Army Blogging PR

Posted By Blackfive

Donald Sensing received the same email that I did (and probably quite a few others).  It appears that the Army has engaged a PR firm to act as a filter to military bloggers to provide "exclusive editorial content".

My response was a "send me more details" email.  "Exclusive editorial content" could be a variety of things.  The content and the expectations are what will determine my participation.

And who knows if this firm is legitimate or not?  My first thought was it was some kind of trap...

I suspect (and have verified in some cases) that we retired and veteran bloggers have no intentions of dancing to anyone's tune (let alone the DoA), but we are interested in getting out the content that the MSM fails to provide about our Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, and Marines (and you Coasties, too).

After all, that's why you are here, right?

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...in the sights of the Washington Post. I'm humbled. I ain't even made the 'local bloggers' page of the KC Star. Watch her space for her response. Gee, since Matty and Don Sensing have been outed, I guess I should... [Read More]

Comments

[andy]

you want to here something funny? i had an opsec class a couple days ago on power point(what else). the intro page was a bunch of pictures relating to opsec.....and your website header was on it....i laughed....i think you make some people nervous....

[mell]

Check out Michael Yon's page. Related content, but a different angle.

[Blackfive]

*Andy - Dude! So why haven't you sent me any OPSEC material?!*

The reason is obvious. Most soldiers "get it" and don't violate the rules.

And, yes, I knew I was part of the brief. What sucks is that Neil Prakash was also a part of the "violators" portion (Armor Geddon) and he had his command approval for his content (up to 1st ID Commander, I believe). But the higher ups used Neil, with one Silver Star for Baquba and was put in for another for Fallujah, as their whipping post. You'd think they'd figure out how to promote him/his blog rather than tear the guy down.

If anyone should be nervous, it should be them for abusing a great Officer like Prakash.

[Patrick (Gryph)]

If the DoD is re-examining its PR, then it's about time. Its obvious that some branches of the military are more internet marketing-savy than others. Look at the Marine's website for instance. It's constantly filled with positive stories of Marine exploits. Not the dubious stomach-turning rah-rah propaganda of the kind that the DOD turns out, that is laughable in it insincerity, but just simple human interest stories that grab the reader.

[kat-missouri]

Matty'O.

I have been trying to get information together about soldiers who are local to my area and aggregate the stories every week. It is extremely difficult. Largely, I rely on small local papers going through every online edition (very time consuming) to get that information and pull it together in one spot. As noted, the more people feel related to the military, the more likely they are to support the troops and the mission (in a poll somewhere, but I can't find it at this moment).

I looked at all of the military sites, the defense link, the DOD link, I even got a link to a group out of texas that is supposed to do this butthere were three problems: 1) they only allowed "real media" to make requests for the information (undertandable, but still a pain); 2) The information was not updated very regularly on their site (from what I could see)
3) They were extreme puff pieces and not the kind of thing I was looking for which was basically regular updates of what operations the local units were participating in or completing, or stories about any local soldiers such as "Marine X from Liberty, MO went with Unit Y last week on a patrol that located 10 weapons caches and rounded up 15 insurgents. Marine X did this that or the other thing".

These guys really do not understand how to get the message out and how to relate it to the locals.

I also believe that while the one group was supposed to relay this information to local papers, the information must stink or not get passed down very often.

Thus, now I know why, in some respects, the media doesn't do a very good job at reporting this stuff, the DoD and Military does not help.

The local papers I got the most information from were extremely small local papers with small communities where people knew people. the KC Star and the Kansan and other papers that serve largely communities don't have that kind of contact so you don't see many stories out of them. This is where the military or DoD needs to step it up.

[Ron Wright]

Matt

There are paralleling comment threads in the last several days appearing across the Blogos.

Bottomline - Bring online the tremdous power of the Blogos to win the war of information to ultimately win the GWOT.

THINK force leveraging - the LL and the MSM can't withstand the onslaught when confronted with the TRUTH neither can the Islamofascist regimes including the Mad Mullahs of Iran.

See Donald Sensing's post at One Hand Clapping:

US Army gets on the blog train

and follow the links from my comment:

Unleash The Blogosphere!

Here’s a post I just sent to my email list re your post and related posts in The Blogos.

*****

. . . a debate of late of the DOD stiring re positively/negatively re military bloggers. Seems the high level folks are beginning to realize the strategic importance of “The Blogos” in winning the War of Information. The DOD’s “SJ” (Rule followers) were trying to quash this but the more cerebral folks are starting to warm up to this to counter the disinformation coming from the LL and the MSM which is enabling the enemy in the GWOT.

[...]

Read More

http://www.donaldsensing.com/index.php/2006/01/07/getting-on-the-blog-train/#comment-20518

And don't miss BTW Lt. Smash's smashing of an LL apologist:

[my comment there]

WHAT ARE YOU FOR: SUCCESS OR FAILURE?

Great Lt. Smash you are a true American patriot! [So to are you Matt]

See this post I just sent to my email list.

Ron

*****

Representative Democracy at Its Best

HT Michelle Malkin

Michelle links to Lt. Smash's Blog today re objective/subjective assessment of War in Iraq. Yet another story the MSM will probably overlook. Here's the link from Michelle's site and also scroll to the bottom for a link to an audio feed recorded by Lt. Smash's wife. Damn those pesky cellphone cameras and digital recorders of the new waive of citizen journalists.

Lets all hold our elected governmental representatives accountable based on objective info and not subjective info as reported by the MSM. Just read the blogs of Austin Bay, Michael Yon, Bill Roggio and other brave citizen journalists who venture out from the "green zone" to report first hand as they see it from ground zero.

[...]

Read More

http://www.militaryoutpost.net/2006/01/smash_vs_filner.html#comment-467

[Kensbest]

Send a Valentine to a soldier in Iraq! Click here

Visit www.operationaBitofHome.com, and click on the big red heart. We will send a valentine to a soldier in your name with your Valentines message. We are fundraising to send more boxes to the Freedom Rest R&R Facility in Iraq. Valentines are $1.00, but you can give more!

You can no longer send any mail to "ANY SOLDIER" it is destroyed as a security risk., We have a military distributuion point in Iraq where your Valentines will reach thousands of troops.

Background

While my wife was in Iraq, I started Operation: A Bit of Home. My wife called me and told me she had to put on 80 lbs. of battle gear, pick up her rifle, and walk 2 miles in 140 degree heat to buy soap and tampons and toothpaste. She told me that the government does not supply any sanitary or entertainment items to our troops. I decided that I would not have my wife doing that. I started shipping boxes to her unit in Iraq, in large quantities.

One day I got a phone call from a place in Baghdad called Freedom Rest. They stated they were the only R&R facility in Iraq for our troops. They get soldiers that have been in combat, on convoys, or high stress dangerous situations and give them 3 days and nights of R&R, good food, a pool, games, a soft bed and goodies. They process hundreds of soldiers in-and-out each day. By supplying hygiene, snack and entertainment items to Freedom Rest, we have directly affected the lives of over 23,000 soldiers.

They told me the government provides basic foods, linens etc., but all hygiene, snack and entertainment items come from donations, and asked if I could help. I am one of the few groups that actually have been asked to send supplies.

I know there are a lot of charities for the troops out there, but these facts set us apart from the rest:

1. We supply a facility for stressed troops, not individuals. We have eliminated the problem of NCO and officers hording the boxes. We do not send things to the same troops over and over,

2. Our website tells people how to send their own boxes, how to fill out the US Postal forms, gives packing tips and lists of needed items, and most importantly, we give out the address to send it to. We do not post names of individual soldiers, a very dangerous thing to do. If Al Qaeda knows where a National Guard unit is from, and has names, they could potentially find and endanger soldier’s families just by using a phone book!

3. Although the website does accept donations from folks who want us to do all the work, we encourage people to do it themselves, give them the tools, and hope to encourage a sense of civic pride. We do civic presentations and assist groups in completing their “Public Service” obligations.

4. We don’t sell a bunch of overpriced “Boxes” like others do.

We are working with several organizations to help them develop their own programs.

I could go on forever, but if you visit our website, or Google Us, you will find we are legitimate.

A short mention on people’s blogs could do more for us than months of our pounding the streets and working the phones. A link on your mail list or your homepage would work wonders also.

Please visit our website, google us, and tell your friends about us. Every dime of donations goes to shipping and buying needed items. No one is paid, we have no overhead, and we care about the troops. We continue to send even when donations are thin using our personal Credit Cards.

Thank you and please visit www.OperationaBitofHome.com

Supporting the troops means more than placing a yellow ribbon on your car.


Thanks for your support

Ken Meyer
Founder
Operation: A Bit of Home

[Anonymous Soldier]

I had just gotten back from Christmas leave (Iraq Deployment, National Guard train up) at around 0330 in the morning, and I had to be up at 0640 to sign back in so I was a complete zombie. Around 0900 I was called into my Company CP. I arrived to find my Battalion Commander (Lieutenant Colonel) waiting for me. Without saying a whole lot he basically let me know that "he was reading my blog" he stressed the importance of OPSEC and that I was doing ok so far. I just had to "go through the appropriate channels". All this after finishing a few books over break (My War (Colby Buzzel) and a couple others) where soldier bloggers got demoted or in trouble simply for writing makes a soldier pretty jumpy. So by all means, keep writing and don't be censored, because those of us in the service are!

[dee]

You write :After all, that's why you are here, right?

Dang right ! I don't need to hear what the biased media has to say, and for the DOA to tell me anything, is what they want me to hear. I'd much rather get your account of things, because what you write always rings true .
Thanks for blogging :)

[dan cameron rodill]

I know something about this MSM vs. Real Deal by applying to CENTCOM for accreditation. I don't need the yada-yada. I already got a good serving of the snap-crackle n' crap. I know the MSM, from years in Vietnam, which is why I have nothing to do with it today. I have clippings ragging these clowns, published in the old SAIGON POST during the war. I also have bylines from Newsday, ChicAGO Tribune and Sun-Times etc and even covered Fall of Saigon for CBS misbegottens after their regulars jumped ship in the panic. I have been ready to go to Iraq now as an independent blogger and do real stuff with the troops---no MSM ordure and no DOD stupid puffery. Reaction from CENTCOM: I must get a regular "news service" to "vouch" for me. Yeah, right away. Four NY clowns in NY refused any cooperation, and I can't run around to the Oshkosh Forward which I don't know anyway.

This is CENTCOM today, in the crucial InfoWar---making it impossible for someone like me who can do it. So I'm not too impressed by military complaints about the MSM when I see what happens as I go up against the bureaucracy.

dcr..... From Vietnam to Iraq---now it can be blogged (right, via Bangkok)?

I was ready to do a 2-month winter stint in Iraq. Call it "experimental," call it anything you like, but I was up for it and ready. But now it looks like the 2 months will be back in SE Asia instead, with the "Iraq project" put off indefintely. (If you are heaving a sigh of relief, you can thank CENTCOM and CPIC.)

dcr

new Iraq post at gringoman.com DAUGHTER OF THE DESERT

[Echo9er (aka David)]

Matt.

I received the same email. My response was basically the same as yours. I received a thank you reply this morning.

I googled the firm and they are one of the top automotive PR firms out there. But, until I see something from them, I'll hold on the commitment to sign on.

Also, a note on the Michael Yon piece. This looks good, reading and reviewing stories from the front. I'm inclined to email Michael and throw my hat into the ring on this. I'm sure I can put in a few hours each week for this.

Hooah!! Matt. Thanks for what you do.

Dave (aka Echo9er)

[Greta (Hooah Wife)]

Let me guess - you have also been getting the "exclusive" tips from CENTCOM! Maybe a PR job in the White House is in your near future?

[Sirkowski]

They're gonna integrate the 101st Fighting Keyboardists to the regular forces? Talk about lowering the standards... lol
It might look something like this if they recruit Jonah Goldberg: http://www.deviantart.com/view/27386908/ X-D

[elendil]

They think you'd make a good propaganda outlet? You must be proud.

[preye]

FROM: DR.ROLAND PREYE
ADDRESS12 ALLEN SUITE
16 AVENUE IKEJA
STATE:LAGOS STATE
DATE: 29-11-2006

Dear Friend,
Sequel to the secretive arrangement in regards of the shipment of inflated contract Funds, I wish to in formyou that all necessary modalities have been automatically concluded and have left Nigeria to London via my Country last week by Express Cargo Flight (Diplomatic Delivery Agent).
Note carefully the content of the crate is "MONEY U.S Dollar $15 Million Cash" but I did not disclose it to the Courier Services as Money, rather I informed them that the rate contain Vital "DOCUMENTS AND EXPENSIVE AFRICA ART WORK" belonging to my client (that's you).

Furthermore, the weight of the consignment is 180kg but I manage to pay 120kg, which cost US$18,600.00. On no account should you disclose the content of the crate (Trunk Box) with the Diplomatic Courier Services for fear of betrayal. So do not allow them to know
that the content is money. In the meantime, contact the Diplomatic Courier Services on:
corrier@deliveryman.com (Trunk Box Code Number (BC108948867) to know the actual situation with the consignment and also give them your address where the consignment will be delivered and then get back to me with preye@post.com as soon as possible so that i can give you the shipment document. Meanwhile, I will be coming over to your country immediately the consignment arrives in your Country for my percent share.

Best Regards
DR.ROLAND PREYE