• “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.

• 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)

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.

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.

• 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)

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)

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)

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.

Last April Newsweek wrote that the iPod Touch and iPhone were quickly becoming the preferred handheld device to assist deployed soldiers. Although the Pentagon would not disclose how many iPods were on the ground, it’s evident by the growing number of military apps that many in uniform are making good use of Apple’s popular toys.

C-17 Duty Day Calculator – $.99

Know when you should put down the bottle? Or when your scheduled takeoff should be? The C-17 Duty Day Calculator does. Made for active duty, reserves and guard crew members, the application will show you each and every duty day limitations.

iSurvive – $1.99

Soldiers often find themselves in life or death situations. While some circumstances escalate quickly, and there’s no time at all to pull out an iPhone, iSurvive provides an exhaustive guide for those moments when you can. Its nine chapters cover evasions, navigation, radio communications, recovery, medical, personal protection, water, food and induced conditions.

U.S. Military Handbook – $9.99

Your pocket guide to all things military starts here. This app features reference material that covers everything from base pay to fitness and testing matrixes. The latest version includes base information for CONUS/OCONUS on a scrollable map.

BulletFlight – $29.99

Turn your iPhone into a ballistics calculator, created (and used in Iraq and Afghanistan) to assist snipers in hitting a target from up to 1,000 yards away. Its bullet database boasts most major brands, and the program utilizes the device’s built-in accelerometer, which is able to detect your angle for improved accuracy.

PerDiemCalc – $.99

Perfect for temporary-duty assignments, this per diem calculator will keep your spending right on track. It can be used for one-day trips or longer journeys and includes seasonal per diem rates.

US Military Acronyms and Abbreviations – Free

Released just last week, this pint-sized guide to abbreviated words is great for decoding all sorts of jargon. With it, you’ll know more military terminology common within the DOD (Department of Defense) than you’ve ever imagined possible.

Fart Army – $.99

Considering how many fart apps there are out there, this one was bound to happen. Touting itself as “just not another boring Fart Machine iPhone App,” Fart Army can sputter unfortunate, yet funny noises that sound like air rockets, bazookas, machine guns, mess calls, sonar, sleeping soldiers and more. To hear samples of these and others, view the Fart Army promotional video below.

Linguo – $2.99

So, this 25-language translator isn’t exactly military inspired. However, its ability to quickly change important phrases can aid you in any overseas situation. Don’t have Internet access? Never fear. Linguo even works offline with its database of more than 385,000 entries.

Military Slang – $.99

In addition to acronyms and abbreviations, Military Slang focuses on common soldier terms such as “ate up,” “ASP” and 2,000 more. With the flick of a finger, you can figure out what in the world your comrades are saying when they use insider lingo that even you don’t understand.

ARMY Today – $1.99

This application gives easy access to army-focused news reports, videos and radio. App users receive daily updates as well as a visual guide to army enlisted and rank insignia. ALTOM Publishing, which has no affiliation with the U.S. Department of Defense or the U.S. Army, also sells a similar app for the U.S. Marine Corps.

U.S. Military History – $2.99

You’ve followed in their boot-steps, and now it’s time to learn more about soldiers who have served before you. This app features daily war facts, and it looks at how Americans have retold modern war stories in history, literate and pop culture.

Money designated for the U.S. military has been pushed to pay for pet projects, according to the Washington Times.

Senators moved a whopping $2.6 billion originally set aside for U.S. troop training, fuel and ammunition to fund projects like a new World War II Museum in New Orleans with a price tag of $25 million. The paper said the money will be used for 778 total projects.

“Every dollar that we are forced to spend on things which we do not need requires us to take money from things which we do need,” said Geoff Morrell, a Pentagon spokesperson, in a prepared statement. “And the people who lose in that trade-off are our troops and the taxpayers.”

U.S. Senator Tom Coburn, who attempted to block the motion, called the move “a disgrace that Congress has refused this common sense approach to spending taxpayer dollars.”