U.S. Forces Embrace Social MediaAugust 20, 2010

 

Social

The U.S. military has long been wary of its soldiers and commanders using social media, but that attitude is beginning to change. Since the Pentagon issued an official social and new media policy in February, a growing number of soldiers and commanders are beginning to blog, tweet and share thoughts via Facebook.

For some services this is an abrupt about-face, according to the Star Advertiser in Honolulu. In August 2009, the Marine Corps banned access to Facebook, Twitter and other social media sites using government computers.

"These Internet sites in general are a proven haven for malicious actors and content, and are particularly high risk due to information exposure, user-generated content and targeting by adversaries," the ban stated. That stance changed once the Pentagon issued its policy this year mandating that the "default" for non-classified networks would now be open access, according to the article. The Pentagon has even launched a "social media hub" that provides advice for military users.

Like the rest of the world, the military is finding that social media provides an effective and powerful communications tool. All bases use physical bulletin boards for messages, Major General Bernard Champoux, who commands the Army's 25th division, told the Star Advertiser. "But what are our soldiers doing? They are walking right past them with their heads down as they are texting mom, dad, girlfriend, wife or squad leader." Social media, on the other hand, provide a 24-hour ability to communicate to an extended audience. He adds that for younger soldiers, that is how they communicate.

That trend drove Price Floyd, a deputy assistant secretary of defense for public affairs, to urge military leaders to dive into social media to join the conversation on what their lower-ranked service members were posting about their units, the Star Advertiser reported. "So the question is not whether or not they (commanders) want to participate," said Floyd. "The question is do they want to impact what is said about them and their unit, or their base or their command?"

Champoux told the Star Advertiser that he will remove offensive comments but he will not touch comments that are critical of command. Of course, there is an understanding that the free flow of information could have dangerous implications for the military—especially for operational security. The Navy now warns sailors to limit military discussions to past events and to avoid those being planned.

Photo Courtesy of U.S. Army