WASHINGTON –
For anyone who has served in the military, whether in uniform or as a family member, the concept of sharing lessons learned is a familiar one. A new Defense Department blog that launched Aug. 2 seeks to bring those lessons to an accessible online platform.
Titled "In Their Own Words: Lessons Learned in Today's Military," the blog aims to provide a platform for service members, veterans and families to share their thoughts and experiences on a variety of topics. Each month, the blog will feature a different topic ranging from lessons from multiple deployments to lessons from the military family.
As a first topic, "In Their Own Words" features female servicemembers engaged in work that is unique to them. With the increasing prevalence of "female engagement teams" in Afghanistan and the perspective of female service members engaged in similar work in Iraq, the landscape is filled with lessons learned and experiences to share.
The series kicks off with a posting from Marine Corps Lt. Col. Diana Staneszewski, who serves as an "AfPak Hand" in Afghanistan. The AfPak Hand program works to build better, long-term relationships with the Afghan and Pakistani people. Colonel Staneszewski works at building these relationships face to face in the language of the people.
To view the blog, visit http://lessons.dodlive.mil. (AFNS)