300th uniqe visitor stopped by yesterday

Wow! I continue to be amazed at the number of you who have stopped by to peruse these discussions. Thanks for your interest in this subject and project! Perhaps you were #300 yesterday (22 Dec)? That's 300 unique people (or at least IP addresses...) in a little less than a month. Wow! And you're stopping by from all over the world: United States, Germany, Portugal, Colombia, United Kingdom, Canada, Egypt, Australia, Netherlands, India, France, Sweden, Russian Federation, Spain, Thailand, Mexico, China, and Poland.

I encourage you to leave your opinions, ideas, and thoughts in the comments to the posts - don't worry about it being missed, I read all comments that you post and try to respond if you've left something noteworthy, insightful, or in any way helpful. I really do appreciate your participation in this discussion.

If you're one of the regular readers, please consider "following" this blog so you'll be notified when something is posted/updated. Plus, you get acknowledged in the followers "mosaic" to the right!

The benefits and enjoyment of blogging ...

... are becoming apparent to me. When I began this blog, it was primarily a way for me to become acquainted with the process, language, and basics - since I had never blogged (or even commented on blogs) before - but it has quickly become much more than that. I am pleasantly surprised that between 24 Nov and today - less than 2 weeks - over 100 unique visitors have stopped by this blog (161 since 19 Nov!). The tracking process that I use doesn't show me how long they stayed or how much they read, but just the fact that so many people were at least interested in this topic is very encouraging. What's even more encouraging is that these folks are accessing the blog from 14 different countries! Amazing! Of course, that probably doesn't mean that there are 14 different nationalities - some are likely US service members serving overseas - but one German public affairs officer has left some comments.

This interest is very encouraging. It is clear that many people are interested in how the Army can make better use of blogs and new media in general. I'm encouraged by the variety of comments (from service members, retirees, spouses, and professors of communication) all of which shine a unique light on this subject and all of which provide valuable insights.

One of the benefits of blogging that I have read about and some of you have alluded to in the comments is the community aspect - the interaction. That has already become clear to me through this experience ... and this blog has only been in the blogosphere for about one month. In that month, I've learned a tremendous amount, been pointed in new directions for material to dig into, and gathered valuable insights into how the Army can approach Soldier blogging to greater effect. Lets keep the discussion going ... please continue to share your insights and opinions as well as any other work that's been done that may assist in making this project as useful as possible.

Thanks to everyone who has stopped by to peruse the discussion going on. Thanks to all of you who participate in the weekly polls - the feedback provided through those help me focus my thoughts and opinions about blogging. Thanks even more to those of you who have taken the time to weigh in on the discussion. Several of you have provided valuable insight into milblogging and have linked me to material that will have a great impact on this project. Thanks especially to the 8 of you who have chosen to "follow" this blog! Your interest is greatly appreciated. If you're not a "follower" but are interested in this discussion, please consider becoming a "follower" (look to the right).

I look forward to continuing to learn from you and, together, developing valuable suggestions for the Army to more effectively put "Soldiers in the Blogosphere."

Thanks, Milblogging.com!

Thanks, JP, for posting the information about this blog and the project it represents. As I said in that blurb, the more people involved in this discussion, the better. Thanks to those who have already participated in the interaction. I am really enjoying getting your feedback as I develop my ideas about this subject.

Also, if you are a milblogger and have not yet registered your blog with milblogging.com, I encourage you to do so. It's a great site and already has over 2000 milblogs registered - is yours one of them?

Another also, nominations for the best military blog (and other blog categories, for that matter) of the year are being taken over at weblog awards. Consider nominating the blog you appreciate most. Nominations close this Friday - so don't wait any longer!

The last also, if you haven't done so, I also recommend that you register your blog with Technorati. If you're unfamiliar with this site, they track comments about and links to your blog for you and show you how your blog stacks up among the millions of blogs registered.

Thank a veteran ... please!

Tomorrow, 11 November, is Veterans Day. How will you make it more than just a day off from work or school? Or, if you don't have the day off, how will you make it any different from a typical day in America? I propose nothing fancy - just find a veteran, shake his or her hand, and say thanks. That's it. Too easy.

According the US Census, there are currently over 26 million veterans in our nation, so finding one should be pretty easy. Perhaps you'll notice them proudly wearing a VFW or American Legion hat or lapel pin. Perhaps they'll be standing tall in their old uniforms. Perhaps they'll just be walking past you on the street. Find one, shake his or her hand, and say thanks.

I have one particular veteran that I'd like to mention here: my First Sergeant, now retired, Mike Vitale. Mike was my First Sergeant when I had the priviledge to take command of A Company, 46th Engineer Battalion in late 2002. He planned to be in the company only a few more months and then enjoy his well-earned retirement. But when it seemed certain that the Army would soon issue us orders to deploy to Kuwait in early2003, Mike voluntarily stopped his retirement process so he could prepare to deploy as our company's top non-commissioned officer and my right hand man.

Our company did get those orders and deployed in February 2003 and Mike was instrumental in making sure every Soldier was fully ready for the uncertainty they faced. When we arrived in Kuwait, he quickly focused our Soldiers on the tasks at hand - constructing new kabals in the desert, building air strips, and various other construction tasks around the country. When OIF began and we rolled north, Mike ensured our Soldiers and equipment were ready for anything. He was a true leader and our Soldiers greatly respected him in large part because he clearly cared about them.

Because of his diligence throughout our deployment, we returned home with every Soldier we deployed with. I owe Mike a tremendous amount for the success that he brought to our company. We had a group of outstanding, dedicated Soldiers of all ranks for that deployment, but Mike's leadership was instrumental in bringing them all together for success.

When we returned home, Mike decided to pursue other interests in his now even more well-deserved retirement. I felt guilty even bringing up the subject of staying in a while longer to continue to lend his leadership to our Soldiers - he had earned retirement. And he took that retirement to Florida where he lives now. I am deeply indebted to Mike and priviledged to call him a friend. Thanks again, Mike, for all you've done.

Mike's just one example of the incredible people who serve our nation. He served it for over 20 years in uniform. Some served for only a couple years. Regardless of the time, they all have sacrificed for us in one way or another. The least we can do tomorrow is shake a hand and say thanks. Veterans are key to making and keeping this country great!

Happy Veterans Day Mike, former Gator soldiers, and all my buddies out there who have served and are still serving. Proud to serve beside you!