Swine flu: How is it the smaller military branches seem to be in the news?

I'd think the numbers were against us. First a Marine and now a Coastie: Lieutenant being tested for swine flu in Massachusetts.

Humor...

Well, I thought so...

Onscene reporting from Mass Maritime

News Vans by Blinn Hall
Originally uploaded by Christiaan Conover

Christiaan Conover, student at Mass Maritime and blogger, has a post or two about life on campus during the Maersk Alabama hi-jacking.

Guest posts.... at the Service Chief's blog

Addressing NASBLA
Originally uploaded by NASBLASafeBoating

Likely you've read the Service Chief's blog. It started as an informal way for the Thadmiral to post; it has since turned into another public affairs venue with some posts ghosted and others as guest posts from senior leaders in the fifth military service. And, yes, some guest posts are ghosted, making it in some ways a little less informal and a little more "staffed."

This month, being the month for a spotlight on leadership, the "big four" will be guest posting. The three star for operations posted today about mentoring. An interesting read...

I have it on pretty good authority that the three star for the right coast will post daily for a week, likely cranking out enough posts to look like a real blogger. I look forward to that later this month.

A call for efficiencies... what are we going to do about it?

Nothing. By the looks of it. Business as usual.

From the message board, we learn,

ON 22 APR 09 . . . THE LEGAL PROGRAM WILL CONDUCT TRAINING INTEGRATING THE LSC INTO THE EXISTING STRUCTURES OF THE LEGAL PROGRAM AND HOW THE PROGRAM AS A WHOLE WILL PROVIDE LEGAL SERVICES TO THE MODERNIZED ORGANIZATION. ALL MEMBERS OF THE LEGAL PROGRAM ARE INVITED TO ATTEND, BUT FUNDING IS LIMITED. THOSE NOT IN RECEIPT OF HQ FUNDING ARE WELCOME TO ATTEND AT UNIT EXPENSE.

Wouldn't this be the perfect opportunity to try some web-based meeting tools with streaming video? And then,

THE FOLLOWING DAY TRAINING WILL FOCUS ON THE IMPACT OF MODERNIZATION ON THE COMMANDS THE LEGAL PROGRAM SERVICES. REPRESENTATIVES OF THE LOGISTICS AND SERVICE CENTERS, FORCECOM, AND OPCOM ARE SCHEDULED TO ATTEND. I INVITE ATTENDANCE BY ANY REPRESENTATIVES OF ANY COMMAND THROUGHOUT THE SERVICE AT THIS SESSION TO DISCUSS ISSUES OF COMMON CONCERN. THE LEGAL PROGRAM CAN PROVIDE TRAVEL FUNDING ONLY FOR THOSE DIRECTLY INVOLVED IN PRESENTATION, BUT ALL ATTENDEES ARE WELCOME. COMPREHENSIVE INFORMATION ABOUT HOW CLIENT COMMANDS WILL DO BUSINESS IN THE MODERNIZED SERVICE, INCLUDING WHAT IS CHANGING, AND WHAT IS NOT, WILL ENABLE THE LEGAL PROGRAM AND LSC TO PROVIDE SEAMLESS DELIVERY OF APPROPRIATE LEGAL SERVICES THROUGHOUT THIS PERIOD OF TRANSITION AND BEYOND.

If the Secretary wasn't talking about doing things like this cheaper, I'm not sure what she was talking about.

It's going to take increased IT infrastructure and a dedication to redoubling our efforts at reducing waste and increasing efficiencies.

It is, indeed, time for a new way of doing business... or just waiting out senior leadership. What will it be?

Secretary Napolitano: Increase efficiency and save taxpayer dollars

Secretary Napolitano Inaugural Visit
Originally uploaded by Imagery

Recently, the Secretary announced a department-wide program to cut waste, increase efficiency, and save money. Among many initiatives, this one caught my eye:

We will eliminate non-mission-critical travel for employees, and maximize the use of the conference calls and web-based trainings and meetings. We will reduce subscriptions to professional publications and newspapers to lower costs and avoid duplication.

Well, if this is going to work in America's smallest armed force, we're going to need better computers. How about computers with full video conference capabilities? How about greater bandwidth?

Of course, I find it amusing that in addition to eliminating all non-mission-critical travel -- and I would put a slew of training in there, and conferences, and meetings, and, well, you get the idea -- we're killing off professional publications. "Okay, you can't go to this event which is really professional development... and we're cutting off your professional journals, too... so your knowledge will be pretty much out-of-date in no time at all.

But, she is on to something... if we had full-up computer equipment that could handle it, we probably could cut out some travel... but, the question I ask is, "Would the savings in travel costs really off-set the additional expenditures necessary to get the program online... to include tens of thousands of new computers and increased bandwidth.

They call it ... Tips When Sailing

This brought me a chuckle:

Tips about the country's only armed service with a federal law enforcement authority to boot... -- powered by ExpertVillage.com

Heroic nurse had served a decade in the fifth military service

Honoring heroic N.C. nurse
Originally uploaded by uscgd5publicaffairs

Somehow, I missed this...

Cutline with the photograph:

ROCKINGHAM, N.C. – Petty Officer 3rd Class Oscar Rodriguez presents the national ensign to the father of Jerry Y. Avant, during memorial services at Richmond Memorial Park, Thursday, April 2, 2009. Avant, who served in the ... as an Aviation Electronics Technician for 10 years, sacrificed his life, protecting patients from a gunman Sunday, March 29, 2009, while working as a nurse at the Pinelake Health and Rehab Center in Carthage, N.C. (Official photo/Petty Officer 1st Class Kip Wadlow)

A true Guardian... and here's a case where I like the use of the term... I'm also impressed that the Service was involved in the funeral; he hadn't retired from the Service and he was fairly junior (all things considered) when he left.

Anyway, a true Guardian. May he have eternal fair winds and ever following seas...

Who do you trust

Over at An Unofficial Blog, and elsewhere, the question of credibility has been hashed over (and over). I saw an interesting bit today about the Google/Twitter situation, and thought it appropriate. From JR Raphael:

I know, I know: Bloggers are entitled to break news as much as traditional journalists these days. But when push comes to shove and the two trades collide, my faith still falls with the veteran reporter. It's not the title that determines my trustworthiness -- heck, All Things Digital is itself described as a blog -- it's the writer's track record when it comes to things like journalistic integrity, thoroughness of reporting, and careful evaluation of sources. Whether information's given on The New York Times or on Timmy's Totally Terrific Tech Blog, that's what I'm ultimately going to consider.

I think JR sums it up nicely; track record plays a big part in terms of credibility.

So in the blogosphere of America's Fifth Military Service, who do you put your trust and faith to?

Found out

Two watching one shooting
Originally uploaded by antonioVi

Well, I turned on the RSS feed a day or two ago and burned the feed at Feedburner, and I made one comment on my primary blog, Musings, with a link here, and I think I've been found out.

Someone -- with the following caught by StatCounter, U.S. Department Of Transportation (152.121.18.98) -- visited, and two people have registered to receive the feed.

No longer a journal (not that it ever was)...

Great pic titled "Boot camp"

Boot camp
Originally uploaded by (Drake)

What an awesome pic, eh?

And, speaking of boot camp, have you seen this post on the boot camp blog, the post from Victor 180, the recruit company that marched in President Obama's inauguration? Cool... and somebody can write...

We will be, I believe, in good hands.