Archive | Emerging Media

U.S. Military Honored at AT&T National Golf Tournament

Filed under Emerging Media by Administrator on July 1, 2009 at 3:01 pm {no comments}

By MC3 William Selby

For the past three years, golf lovers and members of the United States military have gathered together during the week of the Fourth of July at the Congressional Country Club in Bethesda, Md., for the AT&T National golf tournament hosted by Tiger Woods. Woods honors his late father, Earl Woods, a Vietnam veteran, by admitting all military members for free during the tournament and providing special services for them.

On June 30, I attended the press conference with Tiger Woods, the day prior to the start of the tournament. Attending this press conference were some of the most respected sports journalists in the country, including Michael Wilbon.

So, we were in the tent waiting on the world’s top-rated golfer, which just made me more nervous. I was worried I might ask a stupid question, or even worse, I may not even get the question out. After about five minutes of waiting, Woods came out and addressed the press.

“It’s certainly become a pretty special event in its short history,” he said. “Overall this week, having the service men and women and the children just makes for such a special week.”

Woods added that having the Wounded Warriors part of the tournament really hits home their sacrifice to this nation.

“You know, it hits home when you see one of them come out and to see what they’re dealing with on a daily basis and what they have to go through because they’re putting their lives on the line for us, and unfortunately have had something happen,” he said. “And you know, that’s why I said, everyone in this room here and everyone should thank all of them for what they do. They do truly put their lives on the line, and a lot of them have gotten hurt.”

Although I wasn’t able to ask my question, the next day during the Pro-Am contest, I was able to get up close and personal with Woods and shake his hand. He is every bit as personable and generous as he is talented.

Arlington National Cemetery

Filed under Emerging Media by Administrator on June 30, 2009 at 1:53 pm {no comments}

Arlington National Cemetery, Section 60

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By Ian Graham

Every 4^th of July, hundreds of thousands of people fill the National Mall in Washington, D.C. to watch fireworks burst over a backdrop of monuments and memorials honoring our country’s greatest citizens.

While accompanying Petty Officer William Selby to Arlington National Cemetery as he met with Tom Sherlock, the cemetery’s historian, the depth of what that place represents, both to service members and the nation as a whole, came to light.

Now, of course it’s fitting to visit the many beautiful memorials erected in and around Washington dedicated to those who have served and died. But where is there a more reverent, awe-inspiring tribute than at Arlington National Cemetery, where one is literally surrounded by more than a quarter million service members who gave their lives, dating back to the American Revolution?

So if you’re going to be in the D.C. area this Independence Day, take a few minutes to visit the cemetery and honor the men and women who make our freedom possible.

DoD, NIDA take on sustance abuse

Filed under Emerging Media by Administrator on June 29, 2009 at 9:49 am {no comments}

By Ian Graham

Increased scrutiny and more thorough pre- and post-deployment health screenings have helped the Department of Defense better identify the effects combat operations can have on a person’s health.

Now the military is working to help service members with their problems before they spiral into other issues: specifically, substance abuse.

Dr. Michael E. Kilpatrick, director of Strategic Communications for the Military Health System in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs and Dr. Timothy Condon, deputy director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, spoke about efforts both organizations are taking to study and curb abuse amongst service members during an audio webcast on “Armed With Science: Research and Applications for the Modern Military,” June 24.

“Readiness for the military mission is always our primary reason for existence,” Kilpatrick said. “The health of our men and women in uniform is really critical to sustain that readiness.”

As DoD continues its efforts to identify and treat illness, both mental and physical, in its service members and family members, NIDA is teaming up with a number of government agencies to further study substance abuse and addiction specifically within the military.

“There are unique and complex issues,” Condon said. “One of the issues we need to move past is the stigma that we associate with people who become addicted to drugs … it’s not just weak will and moral fiber.”

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Reenacting the Historic Battle of Belleau Wood with the U.S. Marine Corps

Filed under Emerging Media by Administrator on June 11, 2009 at 2:23 pm {no comments}

U.S. Marines reenact the Battle of Belleau Wood in Bealton, Va., for a forthcoming exhibit at the National Museum of the Marine Corps.

By Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class William Selby

“Retreat, Hell! We just got here!,” responded Marine Capt. Lloyd Williams to the advice he received as he reached the wooded area five miles northwest of the French town of Chateau-Thierry on the Marne River. The ensuing battle was the U.S. Marine Corps first crucible and defined what it means to be a United States Marine, or as they were nicknamed in this battle, a “Devil Dog.”

On June 9, I traveled to Bealton, Va., for a reenactment of the Battle of Belleau Wood. It was being filmed for an interactive portion of the National Museum of the Marine Corps’ forthcoming World War I exhibit. The World War I exhibit is scheduled to open next April.

I was there to interview Marines participating in the reenactment for an upcoming DoD Emerging Media Vlog and several Marines I talked to compared their own combat experiences to what it may have been like to be a Marine during World War I. “They were no different from us, other than the protective gear they wore,” one of them said. (more…)

Remembering the Battle of Midway

Filed under Emerging Media by on June 5, 2009 at 2:27 pm {no comments}

Pentagon Web Radio (click image to listen)

The Battle of Midway was the defining moment for the U.S. Navy in World War II, and some may say it was the finest hour in U.S. naval history. With nearly two-thirds of the Imperial Japanese Navy’s fleet carriers destroyed, the tide of the war in the Pacific had taken a dramatic turn. And the Japanese fleet would never recover.

Yesterday, we launched the third segment of the four-part audio webcast series “Remembering the Battle of Midway.” In this segment, we feature an interview from November 1972 with U.S. Navy Rear Adm. Ernest Eller. During the interview, Eller explains his role in the battle as a writer of war reports. In addition to Eller, naval historian Paul Stillwell provides his perspective on the significance of Midway.

The entire four-part series, “Remembering the Battle of Midway,” spans from the Doolittle Raid, to the significance of the Battle of Coral Sea, and ends with the Battle of Midway.

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