As Boston-area law enforcement agencies were closing in on Dzokhar Tsenaev, the surviving bomber who ran over his older brother, Tamerlan, in his attempt to elude police, U.S. Army W.T.F. Moments a humor website run by and for soldiers, was routinely scooping the major media organizations – and getting it right.

On normal days, the anonymous editors of US Army W.T.F. Moments

How did they do it? Like the major news organizations, they tuned into Boston area police scanners, several feeds from which were available over the Internet. Unlike the major news organizations, though, U.S. Army W.T.F Moments was able to cut out several layers of institutional filtering that slows the news reporting process down. Meanwhile, because the U.S. Army W.T.F. Moments team already has training in weaponry and small unit tactics, they were able to communicate in short-hand, without having to stop and explain to a lay audience the idea behind a “flash-bang” grenade or a thermal site.

Tellingly, they also understood the terminology themselves, while many news reporters have no idea what these tools and concepts are. It takes time for them to bone up on even the most basic subjects before they are able to forward their dispatches up the editorial chain. Most of the links in large news organizations add little or no value to breaking news coverage.

U.S. Army W.T.F Moments, on the other hand, was able to listen in to police scanner traffic, watch live news feed on television (put there by the mainstream press organizations, to their credit), and use Facebook to post minute-by-minute updates.

A perusal of their updates, plus the comments from their readers, many of whom were also monitoring CBS News’s live video feed from the scene, CNN, ABC, NBC and the Drudge Report, shows how this little humor website got deep inside the mainstream legacy media’s OODA-loop, and put their reporting to shame that evening:

At 11:11 Eastern time, Friday, April 18^th –“We see a dog, it is barking. It could be a K9 unit. We don’t know. It is a dog.” – CNN

At 6:27 PM:  Latest briefing bullets:

1. 1) Suspect still at large
2. 2) Watertown, MA “stay in” request has been lifted. However heavy police presence will remain as searching continues.
3. 3) Multiple pipe bombs have been discovered and detonated by the police including another pressure cooker type bomb.

At 7:06 PM:  Shots fired. Around 2 dozen.

At 7:07 PM:  Movement on a boat where shots were fired.

At 7:09 PM:  Laying prone, head toward stern, middle of the boat.

At 7:11 PM: Watertown on lockdown again. Stay indoors.

7:12 PM: A commenter writes, “when did this page become a news network?”

At 7:27 PM: Still movement in the boat.

At 7:39 PM: movement in the boat. “He just sat up,” whailing about, quite a bit of movement.

7:40 PM: Commenter Trie Campbell writes, “Tell him to drink water and stfu.”

At 7:43 PM: Sitting up again. there is more movement, center of the boat..

7:44 PM Commenter Fatima Morales writes: A 3-hour tour! A 3-hour tour!

7:47 PM: Commenter Alison Tomich writes, “We’ve switched to watching for your updates and listening to the police scanner. Tired of watching the “news” stations report rumors.

7:57 PM: Commenter Keith Johnson writes: This has actually been the most accurate news site all week. Just let that sink in…”

7:45: Commenter Martin Cabrera writes “GILLIGAN!!!

7:46: Commenter Valier Garcia writes “Where are you getting this intel? CBS isn’t saying sh*t anymore”

At 7:48 PM: cn [sic – presumably the writer meant ‘CNN’) says “high probability of suspect to be on scene (boat)

At 7:52 PM: Commenter Karen Fuss writes, “I think you guys just put all the news stations out of business!

At 7:49 PM: Commenter Rob Noel writes: Does CNN listen to the scanner? They would be more informed…

At 7:50 PM: 1x flashbang out.

7:52 PM. Commenter Michel Doesken writes, “NOTHING on the news is reporting that. Where are you getting that”

7:54 PM. Commenter James Vincent writes, “FROM THE SCANNER. Everything they said on this page has ended up being right. The news is behind.

7:50 PM: No movement fro subject. Flashbang hit forward of the subject.

7:51 PM: Commenter Jeremy Milbern writes, “You are an excellent source of news. Just refresh my page and there’s a new update. “

7:51 PM: Commenter Lance Hooker writes, “News is so far behind lol”

7:52: Flashbang number 2, negative on movement

7:53 PM: Commenter Doug Tabb writes, “News are calling them small explosions.”

7:52 PM: Flashbangs bow of the boat, good distance from subject

7:57 PM: Commenter Andy N Brandy Williams writes “They need to take CNN off the air and give the channel to USAWTFM!”

7:58 PM: Commenter Michelle R. Wylie writes, “I have gotten more information off of WTFM than almost every news station combined. You guys should win an EMMY!”

7:56 PM: no further movement on the boat at this time.

7:58 PM: Commenter Ryan Fitts writes, “U guys are Better than nay other news source” [sic]

8:01 PM: Commenter Brandley Mckibben writes, “Guys, I am an IRR SFC working in IRAQ for the Dept of State I have to say you are beating the new channel on AFN all to heck on this keep it up!!!!!!!!!!!!”

8:02 PM: Commenter R.J. Evans writes, “lol I like how this page has more credible/current info than on the fox live news feed! Out-freakin-standing soldiers. Airborne!”

At 8:10 PM: Commenter Susan Ferranti writes, “CNN is about 20. Mins behind”

8:01 PM: negotiator on route

8:03 PM: Commenter Shanan Himes writes, “Take him alive, steal a scene from Game of Thrones, behead him before the masses, and put his head on a spike in front of Ellis Island”

8:05 PM: Commenter Andrew Williams writes, “I’m serious! Your source is accurate as f*ck!! Everything you said is really happening and the news networks are like 10 minutes behind you! Wtf man? Lol Hooah!”

8:06 PM: Commenter Kelan McLain writes, “U.S. ARMY W.T.F. Moments, you give better updates and reporting than CNN does.”

8:14 PM: Commenter Adrienne Montoya writes, “CNN should listen to scanner LOL! They are 1 hour behind this of news!

8:38 PM: Commenter Nick Hilts writes, “They’re f*cked if this asshole wore his PT belt!“

At 8:10 PM: lighting up the boat!………with lights o_0

At 8:15pm, Commenter Badarrius Kinyuan Partlow writes, “Put a pepper packet, tobasco sauce, [sic] and coffee pack in a MRE heater and drop it in the boat. He will come out.”

At 8:21: USA WTF Moments published a daylight aerial photograph of the house and yard with the boat.

At 8:36: Commenter Miguel Duarte writes: “abc news just showed this pic lol”

At 8:39: black suspicious bag found walking distance from the suspect, eod en route.

At 8:42: SUSPECT IN CUSTODY

With that 8:42 time stamp, U.S. Army WTF Moments was able to beat all mainstream news media sources to the scoop.

At 8:43 PM, commenter Andrea Dawson writes, “and again faster than CNN.”

Commenter Brad Sargent writes: “NPR is behind the ball. Thanks for being the #1 source in news!”

Commenter Jesse Sampson writes, “U had it posted about 5 minutes before FOX News.

All in all, while it was a tragic and traumatic week for America, it was a good week for alternative media in the military community: The satire and humor site, www.duffleblog.com, got a prominent mention in the Wall Street Journal this week. According to reporting by the Journal, Duffleblog has already achieved the ‘hat trick’ of satire news sites: Three separate entries on Snopes.com to set straight people who were duped by their fake news stories. ]]> http://militaryhandbooks.com/soldiers-humor-website-dominates-boston-bomber-arrest-coverage-puts-mainstream-news-outlets-to-shame/feed/ 0 http://militaryhandbooks.com/tips-for-joining-the-military/ http://militaryhandbooks.com/tips-for-joining-the-military/#comments Thu, 25 Apr 2013 15:18:58 +0000 admin http://militaryhandbooks.com/?p=2152 Joining the military is an incredibly personal decision. If you’re considering joining the military, you’ve probably already had several conversations. You’ve likely consulted with family, friends, recruiters, teachers, clergy, or any number of people in your life. The various opinions and priorities that could be swirling around your brain at any one time can make it tough to make a decision.

So, we’re going to lay out a few simple tips for you to help clear the cobwebs and hopefully bring some clarity to your decision-making process.

1. If you’re interested in a particular branch of the service, research it from a few different angles. Talk to recruiters, but if you live near an installation, talk to a service member him or herself.

2. Try the food. Well, not really. But try a strict, regimented eating program if your eating habits are not already pretty disciplined. At basic training, you eat three times a day. Period. No snacks, and nothing besides water to drink. If you’re a coffee drinker, this could be a shock to your system.

3. Get up and at ‘em. It’s not uncommon to be roused at 3 a.m. for a pre-dawn run. You’ve got to be in good physical shape and you’ve got to be able to wake up early.

4. Study, study and study some more. You’ll have the ASVAB to take, and you’ll also have tests throughout basic training and your military career. You’ll get education in the military, but soldiers with college degrees are usually more upwardly mobile through the ranks, so make sure you hit the books. If you’re looking to get a degree while you’re in the military check out some online education options using Military Authority’s school finder.

5. Keep your cool. Every day, you’ll be dealing with a huge variety of people. Some of them will be like you, but most of them won’t. Be patient and level-headed. Your superior officers – the ones giving the orders – may be pretty rough at times. Don’t let it get under your skin. If you’ve got a quick temper, you’ll want to master it before enlisting, or it could very likely get you in trouble.

Those are just a few pieces of advice from people who’ve been there. Need more insight into military life or education? We’ve got it. Find more from Military Authority right here.

ARLINGTON, VA – Military Handbooks has released their FREE 2013 handbooks for military personnel.

These handbooks, written specifically for military service members, include a variety of information about pay, benefits, education and transitioning from the military.

2013 Military Handbooks – Now Available

- 2013 AFTER THE MILITARY HANDBOOK

- 2013 BASE INSTALLATION DIRECTORY

- 2013 BENEFITS FOR VETERANS & DEPENDENTS

- 2013 GETTING UNCLE SAM TO PAY FOR YOUR COLLEGE DEGREE

- 2013 GUARD AND RESERVE MILITARY HANDBOOK

- 2013 MILITARY CHILDREN’S SCHOLARSHIP HANDBOOK

- 2013 UNITED STATES MILITARY HANDBOOK

- 2013 UNITED STATES MILITARY RETIRED HANDBOOK

- 2013 VETERANS HEALTHCARE BENEFITS HANDBOOK

2013 AFTER THE MILITARY HANDBOOK

This unique handbook, written for military veterans, covers: maximizing the benefits of a military career, transitioning to the private sector and supporting your family, relocation assistance, finding a job that pays “top dollar”, choosing between jobs with large or small companies, deciding to start your own company, medical benefits and life insurance options in the private sector, how to pay for college after you leave military service, assistance for disabled veterans, how to retire successfully, and much, much more!

2013 BASE INSTALLATION DIRECTORY

The Base Installation Directory provides contact 
information for every military installation in the United States. From
 information about military housing to the commissary to the base dental
clinic, you’ll find the contact numbers and addresses you need in one 
easy-to-access guide.

2013 BENEFITS FOR VETERANS AND DEPENDENTS

This complete benefits handbook, written for veterans and their dependents, covers: health care benefits, disability compensation, pension, vocational rehabilitation and employment, education and training, home loan guarantees, life insurance, burial benefits, survivor benefits, women veterans, homeless veterans, overseas benefits, small and disadvantaged businesses, VA appeals, workplace benefits, National Guard and Reserve benefits, survivors benefits, miscellaneous programs, and much, much more!

2013 GETTING UNCLE SAM TO PAY FOR YOUR COLLEGE DEGREE

This unique handbook, written for active military personnel, covers everything you need to know about: the G.I. Bill, Tuition Assistance, scholarships, Reserve educational assistance, veteran benefits, student aid, selecting the right degree for you – why some degrees might be better for you than others, finding the right military-friendly school, tips on staying ahead of the curve, and much, much more!

2013 GUARD AND RESERVE MILITARY HANDBOOK

This unique handbook, written specifically for servicemembers in the National Guard and Reserves, gives you everything you need to know about serving in the Reserve Component, including: drill pay and enlistment bonuses, allowances like BAS and BAH, re-employment rights, education and training benefits specific to the Guard and Reserve, health care for you and your dependents, and retirement and veterans benefits.

2013 MILITARY CHILDREN’S SCHOLARSHIP HANDBOOK

A college degree has become the essential tool to unlock doors for future success. This handbook contains all the latest information about getting a college degree, including: types of higher education, resources for finding the right college, entrance exams, financial aid resources, paying for college, applying for federal student aid, Pell Grants, Direct and Federal Family Education Loans, PLUS loans, Consolidation loans, Federal Work-Study Program, U.S. Armed Forces and ROTC, and much more!

2013 UNITED STATES MILITARY HANDBOOK

The United States Military Handbook is designed to help all active duty U.S. Military personnel by giving them the most accurate and complete information available anywhere on pay and allowances, taxes, health care and TRICARE benefits, VA and Social Security Benefits, survivors benefits, travel, transportation, retirement, Guard and Reserve benefits, transition assistance, and much, much more!

2013 UNITED STATES MILITARY RETIRED HANDBOOK

The United States Military Retired Handbook is designed to assist all
 U.S. Military personnel who have retired or who are planning to retire.
This unique guide offers transition assistance by covering everything from the nuts and bolts of computing 
your Retirement Pay to the detailed explanations of retired military
 health care, TRICARE, education options, Social Security, VA, service-connected disabilities, special classes of veterans, National Guard and Reserves, and survivor benefits.

2013 VETERANS HEALTHCARE BENEFITS HANDBOOK

This unique handbook, written for veterans, gives you everything you need to know about: how to apply for benefits, veterans service centers, choosing a facility, changing a facility, second opinions, prescriptions, dental care, chiropractic care, non-VA care, travel, combat veteran and POW benefits, appeals, grievances, confidentiality, financial issues, means testing, hardship determinations, waivers, medication co-payments, health insurance, and much, much more!

“We are very happy to offer these free handbooks to the military 
community,” said Debi Teter, editor of Military Handbooks. “The 
military does so much for our country, and offering these handbooks to our servicemembers at
 no cost is just one small way we can give back.”

In 2012, service members are receiving a higher COLA in most areas, COLA has been reinstated in some locations which were excluded in 2011, but a few select areas will no longer receive COLA payments.

COLA information can be found in these handbooks:

• US Military Handbook
• Guard and Reserve Handbook
• US Military Retired