It's been one year since we officially launched Gmail4Troops.com  

As a lot of you know, it was a huge success.   It couldn't have been such a big success without the hard work of Wil Wheaton, Anne Mitchell, and Mickey Chandler.  All of their time and energy promoting Gmail4Troops and helping our dedicated men and women in the military will never be forgotten.  

I've gotten so many emails from troops over the past year about how we helped them by getting them a Gmail invite so that they could trade emails, pictures, and videos with their loved ones back home while they kept our country safe.   I look at these emails, and while a lot of the stories moved me to tears, I think "Wow, these people are thanking us...and they're the ones putting their lives on the line".   I've made it my personal goal to share and provide easy access to new technologies that will help families keep in touch with their loved ones at home and abroad.

Over the past year, we've all heard a lot about blogging.   The word "Blog" was Webster's word of the year for 2004.   It's short for "web log".   Really, a blog is an online journal that you can write for yourself, your friends, or family.   They can then join in and post comments and you can communicate with a few people at once rather than one on one in an email.  Ironically, a lot of the attention came from the presidential race, when blogs were a huge part of the process.   Now, we're finding that with projects like BlogAbroad.com, blogs are an amazing communication tool.   Probably even moreso than email.

Today - June 19th, 2005, a full year after Gmail4Troops launched - we are proudly kicking off the Blogs4Troops campaign.   MindSay is offering up their blogging tool, and it's a great one.  Why MindSay and not another service?  Because MindSay is easy to setup, easy to use.  I know that you guys don't have much time on the internet when you can use it, and your family members may not be computer wizards.  With MindSay, you can quickly and easily add family members to your "Network" and even add your comrades to your online network lists as well.  You can post blog entries to yourself or just to your family, it's up to you.   It can be as private as you want it to be.

As you may or may not have heard, the military has posted guidelines to blogging and open journals.  We highly suggest that you read them (on the left hand side under links) and follow them to make sure that you and everyone else stays safe.   Once you set up your MindSay account, we'd love for you to add us to your network list.  "Blogs4Troops" is our user name.  You don't have to though.  Also, please submit your new blog to a superior officer so that they can OK it for you (per the new guidelines).

This can be a great experience for everyone, you'll be able to interact and stay in touch with family and friends who only yesterday seemed so far away.

Join me in promoting Blogs4Troops by getting the word out, passing the link around (http://www.Blogs4Troops.com) and inviting anyone in the military that you know.   But unlike Gmail, you don't need an invite to set up a blog!

Give this link out for people to sign up:

http://www.mindsay.com/refbt

- Drew Olanoff

Hey everyone.   This post will serve as the official Blogs4Troops comment box.   Comment here to let all of the troops know how much we appreciate them, and that we're praying for their safe return.   Please use this post to share stories or links on ways to support our men and women overseas.

Troops?  Please take a few seconds and read the comments here, because there are people who care.   More than you think. :)

(Via Steve Rubel's MicroPersuasion)

Here's another interesting use of RSS. A solider in Iraq is using a blog to write home, allowing all his friends to subscribe to his entries via RSS because military mail is notoriously slow. One of the folks who reads his feed regularly - a reporter friend.

Thanks to Steve Smith at ArmyAdvice.org for the post:

Some recent info on soldier blogging:

Military Blogging Rules

Report: Gen. Advises Soldiers on Personal Sites

Original Memo (pdf)

Short version:

1) Don't say stuff you shouldn't.

2) Notify your chain of command that you have a personal website

http://www.soldieringforfreedom.com/

This week's featured blog is one featuring a book called "Soldiering for Freedom" by Herman Obermayer.

About the Book:

• During WWII, Obermayer wrote hundreds of letters home with vivid descriptions of life in the Army. From basic training to the Nuremburg trials, Herman’s letters provide valuable insight into not only the last World War, but the very nature of war and occupation.

If you'd like to nominate a blog for "B4T Military Blog of the Week", please comment here with a link and some info about the blog.

- drewby 

P.S.  If you haven't done so yet, please visit the Comment Box and let our troops know how much we appreciate their bravery.

Since it's 4th of July weekend here's a whole slew of military blogs thanks to TheDailyBlogster

Go visit these blogs and leave a comment to the writer letting them know we appreciate what they do and what they risk for us on a daily basis.

On America's birthday, please keep our brave men and women in your thoughts as they fight to keep us safe and free.

A great way to show support would be through participating in a program very near and dear to my heart.  It's called AnySoldier.com and it's a fantastic opportunity to show that you care.

http://www.anysoldier.com

Be safe, and have a Happy 4th.  

God Bless America.

All of our thoughts and prayers go out to everyone involved in today's tragic events in London.