Category Archives: Milblog Conference

After a decade plus of combat operations the issue of how we care for our veterans is taking center stage. From changing retirement time frames to medical care and wounded warrior programs, this panel will examine if the promises made to our fighting forces are being delivered, delayed or dismissed.

Moderator: Rick Maze (Military Times Newspapers)

Panelists: VADM Norbert R. Ryan, Jr., USN-Ret (MOAA)
Tom Tarantino (IAVA)
Brandon Friedman (VA)
Terry Howell (Military.com)
Chazz Pratt (USAA)
Mike Brinck (House Veterans Affairs Committee for the Economic Opportunity subcommittee)

Kristle Helmuth (Author: The Story of a True American Hero, His Princess, and their Struggle with TBI/PTSD) was originally scheduled to be on this panel but was unable to attend.

From the Arab Spring to the Twitter war between NATO and the Taliban; social media is the next emerging voice in covering world news and defense issues. Is social media a source for news? An extension of a blog? Is it the front lines of direct communication between entities, or just an information source? This panel will look at how the service branches have responded to the rise in social media and examine how social media is changing reporting and information dissemination in the defense arena.

Moderator: Frederick P. Wellman, Moderator (ScoutComms)

Panelists: LCDR Chris Servello (Navy), Brittany Brown (Army) Mark Fayloga (Marine Corps), Chris Lagan (Coast Guard)

Scott Waugh talks about his film, Act of Valor, during the 2012 Milblog Conference in Washington DC.

Go “down range” with real, active-duty Navy SEALs in Act Of Valor, the adrenaline-fueled action-adventure that inserts you into the heart of the battle, alongside America’s best and bravest. When a covert mission to rescue a kidnapped CIA operative uncovers a chilling plot, elite, highly-trained U.S. SEAL teams speed to hotspots around the globe, racing against the clock to stop a deadly terrorist attack. Pulse-pounding combat sequences, cutting-edge battlefield technology and raw emotion fuel this unprecedented blend of real-world heroism and original filmmaking — a thrilling tribute to the skills, courage and tenacity of the world’s most revered warriors.

Act of Valor will be released on DVD and Blu-Ray on 5 June 2012.

I honestly did not expect for You Served to win the Veteran Milbloggie this year. I didn’t even think about an acceptance speech. As usual, lack of planning completely bit me in the rear end.

The veteran category often proves to be the most competitive with many exceptional blogs like Blackfive, This Ain’t Hell, Bouhammer, and CDR Salamander making the finals year after year. Blackfive had a lock on the award for many years and I jokingly call the Veteran Milbloggie the Blackfive Award. We were also up against Neptunus Lex, an amazing blogger that was snatched from our community entirely too soon after a training accident. Carroll, thank you for providing a great example of what a blogger and Naval Aviator should be. You voice is missed in our community.

With all of that said, I want to thank the entire You Served team. This would not have been possible if not for the years of work CJ, Troy, Claire, and Wendy have put in. I’d also be remiss not to mention the new voices we’ve added in the last nine months or so. Thank you to Cassy Fiano, Kit Lange, and Rachel Porto for your voice and adding some extra spice.

I’d also like to thank You Served sponsor and my employer Veterans United Home Loans (Yes, Uncle Jimbo, I am a corporate sell out). They’ve allowed us to voice many of our opinions and views with almost zero oversight. That flexibility has given us the ability to call it as we see it and maintain our genuine feel.

Most importantly, we all owe a huge thanks to you people, the reader and voter. It doesn’t matter how much awesome content we produce if you aren’t hanging around to see it.

Here’s to another year of good times.

So a few of us milbloggers who cannot attend the formal milblog conference because of Mother’s Day weekend conflicts were hoping to get together with our milblogging family.  We’ve tossed the idea around and thought Labor Day weekend (Sept 1-3) down in San Antonio, TX would be a grand idea.  We’ve talked to Soldiers Angels and they have given us the green light to use the SA facilities for this event. This would give a chance for all of those who haven’t seen the SA warehouse an opportunity to check it out and see behind the scenes of what we consider one of the best troop supporting organizations there is. We are also looking at uniting together and giving back by setting up an assembly line and building care packages to be sent over to the troops we all love and honor.

Milblogs have always been involved at the local level.  Many milbloggers are involved with charities, events, some even quietly working behind the scenes to smooth waters and fix injustices.  We are a pretty proactive and passionate group.  It would be nice to get back to our roots, give a little time to a charity that a lot of us support, and also give ourselves time to get together, hang out, share stories, and toss back a few beers with each other in a less structured way. There would be no big catered lunches, swag bags or anything else like that. This event will be put on with a minimal budget. We are approaching a longtime milblog-supporting company to see if they would help cover the minimal costs we expect it would take to put this on. 

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