Milblogging.com
There are a number of military blogs being written from Japan that are covering the earthquake and subsequent tsunami.
The newest military blog is written by an airman stationed at Misawa AB in Japan who goes by the name of Scotty D on his blog: I’m big in Japan. (hat tip-From my position on the way)
Scotty D started the blog in early February after arriving in Japan. He has been providing updates on the aftermath of the earthquake. In his latest update, Scotty D is headed to Ofunato to help out. However, updates may be far and few between. As Scotty D writes, “It looks like I will be there for a few days so I may not be able to update since electricity and cell coverage is not so good down there.”
On Living Overseas and My Life in General is a military spouse blog written by a Navy wife named Nancy. In her latest post, she writes about what the earthquake has taught her. “I am doing my very best to set a good example for other spouses and families. I have been checking email non-stop and posting everything I can on our command's website (I am an ombudsman).” It’s a great post with lots of useful information.
Another Navy spouse blog written from Japan by Lisa is called A Submarine Family. The latest update came March 12 to let readers know she and her family were okay.
The Department of Defense wrote about how Japan-based troops and families are using social media sites. According to the DoD, “the Pacific Air Forces blog, called “PACAF Pixels,” and the command’s Twitter site has been streaming constant updates on the situation in Japan, including affected areas, relief efforts and personal accounts.”
You can find the Pacific Air Forces blog here.
Here’s an excerpt from the article:
It’s been an unending communication flow since. In a matter of days, AFN Misawa’s Facebook page shot from about a thousand fans to more than 4,600.
In the wake of the massive earthquake and tsunami, service members and their families -– both in Japan and stateside –- have been flocking in droves to military social media sites, such as AFN Misawa’s Facebook page, for updates on everything from family members to rolling blackouts to town hall meetings.
“It’s been amazing; it’s really exploded,” Josephson said. “It’s becoming such an asset, not only to our community, but more so to the community outside of Misawa, to people just wanting to gain information.”
The value became evident, Josephson noted, in the “information void” following the earthquake. “Family members couldn’t get out to their families to find out what was happening here,” she said. “Facebook became that conduit.”
Noting that the phone lines still aren’t 100 percent reliable, Josephson added that the social media wave that started shortly after the disasters struck provided communication when it was needed most. “I feel like we’re really given others a peace of mind,” she said.
Read more of the DoD article here.
If you have tips on other military blogs written from Japan, please submit them to milblogging.com or send the web address to milblogging@gmail.com.
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