Happy Social Media Day!

Filed under Emerging Media by on June 30, 2011 at 12:52 pm {7 comments}

You know we’re all a bunch of geeks for social media here at DoDLive. So when we heard about Social Media Day, we were all a-twitter. After all, now we have our own holiday! So while we throw on a few extra unnecessary #hashtags and check-in everywhere we can on post, feel free to join in the celebration! Leave a comment, shoot us a note on Twitter or Facebook (be sure to tag it #SMDay). You can also find your favorite DoD organization or military unit on the DoD Social Media Registry.

And, of course, we wish all of you a Happy Social Media Day!

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Social Media Safety Tips with DPCLO Director Michael Reheuser

Filed under DoD News, Emerging Media by on June 28, 2011 at 8:51 am {2 comments}



DoDLive recently met with Michael Reheuser, Director of the Defense Privacy and Civil Liberties Office, to discuss how to protect Personally-Identifiable Information on the Internet, tips that service members, DoD employees, and their families can take to ensure and maintain operational security across multiple social media platforms, and the importance of thinking about the kind of information we are sending via social media before posting something.

To learn more about the Department of Defense’s Social Media Policy, visit the DoD Social Media Hub.

USO Breaks Ground at Warrior Transition Complex

Filed under DoD News, Emerging Media by on June 27, 2011 at 3:53 pm {no comments}
Fort Belvoir Groundbreaking Ceremony

VIPs including Army Chief of Staff Gen. Martin Dempsey, Congressmen Gerry Connolly and Jim Moran, and members of the USO Board of Governors break ground on the new Warrior Transition Complex at Fort Belvoir, Va. (photo by Ian Graham)

By Ian Graham
Defense Media Activity, Social Media Operations

This morning at Fort Belvoir, Va., ground was broken on what is expected to be a revolutionary new treatment center for wounded warriors.

The Warrior Transition Complex won’t be a hospital, though. Sloan Gibson, president of USO, said it will be a home for wounded warriors and their families.

“This is a place where wounded warriors can be with their families, away from the hospital,” he said. At the new complex, families can relax, enjoy a home cooked meal, children can play and get away from the stress of being in a hospital or rehabilitation facility.

Gibson said today’s ceremony is more than just a groundbreaking: it’s a symbolic gesture representing America’s commitment to wounded service members and their families.

Marine Master Sgt. William “Spanky” Gibson, who lost his leg after a gunman shot him through the knee in Iraq, said the kind of injury he sustained is hard on everyone, not just the service member.

“Imagine a 22-year-old service member with a 21-year-old wife and maybe a 2-year-old kid,” he said. “Now, throw this huge curveball at them.”

He compared the process to planning a vacation on the go: you’re living with a spouse and children in a small room, making important decisions with little time or space to think. Only, he added, it’s not planning a day’s drive, it’s planning the rest of your life. He said the new complex will give family members the space and support they need.

After all, he said, “they’re the one’s who gave up everything to come to my bedside.”

Read more about the Warrior Transition Complex at Fort Belvoir here.

Episode #92: Weekly News Roundup for June 24

Filed under DoD News, Emerging Media by on June 24, 2011 at 4:52 pm {no comments}

In the “This Week in the DoD” podcast for June 24:

President Obama announced plans to commence the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan, saying the way forward is to move towards a support mission rather than continued combat. The first phase of the withdrawal is set to be complete by September 2012.

On Tuesday, June 21, the U.S. Senate unanimously voted to confirm CIA Director Leon Panetta as Defense Secretary Robert Gates‘ successor. Gates is set to retire on June 30.

Robert Gordon, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Military Community and Family Policy, is seeking the opinions of 600,000 service members and their families on how to fund several programs and prioritize a budget depending on their needs. These programs are aimed at increasing morale, welfare, and recreation.

A twenty-year project to renovate the Pentagon is complete. Some 6.5 million square feet have been renovated since the project began in 1991, improving vital infrastructure and better securing Pentagon entrances.

Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton met with Japanese Foreign Minister Takeaki Matsumoto and Defebse Minister Toshimi Kitazawa for the U.S.-Japan Security Consultate Committee Meeting. Colloquially known as the “Two-Plus-Two Ministerial,” talks involved Afghanistan, maritime security, and the denuclearization of North Korea.

Listen to the podcast here.

Families Visit Blue Star Museums

Filed under Community Partnerships, DoD News, Emerging Media by on June 24, 2011 at 9:42 am {no comments}



Blue Star Museums is a program that offers free admission to museums for all active duty military personnel and their families from Memorial Day, May 30, through Labor Day, September 5, 2011.  Blue Star Museums is a partnership among Blue Star Families, the National Endowment for the Arts, and more than 1,300 museums across America to offer free admission to active duty military and their families.

On May 23, Blue Star Museums was announced at a launch event hosted by San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders at Balboa Park, in San Diego, Calif.  Local families representing the Armed Forces visited participating museums, including the Timken Museum of Art, the San Diego Museum of Man, and the Japanese Friendship Garden of San Diego.

For a full list of all participating Blue Star Museums nationwide, visit www.arts.gov/bluestarmuseums.

Video by DoDLive, all photos by Sandy Huffaker

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    German soldiers of 2nd Company, 1st Battalion, 40th Mechanized Infantry Regiment pull security during an Operational Mentor Liaison Team (OMLT) training exercise at the Joint Multinational Readiness Center in Hohenfels, Germany.  OMLT XXIII and Police Operational Mentor Liaison Team VII training are designed to prepare teams for deployment to Afghanistan with the ability to train, advise, and enable the Afghan National Security Force in areas such as counter-insurgency, combat advisory, and force enabling support operations. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Ian Schell  (DVIDS)


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    (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Ernesto Hernandez Fonte / Released) (DVIDS)