Weekly Drill Down: Lady Gaga, Dating Scams and More
- Need long-range shooting assistance? You guessed it: There's an app for that. (Kit Up!)
- The most ridiculous headline of the week: "Lady Gaga's Threat to National Security" (Under the Radar)
- Battling PTSD? There's an app for that, too? Well, not yet. (Danger Room)
- ITS Tactical receives a letter from the Governor of Texas. (ITS Tactical)
- Drama over a United States Special Operations Command contract and FNH USA continues. (Soldier Systems)
- Ironically enough, ASP's CJ gets caught up in a military dating scam. (A Soldier's Perspective)
- USMC and Propper International partner up for a new 3 Season Sleep System. (Gear Scout)
- FOX News digs up info on missing Afghan soldiers. (Milblogging)
- Review: Army documentary Restrepo is a must-see. (Vet Voice)
- #MilitaryMon gets its own Facebook Fan Page. (Facebook)
Study Finds Custom Shoes Do Little to Prevent Injury
Promises of extra stability, motion control and added cushioning can be found in footwear advertising everywhere. However, does that pledge of added protection actually pan out?
A group of doctors including several from the U.S. Army and Navy decided to find out.
In June, The American Journal of Sports Medicine published their study that took a closer look at injury prevention based on shoe customization. They wanted to know if specialized shoes sold by footwear manufacturers really worked.
For the experiment, they outfitted 722 Marine Corps recruits in shoes—one group received specialized shoes based on arch height among other factors, and the control group laced up the same stability shoe. For the following 12 weeks, recruits were observed via the Defense Medical Surveillance System.
The results? The doctors found little difference in injury risk between the groups.
"Simply measuring the foot morphology with (this type of) technique is not sufficient for prescribing footwear if your objective is to prevent injuries," Dr. Bruce Jones, an investigator on the study at the U.S. Army Public Health Command, told Reuters Health.
While one study alone can't completely dispel customization based on plantar shapes, it certainly makes you think twice before buying footwear solely based on that type of technology. Your best bet? Select boots that feel the most comfortable on your feet.
(Image via Wikimedia)
Weekly Drill Down: ‘Merry Christmas from Afghanistan’ Song, Best of 2009 Lists and More
- "Merry Christmas from Afghanistan" takes original singer/songwriter/warrior to a whole new level. (Bouhammer)
- Discover the top stories in the milblogosphere of 2009. (Milblogging)
- Fight terrorism. Get paid? That's what the Christmas day plane bomb hero did. (Hearts And Minds)
- Sad, sad news in 2009 is a painful reminder of the realities of war. (Stars and Stripes)
- C.J.'s gives us a rather straight-forward year in review (with an even more straight-forward illustration). (A Soldier's Perspective)
- Abu Muqawama slips out of daily blogging retirement to share this. (Abu Muqawama)
- Take a real shot to ring in 2010 from the inventor of the AK-47 assault rifle. (Danger Room)
- It's a bird; it's a plane. No, it's Russia to the rescue?! (Defense Tech)
- Boeing expecting $31 billion in defense business from India. (DoD Buzz)
- Can you guess what the top 3 Soldier Systems shockers were for 2009? Didn't think so. (Soldier Systems)
- Tis the season for … snow camo! (Strike – Hold!)
- Oh, and lots of holiday cheer from ITS Tactical, General Petraeus and OPFOR.
Weekly Drill-Down: David Letterman’s Marines Top 10, Military Tweeps on CNN and More
- 60 Minutes takes us bomb hunting in Afghanistan to find "The Deadliest Weapon." (Military Photos)
- CNN features military tweeps and their take on the Fort Hood tragedy. (Milblogging)
- Are underage soldiers fighting for Afghanistan's National Army? (Bouhammer)
- New camo for the Army in Afghanistan is revealed. (Defense Tech)
- MIA bomb-fighting doggy found alive in Afghanistan. (Danger Room)
- PHOTO: Nothing like an afternoon game of Spades overseas. (Line of Sight)
- A mil-blogger's take on the upcoming military film "The Messenger." (Not Your Average Brooklynette via Milblogging)
Empty Combat Boots Memorialize Fort Hood Victims
Thirteen sets of military boots cradling rifles and helmets were on display at Foot Hood this week to pay respect to the 13 who were murdered on Nov. 5.
President Barack Obama and the first lady participated in the somber memorial service on Tuesday, which was an emotional event -- especially for those directly involved.
"This is a time of war. And yet these Americans did not die on a foreign field of battle," Obama said, according to ABC News. "They were killed here, on American soil, in the heart of this great American community. It is this fact that makes the tragedy even more painful and even more incomprehensible."
With every moment of the service captured by the media, powerful videos and images quickly surfaced. You can view moving photographs at ABC News, KHOU and Fox News. Watch coverage from the Associated Press in the video below, or click here to view an interview with wife at Fort Hood.
60 Minutes: How Hackers Infiltrated Department of Defense and Other Government Facilities
On Sunday, 60 Minutes provided an extensive report uncovering just how unprepared America is when it comes to cyber attacks. Moreover, the report discussed an "electronic Pearl Harbor" that took place in 2007.
"It was an espionage Pearl Harbor," Jim Lewis, director of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told 60 Minutes correspondent Steve Kroft.
"They broke into all of the high tech agencies, all of the military agencies, and downloaded terabytes of information," Lewis said. "Every day a little bit more of our intellectual property, our innovative skills, our military technology is stolen by somebody. And it's like little drops. Eventually we'll drown."
Watch the entire news segment "Sabotaging the System" below to find out how the cyber criminals can and do attack.
Watch CBS News Videos Online
After the segment aired, DefenseTech gave themselves a (much deserved) pat on the back for previous coverage on cyber warfare. Want to read more about the previous attacks? DefenseTech's post on the segment listed some excellent resources.
Weekly Drill-Down: The Warrior Song, Fort Hood Coverage and More
- Hey veterans: Don't miss out on these awesome Veterans Day deals! (Bouhammer, Paycheck Chronicles)
- Ah, memory lane: One of the most prolific military bloggers recalls his 10 favorite experiences doing what he does best -- blog. (Milblogging)
- So long, A Soldiers Perspective. You will be totally and completely missed!! (A Soldier's Perspective)
- Today the Marine Corps turns 234 years old. Happy Birthday, Marines! (SpouseBUZZ)
- Photo essay: See Afghanistan through the eyes of a U.S. Army National Guard member. (DoD News via Milblogging)
- Attack of the droid armies? Perhaps. (Custom Gear Report)
**Special Fort Hood Coverage**
- What Fort Hood did for Muslims in the military. (Stars & Stripes)
- A look at a gun -- aptly dubbed a "cop-killer" gun -- that has killed so many. (Danger Room)
- Want a minute-by-minute account of the horrible events as they transpired? (Vet Voice)
Soleful Dog Chew Toy Supports Military Veterans
Dog Tags Chewy Shoe
Next time you shop for Fido, invest in something that will not only keep him entertained for hours but also supports military veterans.
Like this red, white and blue chew toy from My Good Dog, pictured on the left.
Created from the same molds used for military boot soles, the Dog Tags Chewy Shoe toy ($16) is made out of natural rubber in the U.S. With every purchase, $2 is donated to the Dog Tags program, which teaches puppies how to become service dogs for soldiers overseas. Additionally, other dogs such as Labradors or golden retrievers are trained to assist disabled veterans back in the States.
"I have learned a lot about dogs and even more about the human spirit through our program," said Gloria Gilbert Stoga, founder and president of Puppies Behind Bars, in a statement.
"The joy that comes from working with these dogs -- both for the inmate trainers and the eventual companions -- has been incredible to witness,” she added.
Service dogs learn how to open and close doors as well as assist in grocery shopping. Others, specifically trained for veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder, are able to alert companions to take medications and help them cope with anxiety.
First launched in May 2009, the program has since made more than $36,000 in donations for Dog Tags, a program that is part of Puppies Behind Bars.
"Every sale of our red, white and blue Chewy Shoe toy is a thank-you from us and from pet owners to our courageous men and women in the military," said Luke Pfeifle, vice president of sales for My Good Dog, in a statement.
"We look forward to continuing our support for Dog Tags and our veterans."
(Via Unleashed)
Weekly Drill-Down
Projectile Detection Cueing (PDCue)
MilitaryBoots Blog peeks at our favorite neighbors in the blogosphere to find out what they're tapping about.
- What were the top 10 technologies of 2008 recognized by the Army? (Army.mil)
- Watch out king of Nigeria, there’s a new scam online … for military dating! (A Soldier’s Perspective)
- The Army continues its quest to conquer social media with a new technology blog. (Miliblogging.com)
- British explosives expert is killed while defusing a bomb in Afghanistan. (The Guardian)
- Congress gives military spouses some extra love. (Stars and Stripes)
- The Pentagon is rushing all-terrain, lighter vehicles to Afghanistan. (AFP)
- Army Research Laboratory physicists work on seeing what’s not exactly visible with “ghost” imaging. (GlobalSecurity.org)
- Why shouldn’t civilians fly again? This is a definite flying FAIL. (FlightLines)
Top 101 Military Twitter Accounts
Image via www.bouhammer.com
With 140-words-or-less messages lighting up computer screens every second throughout the world, it’s no surprise that microblogging has caused much consternation for the U.S. Military.
Sure, with troops spouting endless thoughts on Twitter, there’s always going to be potential security breaches. However, by the sheer amount of official government Twitter accounts, the powers that be appear to be embracing it (though a little late in the game) more and more.
That’s why we put together this handy dandy Military Twitterverse directory to enable those within the military community to easily connect or reconnect with each other.
Additionally, be on the lookout for Twitter Lists, a new feature on the site that will allow members to organize followers and groups. Milblogging.com’s founder, who boasts 58,618 Twitter followers, said he will be organizing a list of all U.S. Army members very soon on Twitter.
Official Tweets
Who: @USArmy
Style: Positive and informative.
Followers: 16,975
Sweetest tweet: “GEN Casey: We need to build versatle leaders who can adapt to changes - because there will be changes #ausa. 1:58 PM Oct 6th from web.”
Other official tweeps: @mynavyfuture, @MyArmyReserve, @navy_reserve, @AFPAA, @AFdotmil, @AirForceNYC, @AFSpace, @AFMC_Now, @USMC, @USCG, @TheNatlGaurd, @airforcelive, @MarineCorpsNews.
***
Military Tweeple
Who: @LTCJonBrazelton
Style: Honest and funny.
Followers: 405
Sweetest tweet: “Thus endeth another weekend. I begin a week of Staff Duty Officer tomorrow, so if anything can go wrong, it will probably happen this week. about 12 hours ago from TweetDeck”
Other military tweeps: @AskRealMilitary, @bouhammer, @Blackfive, @BrotherO, @srtbangman, @customgear, @NYCNavy, @NavySquid, @Martin_Dempsey, @capecodgirl13, @jyoswa, @jakolaw, @usfora, @armyrotc, @iammilitary, @itstactical, @militaryphotos, @Navy_IA, @usnavyisdiverse, @NavyChaplain, @Old_Guard_PAO, @flynavy, @MilitaryTweets.
***
Military News
Who: @Militarydotcom
Style: Healthy mixture of education and fun.
Followers: 5,463
Sweetest tweet: “Slideshow- Evolution of the NASA Spacesuit: http://bit.ly/35OREo. 6:52 PM Oct 22nd from API”
Other news tweeps: @ArmyNewsNow, @militaryupdate, @MilitaryAvenue, @healthdotmil, @MilitaryChannel, @militarylog, @usmnews, @mySA_Military, @militaryworld, @armybase, @sdutMilitary, @NavyTimes, @nwnavynews, @navybuzztap, @pentagonchannel.
***
Military Assistance
Who: @the_USO
Style: Enlightening cheerleader.
Followers: 2,049
Sweetest tweet: “Phew! There's a lot of stuffing going on at Lockheed Martin as they look to celebrate 200k care pkgs by the end of 2009 http://bit.ly/3tTIRJ. 4:17 PM Oct 18th from web.”
Other assistance tweeps: @militaryhousing, @MilitaryBenefit, @JobsNearBases, @Military1Source, @Military_Travel, @militarypathway, @MilitaryAwareness, @IdealMilHire, @MilitaryBlood, @MilitaryCredit, @MilitaryFSBO, @militaryliving, @MilitaryPro, @MilitaryLaw, @milvoteoverseas, @UnicoreMilitary.
***
Military Supporters
Who: @milblogging
Style: A little insider-y but welcoming.
Followers: 58,618
Sweetest tweet: “Watching a Hannah Montana movie with the kids tonight, yeah. 8:14 PM Sep 25th from web.”
Other supportive tweeps: @AusRhiannon, @militarymission, @ILMil_Families, @milspousenet, @MilitaryKidsInt, @Fleet_Family, @ilovemytroops, @MailOurMilitary, @armyimcom, @Military_Brats, @soldiersangels, @AbleVeterans.
***
Military Networking
Who: @WomenMarines
Style: Straight-forward and intelligent.
Followers: 1,248
Sweetest tweet: “Little known fact: Tun Tavern, where the Marine Corps started, was actually owned by a woman but was managed by her son. 11:12 AM Oct 10th from UberTwitter.”
Other networking tweeps: @ArmyConnect, @Milplace, @milpagan, @MilitaryLocator, @NavyVets, @USCGDirectory, @yourmilitary.
***
Military Wives
Who: @mymilitarylife
Style: Candid yet promotional.
Followers: 988
Sweetest tweet: “We have spent many many bdays apart, but not tmw. DH is home. Young son and I making a chocolate fudge cake, wish us luck. 11:44 PM Oct 10th from web.”
Other military wife tweeps: @ArmyWifeNetwork, @MyArmyWifeLife, @ArmyWives, @indiearmywife, @ChristianMWs, @militarymafia, @ArmyWife4Christ, @justanavywife, @navywivesclub, @ArmyWifeyDebbie, @thearmywife, @MilitaryMama.