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Milblogging.com : The World's Largest Index of Military Blogs (Milblogs)
Milblogging.com

Doonesbury's Garry Trudeau Interviewed about Military Blogs (Mother Jones) ...MJ: How did "The Sandbox" come about? GT: I'm a reader of milblogs, but as with all blogs, the wheat/chaff ratio makes it a poor investment of time. So I decided to set up my own page, open it to everyone serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, and post the best of what we receive. Our authors seem to be thrilled to be part of "The Sandbox," because they had been laboring in near obscurity—writing milblogs that only family and friends saw... Read the entire transcript of the interview here. In the News: Soldier's diary teaches children about Civil War (Macon Telegraph) The words of Confederate soldier William E. Killen spanned 144 years Friday to captivate fifth-grade students at Hunt Elementary School. Honors students in Jane Stump's class are wrapping up a unit about the Civil War, and she invited her father, retired Methodist minister Jason Shirah of Savannah, to read from his great-grandfather's Civil War diary. Read the entire story here. English Student Reflects on Military Blogs, War (Eng W140h) I have believed from the start that the war in Iraq is misplaced aggression from a president eager to prove himself worthy and not a blithering idiot. My opinion still stands today, regardless of the milblog and its entries. The milblog has changed my view of the war but in a different way. Before this class I never really never thought about the soldiers involved in this mess. I mean, I knew there were citizens over in Iraq carrying out a madman’s wishes, but I never really connected the implications of this. I knew people were dying there almost on a daily basis, but I never had a face to correlate with the number. In this way the milblog has opened my eyes to a whole new but strikingly similar culture. The thing that I noticed from the beginning about these soldiers is how amazingly similar they are to the average, everyday, mainland American. They play video games, they write, they joke, surf the net, etc. In a big way this is a wakeup call for me. Seeing how similar these people are to me caused me to question, “What if I was in the army?” I never thought about this before because I always thought that it took a different, disconnected sort of person to join the army, but that is not the case. A lot of these people have close family and relatives that miss them; they are not disconnected. They just see a certain appeal to the army that most do not. There is the money, healthcare, free meals, free lodging, the regimented lifestyle, and even fitness that the army offers that could all appeal to a person. Heck, if I was not worried about having to stay or die, the army would appeal to me. Read the entire story here. Milblogging Tip: How to expand your Military Blog to Podcasting Expanding your blog is really a matter of having the time and in many cases, the resources. But if you’ve been watching the trends lately in the blogging world – more and more bloggers are podcasting. If you’re interested or have questions about getting into podcasting, I’d recommend contacting Military Blogger CJ of A Soldier’s Perspective and You Served. He’s been hosting a weekly radio show on BlogTalkRadio discussing military topics. You can also check out BlogTalkRadio’s About page to learn more how their service works. I don’t actually have my own podcast yet, but it seems easy enough. I mean, if there's one thing I know, it's CJ. We’ve been friends for years online and I finally got a chance to meet him in person at last month’s Milblog Conference. So believe me when I tell you that if he can host his own podcast show, so can you. In fact, I’m pretty sure a box of rabbits could host their own podcast. Note: I have no evidence to support my claim that a box of rabbits could host their own podcast. I, do, however, have evidence that a box of rabbits travels a lot further when you use two arms, instead of one. I’m just saying. Milblog Conference Photo: My friend, supporter, and fellow blogger Wendy of ChromedCurses.com Blackfive’s Pick for Best Write-up of the Milblog Conference (Blackfive)...Is here and it's dead on. Of course, I'm a fan of TTG. Although I'm not sure about the call to not have the conference in Vegas...I'm no fan of Vegas, but if we don't get involved in the bigger blogosphere, we (milblogs) will continue to be insular... Read the entire story here. In the Army News: Secretary of Army encourages MilBloggers (United States Army) Secretary of the Army Pete Geren and Chief of Public Affairs Maj. Gen. Kevin Bergner participated in a live blogger's roundtable panel at the 2008 MilBlog Conference held Sept. 20 in conjunction with the Blog World Expo. The live blogger's roundtable was an inaugural event for the conference, providing military bloggers with the opportunity to ask questions of Army leadership. The 3rd annual MilBlog Conference brought together key military bloggers, including active-duty Soldiers, military supporters, civilians and veterans who blog about military issues. Read the entire story here. Working on Important Bug Fixes to Milblogging.com Because I haven't written much since the Vegas Milblog Conference, I thought I’d let you know I've been working on a few bug fixes and some improvements to Milblogging.com. My plan is to release them in the next couple weeks. I've been testing a few of the fixes and they actually seem to work okay. I mean, my computer only shutdown twice. And sparkles only jumped off the screen about eight times. So I'm pretty sure the fixes are just about ready to be released. I know you can't wait to see the finished product. Just imagine...in a few short weeks when you try sending a message through the Contact Us form, I might actually receive it. I'm serious. Keep in mind though, the enhancement doesn’t actually include me “reading and responding to your message”. That’s an enhancement I’m saving for the Spring of 2009. You know -- something to keep the hatemail coming in. Cause this website just wouldn’t be the same. Milblog Conference Photo: Me and Boohbah (Thanks to Melissa!) In the News: Army Secretary Pete Geren Supports Military Blogs, New Media (Star-Telegram.com) To understand how established military blogs have become in the halls of the Defense Department, just check Army Secretary Pete Geren’s computer. Geren, a Fort Worth native who assumed the top civilian post in the Army last year, browses several each morning, just as he reads coverage of the Army in the nation’s major daily newspapers. "It’s part of my effort to understand what is going on in the communications domain, particularly for the age group that is the heart and soul of our Army," Geren said during a phone interview as he returned from a recent trip to Afghanistan and Iraq. Just a few short years ago, the military seemed unnerved by the ruminations of its creatively inspired young service members, citing concerns about operational security and the rough and uncensored reality of combat stories. But particularly beginning last year, the military has altered course and now offers bloggers regular access for interviews with top leaders, reflecting the changing role of both bloggers and public affairs. Geren, a believer in the power of new media and one of its leading proponents within the Pentagon, held a question-and-answer session at a recent gathering of military bloggers in Las Vegas, a stamp of approval if there ever was one. Read the entire story here. Photo: Me and My Internet Idol Guy Kawasaki (Friday before the Milblog Conference) Milblog Conference Wrap-Up from Chuck (From my position...On the way!) "One of the things we do every year at the MilBlog Conference is pick a charity to support. The Milbloggie winners each get a substantial donation made in their name to that Charity in addition to their other gifts. Meanwhile during the conference we also take up a collection to add to those donations being made by our conference sponsor USAA. The total amount this year: $4560.00 This year the Charity of choice was.....The Mike Stokely Foundation. Andi just informed me that she has delivered the check to Robert Stokely and as is typical, he is humbled to be honored as such..." Read the entire story here. Milblog Conference Photo: Me and Sherri (one of my all-time favorite military supporters) In the News: New Army Blogging Guidelines to be Published in Six Months (Stripes.com) The Army is working on a set of guidelines for soldiers’ conduct in online forums such as blogs and message boards, but it might be a while before the message reaches the troops. The guidelines — a compilation of the scattered rules and regulations governing online activity by soldiers — will be included in a rewrite of Army public affairs regulations to be published in the next six months to two years, Department of the Army public affairs specialist Lindy Kyzer said in an e-mail. Soldiers will be told about the guidelines during pre-deployment public affairs training, she said. But that doesn’t mean soldiers can blog with impunity until the new guidelines are published. Operational security rules, which prohibit the publication by soldiers of classified or sensitive information, and the Uniform Code of Military Justice, already limit what soldiers can do online, Kyzer said. Read the entire story here. In the News: Civil War diary tells of soldier's capture at the Battle of New Bern (Sun Journal) It was his first real fight, and already he was captured. Before the battle, typhoid pneumonia had weakened Cpl. Columbus Lafayette Turner, though he hadn't said so. He had been made to stay behind the night before, had slept alone in a tent and had awakened feeling the best he had felt in weeks. He intended to fight in the Battle of New Bern, and so he did. And now he and 13 others from his company were facing their enemy. He had just turned 20 the month before, but that day seemed distant as the Confederate soldier stood among those "well nigh surrounded" and awaiting capture. He would soon be shuffled to the Albany, a prison boat anchored on the Neuse. It wasn't long before he scrounged for scraps of paper to record his thoughts, which were later transcribed into a formal journal. That Civil War diary has survived for more than a century - much of that time in the bottom of a filing cabinet. Read the entire story here. First Annual Milblog Conference: Video Documentary Thanks to CJ for the tip. Milblog Conference Photo: Me and Sean (and his Bride) from 'Doc in the Box' Podcast: What Happens in Vegas Goes on a Milblog (Military.com) This week Ward reports live from Las Vegas where the third annual Milbloggers Convention was held. What is the future of milblogging? What do milbloggers recommend for those who want to help the troops? And what is Army Wife Toddler Mom calling her new blog? Click here to listen to the full Podcast from the Editor’s Desk. Milblog Conference Photo: Me and Greta from HooahWife.com LTG William Caldwell addresses 2008 Military Blog Conference

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