Marine Corps Moms: 2006 Milblog Conference 2006

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April 20, 2006

2006 Milblog Conference 2006

Tomorrow morning, I fly to Washington D.C. for the first MilBlog conference. It's a huge honor to be asked to sit on the family panel - the other panelists are some of the biggest names in MilBlogging and I can't wait to meet them. Thanks to Andi from Andi's World for coordinating the conference - she's an amazing woman and a tireless troop supporter.The day's events will be covered by BBC, MSNBC, and the Pentagon Channel, and will also be video streamed through the internet so you'll be able to see the proceedings. And, if you live in the Washington D.C. area, you can still register - there are about 100 seats left open. Here's an overview:

The 2006 Milblog Conference will take place in Washington, D.C. on Saturday, April 22, 2006. The conference is designed to bring milbloggers together for one full day of interesting discussion on topics associated with milblogging. We will explore the history of milblogs, as well as what the future may hold for this medium which the military community is using to tell their stories.

The 2006 Milblog Conference will take place in Washington, D.C. on Saturday, April 22, 2006. The conference is designed to bring milbloggers together for one full day of interesting discussion on topics associated with milblogging. We will explore the history of milblogs, as well as what the future may hold for this medium which the military community is using to tell their stories.

The milblog community is diverse, and we intend to showcase the full spectrum of milblogs, including those who have blogged from theater, veteran members of the armed forces, spouses and parents.

The milblog community is diverse, and we intend to showcase the full spectrum of milblogs, including those who have blogged from theater, veteran members of the armed forces, spouses and parents.

Each of these groups has a unique point of view and their stories add depth to an overall understanding of our military and how it works in this world.

This article, published today addresses this unique and increasingly powerful niche in the blogging world.

Web logs have provided a unique window into the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, allowing troops to bypass the mainstream media to detail their exploits. But these so-called milblogs are increasingly serving as forums for policy debates, such as the effectiveness of the war strategy or how to deal with Iran's nuclear program.

There are hundreds of milblogs, and the Pentagon, which has cautiously supported some of them but also has deep concerns about the ability to control them, recently ordered a top level advisory panel to study the issue.

"'Googling' and 'blogging' are making their way into military operations at all levels," Kenneth Krieg, the undersecretary of defense, wrote in a recent memo requesting that the Defense Science Board look into the matter. "But the full implications of this revolution are as yet unknown, and we have no clear direction and defined doctrine."

Tip of the hat to JP at Milblogging.com.

Conferences are expensive creatures and although Andi has worked hard to raise the funds for this one through support from a number of groups, there is still a shortfall. Here's Andi's plea for those of you who support the role that milblogging plays in distributing information:

The conference will be partially funded through a grant from the Hidden Heroes Foundation. Recently, singer Barbara Fairchild recorded a song titled The Hidden Heroes, which is meant to pay tribute to those left behind, the families of our troops. It's a very emotional song. Todd Clegg is going to put images (photos) to the song and it will then be released. One of Todd Cleggs pieces can be viewed here (sound):

HHF is requesting patriotic photos from families of our troops so they can use them for this project, as well as others. The song will be available for download soon for a minimum $1 donation. Any single donation over $1 will be donated to the Milblog Conference, up to a maximum of $5,000. Please consider a donation to this foundation. The VFW has posted a link on the conference site and you can view it and listen to the song there.

See you at the conference - in person or on line. And, a special thanks to my friends, George and Joan, who are hosting me - I've known them online for years but only recently met them when I flew to Florida to celebrate the wedding of mutual friends. They invited me to stay with them and that made the trip possible for me. Thanks! While I''m there, I'll also get to meet Carrie Costantini who is both a Marine wife and mom and who has been so helpful in several MCM projects.

Posted by Deb at April 20, 2006 07:36 AM

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