military

Is an Army Blog Any Different? (Sponsored Post)

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Disclosure: The Army sponsored the Military Track at NMX 2013, and this post is part of their sponsorship package. We think what Captain He has to say about blogging while in the military is not only interesting, but can help give you a new perspective on your own blog, whether you’re in the military or not. -Editor

I am in the Army, and I write a blog. To many people I have talked to, this means I write a blog about the Army. Following this logic, this means that I write a blog featuring pictures of soldiers in sandstorms in remote areas of Afghanistan with accompanying stories of intense missions to villages and the good work we are doing there, in contrast to the big media stories of the quicksand situation in the Middle East. When I say no, I’m not in the Infantry, they then think maybe I write one of those military wife blogs, full of tips of what to put in a care package to send to your husband overseas and what to wear to his coming home ceremony. Still not true; I may be an Army wife, but in a dual-military relationship that leaves both of us with our fair share of homecomings and goodbyes.

I don’t try to write an Army blog. I write a blog that just happens to occur in the context of me being in the Army. I do not write about Middle Eastern policy, because I am not a Middle Eastern policy wonk. I do write about the Army’s Cultural Support Teams and what a great idea they are, because I am a female and I am in the Army. I don’t write about secret missions in Afghanistan, because 1) that’s probably violating security, and 2) as a signal officer, I plan networks and make sure those Infantry guys have internet.

Old vs. New

The idea of old-style military blogging, or “milblogging,” was covered at the Milblog conference in DC last year. A lot of the original milbloggers started to blog about the “real” story on the ground. When blogging became a more legitimate news source, and journalists at big papers started blogging in addition to filing their real news stories, the role of bloggers as story tellers started to diminish, and they became another news source in themselves.

I don’t think the original idea of the blog, telling someone’s story, is any different though. Maybe blogs are faster, shorter, more reactionary and less analytical, than a real news story, but it still tells a story. Today’s stories among milbloggers are a little different, but no less important.

My Idea of “New”

I don’t try to write news stories, I just try to tell the real Army story. Soldiers are not deployed every single day of their Army careers; they do spend time at home. In the almost four years that I’ve been in the Army, I’ve only been deployed to Iraq for about five months of that. The rest has been here in Georgia, training and planning and watching other units deploy.

Health and Fashion

Maybe my blog would better fit under the health or fashion categories of blogging. They do seem to be the top two topics for blogs right now.

Think about it, I work out every day with my unit. We run, we do calisthenics, I like to swim and bike and do triathlons and races on my weekends. Of course I write about it. I write about injuries I get, and how the Army tries to deal with that. I write about how stupid my hot pink shoes look with the Army PT uniforms that don’t even fit me.

That’s another thing I like to write about. While I watch my friends post their instagram #OOTD, I wear the same thing every single day. Want me to post that? I can do a cute face with minimal, natural looking makeup, picked specifically for its high-SPF content and the waterproofness/sweatproofness of the mascara, and show off my worn-in combat boots and small-short men’s uniform.

Or, on special occasions, I get to wear my dress blue uniform. Did you know that the first women’s uniforms, for Army nurses pre-WWII, were made on a men’s mannequin, and NO ONE NOTICED for almost 20 years? That’s how much the Army cared about providing their females with high quality uniforms. Some new prototypes of female-specific uniforms are being field-tested, not to mention female specific body armor (after only ten years of sending women to active combat zones), so maybe some changes will be coming eventually.

Just Telling Stories

So, there you have it. I blog to write about life and what I do, just to get my story out there. Even if I think my life is boring sometimes, it’s still different from anyone else’s in the world. Whenever I’m stuck, here are my go-to prompters that make me write:

What did I do different today? Maybe I did the same thing I do every day: went for a run, made some coffee, checked my email, made some slide presentations, answered some phone calls. What made it different, or special, or particularly awful?

What major events do I have to look forward to? In the Army, there is always something coming up: another deployment, a short trip for training somewhere, the possibility of a new assignment, or even just the chance to take leave following a grueling two week training exercise.

What inspires me? Sometimes getting up early to run in the middle of winter is hard, but I don’t have the option of staying in bed. What inspired me today to smile and push on? It might be thinking of my friends who can’t run anymore, or recently meeting someone who just said, “thank you for your service.” Sometimes it’s thinking about how lucky I am to have this opportunity, and that I don’t want to let down all the generations of Soldiers before me who gave it all. And sometimes it is knowing that Thursday is donut day, so I better get up and run.

Nothing seems too small to be a part of my story. Maybe it isn’t big news, or a big story, but it’s all mine, and I’m going to keep writing.

Introduction and Serious Request

Author: tonjabobadilla7

For a number of reasons, I want to introduce Tammy Munson to you today. Tammy is a panelist on the milblog track, taking part in the “They Also Serve: Spouse Bloggers” panel.

I will skip the normal introductions and short bio for now, and ask you to go read this post instead. You can go here after that to find out more about Tammy.

Please keep the families and friends of those who lost their lives in the battle(s) you are now finally hearing about on the news in your thoughts and prayers. Please send good thoughts, prayers, or whatever you do to them, and to the wounded and their family and friends. As you read blogs or the news, keep in mind that these are real people, and that they are family, friends, acquaintances and more to those in the milblog community.

Meet the Milblog Panelists: Scott Henderson

Author: tonjabobadilla7

Scott Henderson is not a milblogger, he’s a Transformer. No, not like in the movies, but a person who helps companies and non-profits transform themselves online so that they can transform their growth. In the Milblog Track, he’s going to be discussing the changes and opportunities on the way for milblogs and milbloggers.

SHmilblog09

His bio is as follows:

During his fourteen-year professional career, Scott has been a major gift fundraiser, foundation executive, magazine editor, marketing consultant, and president of a capital campaign firm. Today, he is the cause marketing director for Indiana-based MediaSauce, helping corporations and non-profits create and implement online strategies to achieve transformational growth.

Recent accomplishments include the creation and launch of www.pledgetoendhunger.com, which helped Tyson Foods deliver 560,000 meals to four different cities for children in need, raised $28,000 for Share Our Strength, and assembled an army of nearly 5,000 childhood hunger awareness champions.

MediaSauce is a full service marketing and communications firm whose strategic philosophy positions the online space at the center of communications in order to create and sustain open dialogue and lasting relationships. Clients include The Nature Conservancy, Indiana Pacers, USA Diving, Samaritan’s Feet, and University of Chicago.

You can hear him speak at 4pm on Thursay 15 October on the “Getting the Picture: What’s Next for Milblogs” panel.

http://www.mediasauce.com/cause/

Meet The Milblog Panelists: Barmy Mama

Author: tonjabobadilla7

I’ve said before that milbloggers, and the milblog panelists, span the spectrum. Today, it is a pleasure to begin showcasing that spectrum by starting with Barmy Mama.

Barmy Mama's Avatar

Now, blogging has been a bit lite of late, but having a newborn tends to do that. Now she may not do so, but I hold Rick Calvert and the folks here at Blog World responsible for the timing. As she put it to me, “Ironically, right when I opened up the confirmation email they sent me on the 10th, I went into labor and my son was born a few hours later.” Lite though her site might have been of late, it is a delight filled with humor and more.

Her bio is as follows: Deanna is a 31-year-old, mommy of two, a former US Marine, and has been married to an Army National Guardsman for four years.

Barmy is a panelist on “They Also Serve: Spouse Bloggers” This panel looks at the oft overlooked half of the equation that makes protection by military, law enforcement, and other first responders possible. The panel begins app. 0945 hours on Thursday 15 October.

http://deltasierrahotel.net/

What is a Milblog, and Why Should You Care?

Author: tonjabobadilla7

Aside from being asked what a blog is, the next question that comes up in talking with people — even other bloggers — is “What is a milblog?” That’s a good question.

Milblogs are blogs about the military, or topics of interest to the military, by those associated with the military. There are several “types” of milblog, most of which will be represented in the milblog track on Thursday at BWE.

Your classic milblog is one of two types. The first is a blog by a serving member of the military who is deployed overseas. Many of these were (or are) started by deployed troops to keep family and others updated on what they are doing, health, and other general information. The second is a blog by former serving members, sharing news, information, and even discussion on events, policies, procedures, and more. There is some interchangeability here, as deployed bloggers often morph into the second type of blog when they return home, and some who started as the latter morph into a deployed blog if they end up either going back onto active duty or otherwise find themselves overseas.

You also have Spouse Blogs, that is blogs written by the wives or husbands of those deployed. As above, these can cover anything from what is happening on the homefront, so as to keep the deployed spouse up-to-date, or get into more discussion of policies, procedures, events and how they effect the family. Some are not limited to that, but get into discussions of foreign policy, COIN, and other topics that are of interest to the people doing the milblog.

Finally, you have what can be described as support blogs. These can be by individuals who support a particular unit; an individual who is doing something on a larger basis, such as teddy bears for the troops (real effort, BTW); non-profits who work to get mail or other support to the troops; or, efforts by companies and others to do things for the troops and their families.

Now comes the fun question: Why should you care about milblogs?

If you truly want to know what is going on, both in a very localized sense or in broader terms in Iraq, Afghanistan, or elsewhere, your best source of information is the milblogs. The number of reporters dedicated to covering operations overseas has dropped dramatically in the last few years, and was not high to start with. Some of the coverage provided by stringers is, frankly, poor to fraudulent. Some of the coverage provided by general assignment reporters, often the case as newspapers and other traditional outlets eliminate specialty reporters (science, medical, and others, not just military), suffers from a lack of knowledge about the subject area. Imagine someone knowing nothing of sports having to cover local football… Some milblogs not only compile stories/links from other milblogs, they also get reports from troops in the field and even send their own reporters to embed with operations in Iraq, Afghanistan, the Philippines, and elsewhere.

Secondly, the military is not a monolith. It is composed of individuals who have differing ideas, thoughts, and even personal goals. The milblogs host a variety of discussions on topics ranging from who makes the best guitar to matters of military policy, such as “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” These discussions are often freewheeling and almost always fun.

Third, when it comes to foreign policy and the conduct of the war, you will not find a better place for knowledgeable discussion of Counter-Insurgency (COIN), military operations, Rules of Engagement (ROE), and other topics crucial to both war and peace.

Fourth, if you want to know the real concerns of military families, of veterans, and others, then you need to check the milblogs. Again, you will find a diversity of opinions, and ideas for fixing various problems, then you need to read the milblogs. These are not academic discussions; rather, they are discussions by people living the issues and dealing with them 24/7.

Finally, if you truly do support the troops and want to help them out, the miblogs provide links to things that really do directly help the troops, their families, and our veterans. From PTSD (and excellent discussions on same) to VA benefits, the milblogs provide a wealth of information, as well as opinion commentary on same.

This year, the milblog track will run all day Thursday 15 October. We hope you will join us, and we may even have a surprise or two. Keep in mind that the milbloggers are not all bloodthirsty savages what couldn’t get a real job for being so dumb (well, there is that Wolf character, but he’s the exception). You might be surprised at what you find, from degrees to hobbies. Be sure to check out the Army Milblog Lounge in the exhibit hall as well, where you can safely interact with milbloggers in a relaxed public setting if scared to talk with us in sessions. 🙂

Come meet us, and join in. We even invite you to send in suggestions on what panels you might like to see at next year’s milblog track.

We look forward to meeting you.

Want To Attend the Milblog Track for Free?

Author: tonjabobadilla7

I love a good challenge. It gets things flowing, from endorphins onward.

Rick Calvert, founder and head of Blog World and New Media Expo, has issued a challenge. It seems Rick is convinced we can get 200 people to the milblog track on 15 October, quite a good number of people. So, he has challenged me to make it happen. So, here’s the deal:

1. If you are currently serving in the Armed Forces, or are a veteran of same (discharged or retired) and want to attend, drop me a line at blake at blakepowers dot n with BWE09 Free Registration in the subject line and a short note introducing yourself within, and you will get a code that gives you a free registration for the milblog track on 15 October, and access to the exhibit hall (and the Milblog Lounge) on the 16th & 17th.

2. If you are a military spouse, spouse blogger, military supporter, or reader of the milblogs, the same applies.

3. If you have a blog or other outlets of your own (Twitter, Facebook, newsgroups, e-mail groups, etc.), please spread the word.

4. If you happen to have contacts in blogging or old media in California, Nevada, or Arizona, please reach out to them as well, as we would very much like to be sure that we reach all the different bases in those regions.

I will also note that if you are interested in attending, there are some excellent deals on rooms and such through the Blog World site once you are registered.

While the registration only covers the milblog track and exhibit hall, if you want to attend parties, other sessions, etc., you can contact BWE after you register and see about the costs of upgrades. Also, a reminder to those already speaking and attending: if your spouse, SO, or other is coming with you and you want them to get in, be sure they register with one of the free codes so they can be badged.

Keep an eye on the grid at Blog World, as we are updating as needed and are still working on trying to make a surprise or two happen.

Coordinating Participants from Around The World

Author: tonjabobadilla7

One of the more interesting, and fun (honest) things about putting together the military blogging track is working with participants who vary a great deal. We literally are planning on having panelists participate from Afghanistan and else where. Adding to the mix is the fact that we even have one or more participants who are expecting, which may impact if they are there in person or take part in other ways. We are looking at phone, video, and even twitter to bring in remote participants. The technology used to share news, information, and discussion on a variety of topics is interesting, and will be an integral part of our panels. We hope you will join us at the milblog track on Thursday, and learn a bit more about us. In the days ahead, I will begin introducing you to some of our panelists. Also, we are going to be announcing some news here soon, so keep checking back. Meantime, if you’ve got questions, give a yell and I will do what I can to answer them. Also, you might check out http://laughingwolf.net and http://www.blackfive.net as I am going to be up to something the next couple of weeks that you might enjoy.