Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Michael Reagan's Life-Like Portraits of Fallen Warriors

Five years ago artist Michael Reagan's unusual project began with a phone call from a woman whose husband had died in Iraq. Would Michael create a hand-drawn portrait from a photo of her husband? And how much would the portrait cost?

Michael, a former Marine in Vietnam, told the widow that he couldn't take money for the portrait. And five years later he's drawn over 1500 portraits of fallen heroes.

On our BlogTalkRadio show YourMilitaryLife.com, Michael shared with Nancy Brown and me the story of this first portrait. He said that the widow told him that, when the portrait arrived, she looked into her dead husband's eyes -- and slept through the night for the first time in the year since he had been killed.

It's these stories that keep Michael and his wife determined to continue this project even though he now does two portraits a day and each portrait takes about five hours. No one makes any money for the portraits but there are costs associated with the project -- including framing, mailing, supplies.

Go to Michael Reagan's site now at fallenheroesproject.org to see samples of his amazing life-like portraits and to donate to this project that means so much to the loved ones of the fallen warriors.

Then get out your tissue box and listen to the interview of Michael Reagan describing his compelling project that gives back to the families of the men and women who have paid the ultimate price in the service of our country.
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Phyllis Zimbler Miller is the author of MRS. LIEUTENANT: A SHARON GOLD NOVEL and the co-author of the Jewish holiday book SEASONS FOR CELEBRATION. She also blogs as a National Internet Business Examiner and at Operation Support Jews in the Military and Fiction Marketing, and she is the co-host of the BlogTalkRadio show Your Military Life. Her newest military-related project is the book/website project In Support of Our Troops.

Phyllis' company Miller Mosaic LLC provides internet marketing information to help people promote their brand, book or business. On July 1st the company is launching the Miller Mosaic Internet Marketing Program.

Nancy Brown Is Inspired by the Wife of a Wounded Marine to Start Online Support Group

My BlogTalkRadio YourMilitaryLife.com show co-host Nancy Brown of YourMilitary.com is truly one of the most amazing people I know.

She has set up in 24 hours the site WoundedWarriorsSuport.org because she learned from Karie Fugett -- wife of a wounded warrior injured by an IED in Ramadi,Iraq,in April 2006 -- that there is no real online support group for wounded warrior families.

Now Nancy and Karie together are providing that support. Join immediately to show your appreciation of this valuable new site. (I just did.)

And you can read Karie's posts there or on her Cinchouse.com blog.
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Phyllis Zimbler Miller is the author of MRS. LIEUTENANT: A SHARON GOLD NOVEL and the co-author of the Jewish holiday book SEASONS FOR CELEBRATION. She also blogs as a National Internet Business Examiner and at Operation Support Jews in the Military and Fiction Marketing, and she is the co-host of the BlogTalkRadio show Your Military Life. Her newest military-related project is the book/website project In Support of Our Troops.

Phyllis' company Miller Mosaic LLC provides internet marketing information to help people promote their brand, book or business. On July 1st the company is launching the Miller Mosaic Internet Marketing Program.

Sunday, June 28, 2009

USO Magazine Features Article on Special Ops Mission Six-Part Series

My husband just received the second edition of the USO's new magazine ON PATROL. After reading the issue, he handed it to me to look for potential interviewees for the BlogTalkRadio show YourMilitaryLife.com that I co-host with Nancy Brown of YourMilitary.com.

The article that most interested me is by Wil Willis, former Army Ranger and Air Force Pararescueman, who is now the host of the Military Channel's new six-part series "Special Ops Mission" that premieres July 30th.

According to the article, the series "will provide an inside view of skilled military operators using their tactical abilities in a realistic environment. This [inside view] previously had only been possible for the elite few who undertake actual covert military operations."

I'd like to link to the entire article. But for some reason the summer edition, which has this article, is not yet available online, although the spring edition is available.

Meanwhile, I'm going to look for a contact to Wil Willis because Nancy and I would love to have him on our show.
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Phyllis Zimbler Miller is the author of MRS. LIEUTENANT: A SHARON GOLD NOVEL and the co-author of the Jewish holiday book SEASONS FOR CELEBRATION. She also blogs as a National Internet Business Examiner and at Operation Support Jews in the Military and Fiction Marketing, and she is the co-host of the BlogTalkRadio show Your Military Life. Her newest military-related project is the book/website project In Support of Our Troops.

Phyllis' company Miller Mosaic LLC provides internet marketing information to help people promote their brand, book or business. On July 1st the company is launching the Miller Mosaic Internet Marketing Program.

Tuesday, June 23, 2009

What You Should Know About Combat Stress

Dr. Glenn Schiraldi, who has served on the stress management faculties at the Pentagon, the International Critical Incident Stress Foundation, and the University of Maryland, discussed the nature, prevention, and treatment of combat stress when he was interviewed on the BlogTalkRadio show YourMilitaryLife.com that Nancy Brown of YourMilitary.com and I co-host.

Dr. Schiraldi is the author of The Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Sourcebook, World War II Survivors: Lessons in Resilience, The Self-Esteem Workbook, Ten Simple Solutions for Building Self-Esteem, and The Anger Management Sourcebook.

I particularly liked his use of the word "inoculation" when he talked about mental health training before being exposed to the stress of combat.

Listen to his interview now to learn more about inoculating yourself and your loved ones against mental illness caused by trauma.
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Phyllis Zimbler Miller is the author of MRS. LIEUTENANT: A SHARON GOLD NOVEL and the co-author of the Jewish holiday book SEASONS FOR CELEBRATION. She also blogs as a National Internet Business Examiner and at Operation Support Jews in the Military and Fiction Marketing, and she is the co-host of the BlogTalkRadio show Your Military Life. Her newest military-related project is the book/website project In Support of Our Troops.

Phyllis' company Miller Mosaic LLC provides internet marketing information to help people promote their brand, book or business. On July 1st the company is launching the Miller Mosaic Internet Marketing Program.

Monday, June 22, 2009

SKIP Supports Our Troops and You Can Help

Thanks to a tweet on Twitter I just learned of the organization SKIP -- Special Kindness in Packages, Inc. Here's what the org's home page states:
Several minutes of every day deployed US military members think about being back home. These thoughts might be of family and friends, buying a new car, or simply saying, "I can't wait to go home".

Special Kindness In Packages, a.k.a. SKIP, provides those service members with support from home to keep their spirits up and encouragement to perform their jobs well. SKIP has not and will not forget about the sacrifices these men and women make on a daily basis, and we know we're not alone.

America, we need your support and so do our troops. On the SKIP website you'll notice numerous opportunities to make a difference in the quality of support given to our troops. If you don't see something you're looking for, or if you have any questions please contact us.

Each Military Care Package packed by SKIP volunteers is a symbol of America's devotion to our troops, a "thank you" to those who keep this land safe, and a reminder to our military that "we care."
Visit this website now and learn how you can help.
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Phyllis Zimbler Miller is the author of MRS. LIEUTENANT: A SHARON GOLD NOVEL and the co-author of the Jewish holiday book SEASONS FOR CELEBRATION. She also blogs as a National Internet Business Examiner and at Operation Support Jews in the Military and Fiction Marketing, and she is the co-host of the BlogTalkRadio show Your Military Life.

Her company Miller Mosaic LLC builds call-to-action websites that get people to say yes to your brand, book or business. Her newest project is the book/website project In Support of Our Troops.

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Michele Rosenthal Provides Blueprint for Healing PTSD

Nancy Brown of YourMilitary.com and I were very fortunate to have Michele Rosenthal on our BlogTalkRadio show YourMilitaryLife.com talking about how to rebuild your identity in the wake of PTSD -- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

Even though Nancy and I have had several guests on the show who have talked about PTSD, Michele was so articulate that for the first time I understood aspects of PTSD I hadn't understood before.

(It did probably help that I had just finished reading the book NEUROMARKETING by Patrick Renvoise and Christophe Morin. Some things these authors mentioned in connection with our brain clicked with some things that Michele said.)

Michele shared her own story of surviving a rare disease at the age of 13, and how it took her 25 years to find the answer herself as to what she was suffering from. Once she finally got a diagnosis of PTSD, she took control of her own healing process.

Visit her website at HealMyPTSD.com for PTSD information and resources or email her at michele@healmyptsd.com

And listen to this amazing interview now to find out how PTSD can be healed.
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Phyllis Zimbler Miller is the author of MRS. LIEUTENANT: A SHARON GOLD NOVEL and the co-author of the Jewish holiday book SEASONS FOR CELEBRATION. She also blogs as a National Internet Business Examiner and at Operation Support Jews in the Military and Fiction Marketing, and she is the co-host of the BlogTalkRadio show Your Military Life.

Her company Miller Mosaic LLC builds call-to-action websites that get people to say yes to your brand, book or business. Her newest project is the book/website project In Support of Our Troops.

New Website for Novel MRS. LIEUTENANT and New Facebook Group for Your Military

The new website for my novel MRS. LIEUTENANT has launched. Yael Miller created a terrific site, especially the header art that she designed.

Visit MRS. LIEUTENANT now.

Also, Nancy Brown, my co-host on our BlogTalkRadio show YourMilitaryLife.com, has just launched the Facebook group Your Military.

"Your Military group has two new discussions," Nancy Brown said, "and I would like you to pass this information to others who may benefit. The first new discussion is for military brats to share their life experiences. The second group is for military blog authors to post info about their blogs to give them exposure and to give them another way to let us know of their work."

Join the Facebook group Your Military now
and take part in these discussions if they apply to you.
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Phyllis Zimbler Miller is the author of MRS. LIEUTENANT: A SHARON GOLD NOVEL and the co-author of the Jewish holiday book SEASONS FOR CELEBRATION. She also blogs as a National Internet Business Examiner and at Operation Support Jews in the Military and Fiction Marketing, and she is the co-host of the BlogTalkRadio show Your Military Life.

Her company Miller Mosaic LLC builds call-to-action websites that get people to say yes to your brand, book or business. Her newest project is the book/website project In Support of Our Troops.

Monday, June 15, 2009

Military Cookbook Project Seeking Recipes Favored by Our Military Men and Women


Kate Gabriele contacted Nancy Brown of YourMilitary.com – my co-host on our BlogTalkRadio show YourMilitaryLife.com – about Kate’s military cookbook project. The email from Kate about this project was so interesting that I got her permission to reproduce part of it here.


I am Kate Gabriele, a chef at a small restaurant in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, and I've been working on a personal project called the "Military Cookbook Project."

I am seeking recipes from men and women who have served or are serving now in the military and what meals they missed most from home while they were away – a story of why it was so special and picture of their smiling face in uniform or civilian clothes.

How the project came to be:

While on a business trip home from Milwaukee my flight was delayed in Philadelphia. As I was waiting to go home I spoke to a soldier named Joe Serna on his way back to Afghanistan.

We started talking about food, and I asked him what he missed most. He missed his Grandma Serna's tomatillas. And he sent me the recipe and his photo, which I still have.

That stirred something in me. Why not compile a cross-section of America's military and create an heirloom or keepsake book with stories, recipes and pictures of our fabulous heroes?

We are losing our WWII vets very quickly. I want those stories, I want their pictures – it's important. I truly believe this with all my heart. What better way to pay tribute to those that served and all those whose hearts are with them back here while they fight for freedom and protect us?

Both of my uncles served. Uncle Phil was in Airborne and jumped in Germany. My other uncle, Uncle Angelo, served as an MP in New Mexico while they were developing the atomic bomb. My dad was going to join the OSI but due to a medical condition wasn't permitted to join.

Both my dad and Uncle Angelo went on to work for Boeing near Philadelphia and helped build the Chinook helicopters for the Vietnam War. And Uncle Phil later went into law enforcement to become a police officer.

Check out the website www.militarycookbookproject.com and let me know if you could lend a helping hand. This is a grassroots project and there isn't any commercial sponsors connected to it. It's my sister Felicia and myself working on this.

Please contact me anytime if you have any questions or have an idea how I can effectively spread the word about this important project. Maybe you know of someone who might want to contribute by submitting a recipe, story and photo.

Every recipe, special story and photo counts ... just like every one of our military personnel out there right this very minute.

Submit a recipe here.
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Phyllis Zimbler Miller is the author of MRS. LIEUTENANT: A SHARON GOLD NOVEL and the co-author of the Jewish holiday book SEASONS FOR CELEBRATION. She also blogs as a National Internet Business Examiner and at Operation Support Jews in the Military and Fiction Marketing, and she is the co-host of the BlogTalkRadio show Your Military Life.

Her company Miller Mosaic LLC builds call-to-action websites that get people to say yes to your brand, book or business. Her newest project is the book/website project In Support of Our Troops.

Friday, June 12, 2009

Network of Care Provides Central Repository of Veteran Services

Nancy Brown of YourMilitary.com and I had the privilege of having on our BlogTalkRadio show YourMilitaryLife.com Bruce Bronzan, the founder and CEO of Network of Care, along with Chris Raschke, a Marine veteran of the war in Iraq who is now the Veterans' Outreach Liaison for the Network of Care.

Network of Care originated as an online community to connect mental health facilities. But three years ago the plan was hatched to take this concept and utilize it to bring together information on all the resources for veterans and their families living in specific locales.

Now this central repository of veteran services is online for two states -- California and Maryland -- with hopes for other states joining the project.

Check out the California Network of Care website now as well as the Maryland Network of Care website.

And listen to our radio show in which Bruce Bronzan and Chris Raschke talk about this revolutionary centralized online information portal for veterans.
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Phyllis Zimbler Miller is the author of MRS. LIEUTENANT: A SHARON GOLD NOVEL and the co-author of the Jewish holiday book SEASONS FOR CELEBRATION. She also blogs as a National Internet Business Examiner and at Operation Support Jews in the Military and Fiction Marketing, and she is the co-host of the BlogTalkRadio show Your Military Life.

Her company Miller Mosaic LLC builds call-to-action websites that get people to say yes to your brand, book or business. Her newest project is the book/website project In Support of Our Troops.

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

Three Adults Who Grew Up as Military Brats Tell It Like It Was

Nancy Brown of YourMilitary.com and I co-hosted our first military brat panel on our BlogTalkRadio show YourMilitaryLife.com. Because we had three people on the panel and we knew they would have a lot to say, we hosted an hour show instead of 30 minutes.

Gregory Lynch and Robin Hall grew up in an enlisted Army family while Patti Cadwallader grew up in an enlisted Air Force family. All three lived part of their childhood outside the U.S. -- Robin in Germany, Patti in the Philippines, Gregory in Thailand -- and they all changed schools numerous times during their childhood.

Hear their own stories of what growing up military means to them.

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Phyllis Zimbler Miller is the author of MRS. LIEUTENANT: A SHARON GOLD NOVEL and the co-author of the Jewish holiday book SEASONS FOR CELEBRATION. She also blogs as a National Internet Business Examiner and at Operation Support Jews in the Military and Fiction Marketing, and she is the co-host of the BlogTalkRadio show Your Military Life.

Her company Miller Mosaic LLC builds call-to-action websites that get people to say yes to your brand, book or business. Her newest project is the book/website project In Support of Our Troops.

Author for a Cause Program Raising Funds for the Disabled American Veterans

T.K. Marion, who was a recent guest on the BlogTalkRadio show www.YourMilitaryLife.com that Nancy Brown and I co-host, just sent out this email announcement:

East Wind, Rain, my new book, has been published and is ready for purchase at Amazon.com. EWR is a Cold War novel of murder and espionage.

As you know, part of my book royalties are donated to Thirteen Stars Foundation. Our "Author for a Cause" program, which is sponsored by the foundation, has initiated a unique and ambitious project to raise money for the Disabled American Veterans organization.

The DAV is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit whose mission is dedicated to improving the lives of disabled American veterans and their families. The DAV does not lobby for federal funds, unlike many other nonprofits. Our project to raise money for the DAV started on Memorial Day and will last until the end of 2009.

T.K. Marion's novels (including his Civil War novel Kill the Devil) may be purchased at Amazon.com or through his website www.tkmarion.com.
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Phyllis Zimbler Miller is the author of MRS. LIEUTENANT: A SHARON GOLD NOVEL and the co-author of the Jewish holiday book SEASONS FOR CELEBRATION. She also blogs as a National Internet Business Examiner and at Operation Support Jews in the Military and Fiction Marketing, and she is the co-host of the BlogTalkRadio show Your Military Life.

Her company Miller Mosaic LLC builds call-to-action websites that get people to say yes to your brand, book or business. Her newest project is the book/website project In Support of Our Troops.

Monday, June 8, 2009

Uniformed Service Autism Heroes Act Introduced -- Read Below to See How You Can Help

I got the following email from Karen Driscoll, a Marine Corps wife and the mother of an autistic child. Karen has worked relentlessly to help military families with autistic children.

Please read her email below and then help out.


Dear Family, Friends and Fellow Autism Advocates:

I am very pleased to announce that on Wednesday, June 3rd, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) introduced the Uniformed Service Autism (USA) Heroes Act (S1169). They were joined by co-sponsors Senators Brownback (R-KS), Cardin (D-MD), Sanders (I-VT), and Specter (D-PA).

This important legislation is the Senate companion to HR 1600 introduced by Representatives Joe Sestak (D-PA), Ciro Rodriguez (D-TX), and Walter B. Jones (R-NC). These great leaders are committed to improving the lives of our brave men and women in uniform, their loving families, and most significantly…military children with autism and other disabilities. Families applaud their leadership!

Both S1169 and HR1600 will recognize the medical necessity of effective treatments, such as Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA), under the TRICARE standard of care (our military healthcare system).

In addition, it will honor physician-prescribed levels of treatment; hence lifting an arbitrary dollar cap restricting access to effective care and forcing military families to mortgage their homes, pay thousands of dollars out of pocket annually, or worse … to go without.

This important legislation will also allow access to these vital treatments for autistic dependents of military retirees who have proudly worn the uniform.

Get more information now.

Along this journey of ours many of you have asked how you can help. I am calling on you now for your voice and support for our military children with autism.

ACT NOW FOR HR1600 & S1169!

1. Contact your Federal lawmakers
– Please take a few moments of your time … what seems to be a very small gesture will have a tremendous impact. If there was ever a time to act and let your voice be heard it’s NOW!

Call, fax and/or e-mail your senators and representatives. Let them know that you are deeply concerned about access to medical treatments for military children with autism. Ask them to strongly support and co-sponsor HR1600 and S1169.

Here is contact information for your senators and representatives.


2. Please forward this e-Mail to your Friends and family –- ask for their support and action.


3. Please contact the below key leaders on the Armed Services Committee. They are in a key position to help.

Senator Carl Levin
202-224-6221

Senator John McCain
202-224-2235

Senator Ben Nelson
202-224-6551

Senator Lindsey Graham
202-224-5972

Rep. Ike Skelton
202-225-2876

Rep. John McHugh
202-225-4611

Rep. Susan Davis
202-225-2040

Rep. Joe Wilson
202-225-2452

4. Please take the time to thank Representatives Joe Sestak, Ciro Rodriguez, Walter Jones and Senators Gillibrand, Collins, Cardin, Brownback, Sanders, and Specter. They are true CHAMPIONS for our special kids and military families.

Our military families shoulder significant responsibilities today and make a great deal of sacrifices. In support of their selfless service to this great nation, I urge you to take the time and let your voice be heard.

Our success can be attributed to each and every one of you taking action. Together we can make a difference in the life of a military child with disabilities.

On behalf of thousands of military children impacted by autism … a million thanks!

Semper Fi,
Karen Driscoll - Marine Corps wife, mother of 3 (one with autism)
karen0622@aol.com
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Phyllis Zimbler Miller is the author of MRS. LIEUTENANT: A SHARON GOLD NOVEL and the co-author of the Jewish holiday book SEASONS FOR CELEBRATION. She also blogs as a National Internet Business Examiner and at Operation Support Jews in the Military and Fiction Marketing, and she is the co-host of the BlogTalkRadio show Your Military Life.

Her company Miller Mosaic LLC builds call-to-action websites that get people to say yes to your brand, book or business. Her newest project is the book/website project In Support of Our Troops.

Thursday, June 4, 2009

U.S. Army Has Its Own Idols

Lindy Kyzer, a public affairs specialist in the Army's Online and Social Media Division of the Office of the Chief of Public Affairs, just sent out this email announcement that I had to share with you:

As part of the Army’s 234th birthday June 14 we are highlighting musically talented service members with deployment experience who have competed on nationally televised talent shows.

Sgt. 1st Class Sean Bennett, a soldier from Fort Campbell, KY, is a singer/ songwriter who has recorded an album, opened for Billy Ray and Miley Cyrus in concert, and competed on Nashville Star.

As a soldier, Bennett is highly decorated with the Silver Star, Bronze Star and Meritorious service medals. See him in this video on YouTube.

Spc. Daniel Jens, a soldier from Fort Hood, Texas, returned from a 15-month deployment to Iraq last year and months later competed on "America's Got Talent," where he placed 11th.

Jens won the 10-week "Blackjack Idol" competition held by Blackjack, the 1st Cavalry Division's 2nd Brigade. He has performed in several unsigned rock bands until he found his true calling in singing and writing Christian music.

Among the places he has performed are DC, Texas, Florida and Wisconsin. In Texas, he recently performed at the Harker Heights Memorial Day Stars and Stripes festival. See him in this video on YouTube.
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Phyllis Zimbler Miller is the author of MRS. LIEUTENANT: A SHARON GOLD NOVEL and the co-author of the Jewish holiday book SEASONS FOR CELEBRATION. She also blogs as a National Internet Business Examiner and at Operation Support Jews in the Military and Fiction Marketing, and she is the co-host of the BlogTalkRadio show Your Military Life.

Her company Miller Mosaic LLC builds call-to-action websites that get people to say yes to your brand, book or business. Her newest project is the book/website project In Support of Our Troops.

Military Brats Experience a Different Childhood Than Civilian Children

Donna Musil, founder and executive director of Brats Without Borders and the writer-director of the first documentary about growing up military -- “BRATS: Our Journey Home,” appeared on June 3rd for the second time on the BlogTalkRadio show YourMilitaryLife.com that Nancy Brown of YourMilitary.com and I co-host.

Donna's topic is very important because the question of children who grow up in military families and how this affects their adult life is one that has not gotten a great deal of attention. And, yet, as Donna says, the childhood of "brats," who move from place to place with their military parent, is very different from the children of non-military children.

In fact, I thought one of the most poignant things Donna said was that many of the parents of brats grew up in one town without moving at all in their childhood, so the childhood experience of the parents is much different than that of their children.

On June 10th tune in at 6:30 p.m. Eastern for our first one-hour show inspired by the reaction to Donna's first appearance on YourMilitaryLife.com. We will have three adults who grew up as brats talking about their experiences.

And in the meantime, listen to Donna's June 3rd YourMilitaryLife.com interview in order to better understand the life of the children of military families.
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Phyllis Zimbler Miller is the author of MRS. LIEUTENANT: A SHARON GOLD NOVEL and the co-author of the Jewish holiday book SEASONS FOR CELEBRATION. She also blogs as a National Internet Business Examiner and at Operation Support Jews in the Military and Fiction Marketing, and she is the co-host of the BlogTalkRadio show Your Military Life.

Her company Miller Mosaic LLC builds call-to-action websites that get people to say yes to your brand, book or business. Her newest project is the book/website project In Support of Our Troops.

Wednesday, June 3, 2009

YourMilitaryLife.com Discusses the Importance of Insurance

Nancy Brown of YourMilitary.com and I were pleased on June 2nd to host Dave Stinson Sr., field representative of the GEICO insurance company, on our BlogTalkRadio show YourMilitaryLife.com.

Dave discussed the origins of GEICO in the 1930s providing insurance to military families. And although today GEICO continues to provide insurance to military families, civilians are a larger portion of GEICO's customers.

Dave himself is very community-minded and, as a GEICO rep, supports a variety of activities. Yet what comes across the strongest in the interview is how seriously Dave takes the responsibility of educating consumers as to the best insurance options for their own individual needs.

Listen to the 30-minute show now to ensure that your assets are adequately protected.
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Phyllis Zimbler Miller is the author of MRS. LIEUTENANT: A SHARON GOLD NOVEL and the co-author of the Jewish holiday book SEASONS FOR CELEBRATION. She also blogs as a National Internet Business Examiner and at Operation Support Jews in the Military and Fiction Marketing, and she is the co-host of the BlogTalkRadio show Your Military Life.

Her company Miller Mosaic LLC builds call-to-action websites that get people to say yes to your brand, book or business. Her newest project is the book/website project In Support of Our Troops.

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

U.S. Military in Afghanistan Uses Twitter and Facebook to Counter Enemy Propaganda

Thanks to a tweet on Twitter I just read the article by Dong Ngo headlined "US Military Joins Twitter, Facebook." The article begins:
Last November, citing bandwidth and security reasons, the military launched TroopTube, a video-sharing social Web site designed for service members, as the alternative to YouTube. Apparently, it now has had a change of heart.

According to the Associated Press, the U.S. military in Afghanistan is launching a Facebook page, a YouTube site, and Twitter feeds as part of a new communication effort. Officials said this would help the military reach those who get their information online rather than via printed materials.

For now, the military's Facebook and Twitter sites in Afghanistan are still in a testing phase. Officials hope to attract thousands more users after a formal launch later this week.

The effort is primarily to counter Taliban propaganda, which some are saying routinely publicizes false claims about how many U.S. soldiers its forces have killed, or how many civilians might have died in an airstrike. This is the information war which, according to U.S. officials, the military has been losing.
Read the rest of the article now.
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Phyllis Zimbler Miller is the author of MRS. LIEUTENANT: A SHARON GOLD NOVEL and the co-author of the Jewish holiday book SEASONS FOR CELEBRATION. She also blogs as a National Internet Business Examiner and at Operation Support Jews in the Military and Fiction Marketing, and she is the co-host of the BlogTalkRadio show Your Military Life.

Her company Miller Mosaic LLC builds call-to-action websites that get people to say yes to your brand, book or business. Her newest project is the book/website project In Support of Our Troops.