to Afghanistan after he was maimed by a bomb has told how he could not have done it without his loving girlfriend’s support.  Giles Duley’s remarkable story is one of determination and survival after a landmine cost him his left arm and both legs, the Sunday People reports.  Hours before the devastating explosion, Jen Robertson had sent him an email telling Giles she loved him – for the first time...
(Mirror)

Terror groups turn to Twitter, Facebook, YouTube to gain support, analysts say. If the last decade of the so-called “war on terror” was about boots on the ground and winning hearts and minds, the next 10 years may include a battle for retweets and “likes.”  A growing consensus of counterterrorism analysts who track Al Qaeda’s use of social media say terrorist groups are embracing Twitter and Facebook in an effort to gain support.  Although there is anecdotal evidence of social media’s role in recruiting, there are few empirical studies...
(Toronto Star)

Battered suitcase unlocks story of British World War One nurse who cared for German soldiers while her brother lay dying on the battlefield. The previously unknown story of a compassionate WWI nurse who cared for wounded Germans despite her own brother dying on the battlefields has emerged for the first time.  Little was known about nurse Margaret Maule until a battered suitcase containing her mementos was discovered at the back of a cupboard at the University of Abertay, in Dundee...
(Daily Mail)

Duxford war museum's Spitfire work 'preserving history'. Curators at the Imperial War Museum in Duxford believe it was directly involved in destroying or damaging eight German aircraft during World War II combat.  However, the biggest threat now to one of the first Spitfires ever to be built is old age - posing one of the greatest challenges to Chris Knapp and his team, who must ensure it is preserved for a new generation...
(BBC)


[ Add comment ]   |  [ 0 trackbacks ]   |  permalink  |  Discussion  |  Digg this  |  Add to del.icio.us
LOL: Photoshopped Distinguished Warfare Medal
Saturday, February 16, 2013, 10:23 AM - Facebook, News Stories

Viral: Photoshopped Distinguished Warfare Medal


Image credit: Facebook.com/duffelblog

There has been quite a bit of talk this week following the Wednesday announcement of the Distinguished Warfare Medal by outgoing Defense Secretary Leon Panetta.

Many critics are upset about the medal, which is designed to recognize service members directly affecting combat operations who may not even be on the same continent as the action.

Critics compare it to being recognized for playing videogames.

Business Insider’s Geoffrey Ingersoll writes, “There's been a near unanimous outcry from the military "underground" since the Pentagon announced new medals for drone pilots.  In particular, servicemembers find it unjustifiable that the medal would fall higher than a Bronze Star for Valor, which requires actual courage in the face of the enemy.”

Now a Photoshopped image (pictured above) of the Distinguished Warfare Medal posted to The Duffel Blog Facebook page on Thursday is going viral. 

A comment below the image says, “If you haven't seen the new medal for Drone pilots, here it is.”

The image has received over 1,000 Likes and more than 2,000 shares at the time of this story. 

Read more at Business Insider.



[ Add comment ]   |  [ 0 trackbacks ]   |  permalink  |  Discussion  |  Digg this  |  Add to del.icio.us
Viral: Russian meteor shot down by military?
Friday, February 15, 2013, 03:16 AM - Twitter, News Stories

Viral: Russian meteor shot down by military?


Image credit: YouTube

#RussianMeteor is one of many related topics that quickly began trending on Twitter early this morning after a meteorite crashed into Russia’s Ural mountains. 

Also trending is #метеорит (Russian for meteorite) and other topics like # Chelyabinsk, the region where the meteorite fell.

Not gonna lie, the video footage and photos that are being posted online are amazing, but that’s not the whole story.

If you check Twitter right now, what’s also being discussed widely is whether a Russian air defense unit shot down the meteorite.

According to the Russian news site RT, “a missile salvo reportedly blew the meteorite to pieces at an altitude of 20 kilometers.”

Nothing has been officially confirmed, but as you can guess, there are a lot of skeptics.  

And “Yes”, as rad as it sounds, you can count me among the skeptics.

I don’t know the first thing about astronomy or missile defense systems, so I can’t offer any expert opinion.  I’m not saying it’s impossible, but sad fact: all my knowledge on the subject comes from movies like Space Cowboys and Armageddon.

In lieu of commentary by myself, here are some of the comments being posted on Twitter.

Mark Follman
@markfollman
So a meteor getting shot down by the Russian military? Really?

Bob Sentell
@Commadore_Bob
Russian military claims it shot down meteor. In related news, large amounts of empty vodka bottles found near Russian military headquarters.

Cal Fire News
@CalFireNews
#Russian military source claims they shot down #metor @newsbreaker @RT_com kinetic energies involved meteor wouldn't even notice a SAM

Psygnal
@Psygnal
Russians claiming military shot down meteor? That's a HELL of a response system. The speed of an incoming bolide can be extreme.

Dmitry Merkulov
@sotrix
Moscow's propaganda outlet @RT_com is reporting that the military intercepted the meteor and shot it down. A meteor... A METEOR! #ohreally

Adam
@mycroft16
Reports that the Russian military shot down the meteor are UNCONFIRMED and super super nigh on impossible. We're talking MAJOR GRAIN OF SALT



[ Add comment ]   |  [ 0 trackbacks ]   |  permalink  |  Discussion  |  Digg this  |  Add to del.icio.us
Twitter lacks transparency on terrorist users
Thursday, February 14, 2013, 04:59 PM - Twitter, News Stories

Twitter lacks transparency on terrorist users


I meant to point out this article earlier, but with a busy work week and other things going on I’m only getting around to it now.

Al Jazeera English published a story that discusses Twitter’s lack of transparency on terrorism.  Something I’m sure many of you have noticed is a problem.  Twitter will act to quickly block one account for one act, but leave another similar account online.

The writer Sarah Kendzior points out that Twitter’s policy on free speech and its handling is unclear, noting that Al Shabaab was suspended, but other terrorist groups remain on the platform using the service.

Now if you ask me, defending tweets as free speech is one thing, but Al Shabaab made direct death threats and published photos of a dead French soldier.  If you read Twitter’s terms of service, even a five-year old can figure out the tweets were in clear violation of the rules.

If the rules aren’t enforced, then many people won’t follow the rules.

I’ve been complaining about Twitter’s stance on terrorism for years.  Although the microblogging company recently suspended the militant Islamist group al-Shabab’s account, a new account was launched on February 3 and already has over 2,000 followers.  This makes things even more confusing.

Kendzior is particularly concerned with Twitter’s lack of openness as to how it handles things and I would definitely agree.

Though I don’t agree with all points in the article, Kendzior does hit the nail on the head by saying, “Censorship that goes undocumented goes unchallenged. At the moment, Twitter representatives refuse to talk, although they continue to release updates applauding their transparency.”

Twitter has attempted to offer more information with its transparency center located at transparency.twitter.com.  In late January Twitter said, “It’s our continued hope that providing greater insight into this information helps in at least two ways: first, to raise public awareness about these invasive requests; second, to enable policy makers to make more informed decisions. All of our actions are in the interest of an open and safe Internet.”

Kendzior asked a Twitter representative via email to explain their policy, but the only response she got was that they "don't comment on individual accounts for privacy and security reasons".

You can read the full Al Jazeera English story here.



[ Add comment ]   |  [ 0 trackbacks ]   |  permalink  |  Discussion  |  Digg this  |  Add to del.icio.us
Someone lying about military service, now what?
Thursday, February 14, 2013, 03:10 AM - Reddit

I like to visit Reddit occasionally because it’s where I find some of the most interesting discussions. 

What do you do when your boss is lying about serving in the military?

“That's grounds for a challenge of a fight to the death. Call him out in your next meeting; if you win, you get his job”, writes chrome1453.

In a story posted to Reddit, a person claims to have proof that his boss is lying about his military service. 

Among the phony claims are that:

He was a gunny sergeant or a drill sergeant (depending who he told),
He served on the USS Enterprise,
He served in the Pacific Rim,
He lost his hearing when he was a drill sergeant (or gunny sergeant, again depending) when a private pulled the pin on a grenade.

Through a FOIA request filed through a friend, the person discovered that their boss had only served three weeks in the Marine Corps and was discharged as a Private First Class. 

While one commenter gave some sage advice and recommended he contact a site like stolenvalor.com, others offered more interesting ways to out him:

HGWingless writes, “I probably would have sent digital copies to your entire company's distribution list through an anonymous mailer site.  Side note - Don't piss off the IT guys.”

Gorky1 writes, “Non-confrontational way: Mail it to your bosses.  Confrontational way: Call him PFC douchebag and produce the papers. He obviously isn't well liked by anyone there.”

The_uncanny_valley writes, “I say you give it to the soon-to-be poor bastard's wife. She'll know exactly how to use it.”

CherrySlurpee writes, “Get some real Marines to show up in full dress uniform at his office. I'm sure there are plenty of marines willing to do this. They'll know what to do.”

You can read the full thread here.


[ Add comment ]   |  [ 0 trackbacks ]   |  permalink  |  Discussion  |  Digg this  |  Add to del.icio.us
Students told to stop chanting 'USA' at game
Wednesday, February 13, 2013, 06:01 PM - News Stories
Four California high-school students were told to stop chanting "USA! USA!" during a basketball game according to the National Review Online.

“We wanted to make sure [their actions weren't] racially motivated, and I told the kids I just want to be sensitive to the feelings of everybody,” Lipman said. “If we’re doing it for patriotism, that’s fine. But if we’re doing it for something else that’s racially motivated, I’m not going to allow that.”

But the students deny any racial element to their chants. “We’ve done it always,” one student said. “It’s something we do. It’s the same group of friends. We’re all very patriotic.” The four students gained support from their peers: More than 100 students gathered by the school’s flagpole the following morning to protest in patriotic clothing.

There’s really not a whole lot to say, except “Wow”.

Full story here.


[ Add comment ]   |  [ 0 trackbacks ]   |  permalink  |  Discussion  |  Digg this  |  Add to del.icio.us
News: Social media spying s/w, military-grade
Tuesday, February 12, 2013, 05:48 AM - News Stories
Military-grade social media spying technology revealed. Software that can map people’s lives by mining data from social media sites has already been developed by a US defence contractor, it has emerged.  The news comes amid growing concerns by businesses about new entrants to the global workforce posing increasing security challenges to their employers as they mix personal and private lives...
(ComputerWeekly)

Esquire article wrongly claims SEAL who killed bin Laden is denied healthcare. 
Esquire magazine claims “The Man Who Killed Osama bin Laden ... Is Screwed.”  The story details the life of the Navy SEAL after the successful raid to take out the No. 1 terrorist, and it asserts that once the SEAL got out of the military he was left to fend for himself.  “...here is what he gets from his employer and a grateful nation:  Nothing. No pension, no health care, and no protection for himself or his family.”
(Stripes)

Afzal Guru hanging: Terror goes crazy on Twitter.
At noon on Saturday of the ten top trending subjects on Twitter, seven were related to terrorism and Afzal Guru stayed at the top. Others trending were Kasab at number four, J&K at six, Tihar Jail at seventh position, RK Singh (home secretary) at eighth position, Kashmir was nine and Omar Abdullah took tenth spot. This clearly shows that Indians are worried about terrorism affecting their daily life and the nation's growth. The reactions from the Twitterati should be seen more as a sign of sigh of relief that something decisive is happening and now the political class should get on with the governance issue instead of indulging in cacophony on terror...
(Oneindia News)

Lebanon TV Reporters Fighting On Air over Syria . Two Lebanese guests on a political program scuffled late Friday over the crisis in Syria during a live broadcast on Hezbollah's Al-Manar television station...
(YouTube)

E-Mails Of Reporters In Myanmar Are Hacked. Several journalists who cover Myanmar
said Sunday that they had received warnings from Google that their e-mail accounts might have been hacked by “state-sponsored attackers.”
(The New York Times)

Harlem students work on film that tells stories of World War II.  Carole Buhl was a 7-year-old living in Kirkland on Dec. 7, 1941, but she remembers that day, the start of World War II, like it was yesterday.  She and her brother were searching for Christmas toys in the family’s attic before she heard her mother crying. Buhl initially thought the tears were because she and her brother got into mischief and found the toys.  Then she heard the word “war.”
(Rockford Register Star)


[ Add comment ]   |  [ 0 trackbacks ]   |  permalink  |  Discussion  |  Digg this  |  Add to del.icio.us
Viral: Marine rifles w/out bolts at Inaugural
Monday, February 11, 2013, 07:00 AM - News Stories

Viral: Marine rifles w/out bolts at Inaugural


Photographs of Marines marching in the Presidential Inaugural Parade with no bolts in their rifles are starting to get a lot of attention online by bloggers, but not so much by the mainstream media.

The Examiner's David Codrea published a story on February 9 called “Disabled Marine rifles at inauguration signal shift in administration policy (Photos)” that has people wondering.  Why no bolts in their rifles?

While I have no clue about the policy and therefore won’t comment on it, Codrea found video of the 2009 Inaugural Parade showing rifles with bolts.

Plenty of bloggers are chiming in, many with criticism.

The Gateway Pundit wrote, “It’s not the first time the Obama Administration disarmed US Marines at an event. In March 2012, US Marines were told to leave their weapons outside the tent during Leon Panetta’s speech in Afghanistan.”

You can read more at The Examiner.

Image Credit: United States Marine Corps



[ 1 comment ]   |  [ 0 trackbacks ]   |  permalink  |  Discussion  |  Digg this  |  Add to del.icio.us
Bloggers-Media Embarks with the U.S. Navy
Monday, February 11, 2013, 03:56 AM

Bloggers-Media Embarks with the U.S. Navy


Military bloggers, podcasters, journalists and social media writers, there is an amazing opportunity to participate in Bloggers-Media Embarks with the United States Navy.

Dennis Hall, founder of the Avere Group LLC, which develops and implements Bloggers-Media Embarks as a community service for bloggers-podcasters-journalists and authors globally, is coordinating US Navy ship embarks to sea in the Atlantic Ocean out of Norfolk, Virginia.

It’s an opportunity to share your experiences with your audiences through public speaking, articles, and social engagement via social media. 

The list of past bloggers to be involved in an embark represents some  of the big names in social media like Guy Kawasaki.

What’s involved in the Bloggers-Media Embarks?

Participants will be aboard ship for two or three days, touring the ship, meeting the leadership and crew, meals, lots of photo opportunities, plenty of adventure for blogs and podcasts, journalism articles, and memories to last a lifetime.

These particular embarks will not involve flying aboard Navy helicopters as transit from or back to shore.

If you’d like to learn more, you can check out past embarks with the Navy here and here.

What’s the cost to you?

An embark of this type involves a fee of about $20 per day of embark paid to the Navy.

Those participants that the Navy selects must travel at their own expense roundtrip to and from Norfolk, Virginia, and unless very near the base already, e.g. one hour’s drive, lodge the night before near the base.  Show times for embarkation can be very early in the morning.  Departure typically can be the night of return, but participants do plan a contingency for traveling the day following return to shore.

When are the embarks?

There are plenty of embarks to select from on various Navy vessels. 

Here’s a look at the upcoming schedule.  Keep in mind, it’s three days.  Plan the day before, and the day after the three-day span as travel days to-from Norfolk, VA.

Amphibious Transport Dock (LPD)
February 25-March 3, 2013

Guided Missile Cruiser (CG)
March 5-8, 2013

Destroyer (DDG)
February 25-March 1, 2013
March 4-8, 2013
March 4-22, 2013
March 12-18, 2013
March 18-22, 2013
March 22-29, 2013

Landing Ship, Dock (LSD)
March 4-8, 2013
March 11-15, 2013

Are you interested?

If you are interested in participating in an embark, please contact Dennis Hall, founder of the Avere Group LLC, by Thursday, February 14.

Dennis Hall may be reached at ContactDennisHall@gmail.com.  The word “Contact” is part of his e-mail address.  Twitter is @AvereGroup

Image via Navy.mil



[ Add comment ]   |  [ 0 trackbacks ]   |  permalink  |  Discussion  |  Digg this  |  Add to del.icio.us
War at Home & Abroad: Digital History Archive
Sunday, February 10, 2013, 06:09 AM

War at Home & Abroad: Digital History Archive


I’ve discussed a number of digital archive military projects on this website over the years including the granddaddy of them all, the Veterans History Project (by the Library of Congress).

Now, the Department of History at California State University San Marcos (CSUSM), has launched their very own digital and oral history project called, War at Home and Abroad (WAHA) that aims to give a perspective and understanding of recent wars and to contribute to the yet-to-be-written history.

Launched in November 2012, the project is in its first phase, and oral histories from CSUSM campus veterans are being gathered in what’s called the Story Lab Project.  Eventually, the plan is to expand the project to veterans in the southern California region, not just campus veterans.

Here’s how the Story Lab works, which currently has 5 videos posted online:

“All WAHA veterans and active duty service personnel use the Digital History lab to self-narrate their stories, emphasizing what they feel is important for the public to know and remember. This technique allows for narrators to be the authors of their own oral histories and for a plurality of voices to be documented.  Each participant is furnished with the training, equipment, and space to film their memories.”


The project grew out of discussions among faculty in the Department of History in 2011. 

There is also a section on the website that shares print and digital documents, as well as photos.  Some of the items include Iraq Election Ballots and a card from the card deck given to US service members to arrest former members of the Saddam Hussein government.

This project has a lot of potential for gathering a ton of information.  According to the website, “In 2012, San Diego County was home to the largest population in the nation—nearly 30,000—of returning veterans from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.”

You can learn more about WAHA at http://www.csusmhistory.org/WAHA/



[ Add comment ]   |  [ 0 trackbacks ]   |  permalink  |  Discussion  |  Digg this  |  Add to del.icio.us
YouTube suspended in Egypt for one month
Saturday, February 9, 2013, 11:56 PM - News Stories

YouTube suspended in Egypt for one month


An Egyptian court has suspended the website  YouTube for one month over the anti-Islamic video “Innocence of Muslims”. 

According to Reuters:

“The country's administrative court ordered the ministries of communication and investment to block YouTube, owned by Google, inside Egypt because it had carried the film "Innocence of Muslims," said state news agency MENA.

The 13-minute video, billed as a film trailer and made in the United States, provoked a torrent of anti-American unrest in Egypt, Libya and dozens of other Muslim countries in September.”


The timing probably couldn’t be worse, with renewed clashes taking place between anti-government protesters and police. 

Social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube, have been used to spread information that would otherwise go unreported.

More here.



[ Add comment ]   |  [ 0 trackbacks ]   |  permalink  |  Discussion  |  Digg this  |  Add to del.icio.us
News: Skype used to warn against chem weapons
Saturday, February 9, 2013, 04:06 AM - News Stories
US reportedly using Skype and email to warn Syrian officials against using chemical weapons. Control of information networks has been integral to the Syrian conflict, and American officials are now using those same networks to warn off people who might distribute chemical weapons. Eli Lake, national security correspondent for Newsweek and The Daily Beast, reports that after a July suicide bombing in Syria, the US government began looking for the email addresses, phone numbers, Skype names, and social media accounts of mid-level military officials who might be in charge of missiles or sarin and mustard gas...
(The Verge)

Two more Marines charged in scandal over Afghan urination video.
Two more Marines — including the first officer to be implicated — have been charged in connection with a video that became public last year showing Marines urinating on the dead bodies of insurgents in Afghanistan, the Marine Corps said Friday...
(NBC News)

Email hacker reveals Bush family photos, addresses. The Secret Service is investigating the hacking of email accounts belonging to members of the Bush family that divulged correspondence, addresses, phone numbers and a picture of a self-portrait painted by former President George W. Bush standing in a shower...
(Reuters)

Milpitas Sailor Retires from Navy via Skype. Technological advancements allow people to literally be in two places at once, whether it’s for a wedding, graduation, or even a childbirth, or in Lt. Maximiliano Pino’s case, providing the last salute at a fellow shipmate’s retirement ceremony...
(Milpitas, CA Patch)

How Social Media Journalism is Preventing Stories From Falling Through the Cracks. Students at Drury University Thursday were offered a glimpse into the world of National Public Radio’s social media senior strategist, Andy Carvin. His presentation was part of the school’s series highlighting how media and technology are changing the way we communicate...
(KSMU)

Here Is the Alleged Killer Cop’s Whistleblowing-Complaint Appeal Document.Part of ex-cop turned murder suspect Christopher Dorner's rambling manifesto, which touches on everything from his feelings about gay rights to his opinions about the actor Christoph Waltz, delves into the matter that seems to be at the heart of his breakdown...
(Gawker)

Sky News Arabia Twitter accounts hacked by 'Syrian Electronic Army'.Sky News Arabia’s Twitter and Facebook accounts were targeted by hackers last night, the broadcaster has revealed.  A group calling itself the “Syrian Electronic Army” hacked into two of the channel’s Twitter accounts at midnight UAE time and its Facebook account several hours later...
(PressGazette )


[ Add comment ]   |  [ 0 trackbacks ]   |  permalink  |  Discussion  |  Digg this  |  Add to del.icio.us
U.S. Navy passes 800,000 Likes on Facebook
Friday, February 8, 2013, 11:17 PM - Facebook

U.S. Navy passes 800,000 Likes on Facebook


The United States Navy has passed 800,000 “likes” on Facebook, inching it closer to the 1 million “Like” mark, which the Marines, Army, National Guard and Air Force have already reached.

According to PageData, an independent Facebook page metrics website, the Navy gained nearly 4,000 “Likes” in the past 7 days alone and topped 800K in late January 2013.

So where does that put the Navy in the grand scheme?

Here’s a look at other Facebook military pages:

United States Marine Corps – 2,886,977 likes

Marines – 2,596,210 likes

The U.S. Army - 1,709,677 likes

National Guard – 1,301,810 likes

United States Air Force - 1,192,873 likes

U.S. Coast Guard - 174,276 likes



[ Add comment ]   |  [ 0 trackbacks ]   |  permalink  |  Discussion  |  Digg this  |  Add to del.icio.us

<< <Back | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | Next> >>


Premier Sponsor

Official Sixth Annual Milblog Conference 2011

The 2008 Weblog Awards

Recently Updated
Refreshed frequently
Title Date
GCaptain | A Maritme Blog about Ships May 23, 2013, 21:22 PM 
Good Soldiers May 23, 2013, 19:34 PM 
The Marine Sentinel May 23, 2013, 18:30 PM 
Elite magazine for elite warriors! May 23, 2013, 21:40 PM 
Life May 23, 2013, 17:18 PM 
SjSchlauUSMC Freedom Isn't Free May 23, 2013, 17:17 PM 
I LOVE MY JARHEAD!! Oo-RAH! May 23, 2013, 17:11 PM 
James May 23, 2013, 17:06 PM 
Aaron's Haven May 23, 2013, 17:06 PM 
Milblogging.com Feeds
Get RSS 2.0 Feed
Get Atom 0.3 Feed
Get RDF 1.0 Feed
Milblogging.com Categories
Milblog Research
Military Spouse
Reddit
Facebook
Sixth Annual Milbloggies
2012 Milblog Conference
2011 Milblog Conference
Fallen Military Bloggers
Bloggers turned Writers
Milbloggies
2010 Milblog Conference
Afghanistan Military Bloggers
Twitter
Milblogging/Op Sec Guidelines
Milbloggers in the News
Policy
News Stories
BlogWorld
Top Countries
Country Milblogs
 United States 2787 
 Iraq 446 
 Afghanistan 150 
 Germany 75 
 United Kingdom 38 
 Canada 33 
 Japan 23 
 South Korea 20 
 Kuwait 13 
 Serbia 11 
View Complete Chart...
How Milblogging.com Works
Milblogging.com is the world's largest index of military blogs - searchable by a variety of attributes. Any visitor can find the right milblog that interests them generally in fewer than five clicks. Registered users can submit military blogs. Registration is free! For milbloggers, Milblogging.com provides one of the most productive and efficient online channels available for getting free traffic to your site. The Top 100 Milblogging.com favorites is based on the number of registered users that have added the blog to their favorites. For more detailed information, visit our FAQ.
Sponsor

 
Home - About Us - FAQ - Contact Us - Register - Help - Site Map - Link Buttons - Press Room - Blog Archives - Advertise With Us

Copyright © 2013 Milblogging.com. All rights reserved.  Privacy Policy   Terms of Service
 

Time elapsed: 0.17581605911255 seconds