Thank a Vet social campaign

The History Channel is implementing the Thank a Vet social campaign through videos and Twitter. Another way the military and families are using social media.

The Military's use of Social Media

Social media has become an important tool in the lives of both civilians and military personnel. With how prevalent social media has become in our daily lives, it’s easy to see why the military utilizes it as well. Unlike you would expect from many civilians, in addition to maintaining their blogs, Twitter accounts and Facebook sites, the different branches also use the social media for strategic and tactical reasons. One strategy the military has enacted is using social media to limit threats and for pro-American propaganda. By creating fake personas on social media sites, the military gains the ability to influence online conversations, spread the pro-American sentiments and keep tabs on potential threats.

While this may not be the ideal method, and some may object to spying under false pretenses, it is an inexpensive way for the military to get information. On the downside, if one of the false personas were compromised, it could backfire and become a bigger threat that the military has to handle.

Moving on from the fake personas and into a more general realm is taking a look at the different types of social media which the military uses. Most of the branches of the military have their own blogs and Twitter accounts which they utilize. One difference, aside from the content that is posted on each, is that the Marines seems to be the only branch that does not have its own blog for the branch as a whole, but instead some of the different divisions have created their own blogs. It’s interesting to see the different content displayed on the sites. If you take a look at Army Live, the official blog of the U.S. Army, there is even a section dedicated to social media.

There is more to military communications then spying or connecting with loved ones. The official blogs, Twitter accounts and Facebook pages allow for information to be shared and allows for a new medium which was once unavailable. Still, it’s interesting to see what is shared. Check out this Tweet by the Department of Defense and the article that follows to get more insight on a few ways that the military shares their information about how to safely use social media:

@DeptofDefense Hey #bloggers – the WH report on #military families is on #slideshare to embed in your #blogs! http://slidesha.re/g04cDR @milblogging #sot

http://blog.slideshare.net/2011/01/31/the-u-s-military-wants-you-to-use-social-media-safely/

Military Recruiting Through Social Media: The Good and the Bad

It is said that the U.S. Army's primary recruiting target is men aged 18-24. Now where would you go to reach massive amounts of that particular group in one place? Well, the logical spot would be where they spend the majority of their time. In the world of social media.

The latest edition of the Army's recruitment campaign, dubbed 'Army Strong,' is strongly rooted in social media and aims to pull-in potential recruits by engaging them in real conversations with active service people.

One central component of the campaign uses video content to connect these "would-be soldiers" to real soldiers working in the field. Current enlisted members can post snippets that encompass who they are, why they chose to be in the Army, their daily routines and they can even answer questions posted by potential recruits.

My Family Inspired Me: Catharina Palmer Army Strong Stories

"Participants will be able to view soldier stories and post questions to soldiers in the field," Bruce Jasurda, chief marketing officer for U.S. Army Accessions Command, explained in a press release. "There is no better way to learn about the opportunities, education and leadership training that the Army provides than hearing it straight from those who already wear the uniform."

The 'Army Strong' campaign also makes use of Facebook, Twitter, YouTube to reach potential new recruits, although I don't see site administrators engaging in a whole lot of real conversations. - Most of these traditional social media sites seem to act as another billboard for the Army's messaging, with various inspirational or go-gettem quotes interspersed.

I never realized the military used social media in recruitment at such levels. One of my initial reactions questioned the seemingly gruff (and sometimes stodgy) organization's ability to successfully use an often light-hearted medium. - Those thoughts were quickly ushered aside when I found the below videos that attempt to interject game show-like humor to interviews with service members.






The campaign even made use of traditional media like the film industry by enacting its first sponsorship deal with the feature-length movie “X-Men: First Class.” Exclusive film content was available at the Army Strong Facebook page before the film's release date.

“We’re working hard to increase our social media,” Lt. Gen. Benjamin C. Freakley, commanding general of both the Army Accessions Command, said in a recent New York Times article. "We fully recognize that young people TiVo over commercials or are multitasking on their smartphones when the commercials come on.”

And now we go to Chris for the bad:

Besides making out with girls, What’s the one thing that mostly all teenage boys love to do?..........PLAY VIDEO GAMES!!! The saying goes, to get to a man’s heart you need food, and to get to a boy’s heart, all you need is a video game. Now what if I told you that the military was using video games to brainwash, deceive and manipulate teens into joining the army. It would make you sick to your stomach right??? Well prepare to vomit. The Army is rebranding itself for a new generation in the digital era. Throughout 2009 the military began aggressively expanding its marketing campaign to target teenagers. Efforts include the release of the taxpayer sponsored video game "America’s Army" and a unique 14,500-sq.-ft. arcade or “Army Experience Center” that is filled with simulators and shooter video games. Allow me to briefly elaborate/describe both of these manipulative and misleading recruiting tools.


“America’s Army”:

The Department of Defense created and manufactured a free, downloadable video game to begin “recruiting” children as soon as they are capable to click a mouse or hold a remote control. America’s Army is an online, multiplayer video game that military recruiters believe will bait teenagers into Army culture, hoping both to educate them about the military and to ignite interest in volunteering to serve. The video game is available and free to anyone with an internet connection. In addition, it is disseminated by Army recruiters, and is bundled for free in video game magazines. The game provides players a sense of what it is like to join the Army, how to use weapons and then how to work together on missions. Players progress through the game and its many updates in multiple ways, learning how to jointly accomplish military tasks while using different skills, such as fighting enemies or saving lives as a medic. "We want kids to come into the Army and feel like they've already been there," said Col. Casey Wardynski, who as director of the Army's office of economic and manpower analysis came up with the idea. "A game is like a team effort, and the Army is very much a team effort. By playing an online, multiplayer game, you can get the feel of being in the Army" he stated. According to information provided to journalists at Gamespot.com via the Freedom of Information Act, as of 2009 the DoD has spent over 32 million dollars developing this recruiting tool.

“Army Experience Center”:

In August 2008, The Army opened the Army Experience Center, a one-of-a-kind, 14,500-square-foot virtual educational facility in Philadelphia’s Franklin Mills Mall (located near a popular entertainment facility and an indoor skate park). The center included nearly 80 video-gaming stations (with military video games galore), a replica command-and-control center, conference rooms, and Black Hawk helicopter and Humvee combat simulators. Visitors engage in mock military missions in full-size humvees and two massive helicopters equipped with Disney-grade simulators. The facility maintained touch-screen computers that detailed Army job opportunities, salaries, educational benefits, and base locations around the world. Recruiters are stationed throughout the center and are instructed to chat and answer questions but not to make hard sells on joining the army. In addition, the center is free to all participants and is only accessible to kids 13 years old and up. Brian Lepley, a spokesman for the Army Accessions Command, headquarters for Army recruiting stated "The biggest part of this was using the technology. Recruiters have used tricolor brochures, but that doesn't work with the digital generation. We have to keep up with the way people get their information." Despite hosting approximately 40,000 visitors and enlisting 236 recruits, the Army has always claimed that the facility is not a recruitment center.

I would like for you to ask yourself – Are these “games” appropriate for children or recruitment-age adults??? How low will we go to recruit and enlist soldiers into the military? When did deception and manipulation become acceptable recruiting mechanisms? Children depend on us to defend them, but it appears that the Military is swindling them into defending us. While utilizing video games may be a good recruitment tool for the military, it is important to note that war is not a game and that death has no reset button.

Military Communications

Take a moment and think back to 20, 50, even 100 years ago. Now imagine how different our communication systems were then compared to how they are today and even further, how our advancements in communications have helped the military we have today. Unlike in the past, we no longer need to travel by horse to deliver a letter from one Sergeant to another. Communications have become more mainstream since the introduction of email and the internet. Today we can communicate through the use of satellites, telephones and even social media tools such as Skype.

Satellites have become a major source for military communications and serve the purpose of being able to have conversations with others as well as sending important information. Nowadays, the military poses as a large testing ground for new satellite systems, which after being thoroughly tested, becomes a vital part of both military and civilian communication systems.

While the military relies heavily on satellites for their communications it is not always the only or preferred means of communication. Social media is a newer resource for the military which contributes to improved strategies and awareness. Texting, blogs, and specified forums all contribute to improvements within military communication systems.

To learn more about how Social Media contributes to military communications, check out this article from Mobiledia:

http://www.mobiledia.com/news/88929.html

TECHNOLOGY AND THE MILITARY

There is an old saying that when it comes to war, “if you want to be the best, you have to be equipped with the best.” As one reporter so eloquently stated, the age old definition of going to war has changed in our lifetime. Every day, governmental scientist, engineers and theorist work towards creating technological breakthroughs that will advance the military and protect our country. Billions of dollars are spent yearly for the creation and implementation of high tech vehicles, equipment, structures, weapons, medicines, training and communication systems. Military Technology examines how armed forces merge with the Digital Age, impacting us as consumers, investors, taxpayers, and ultimately as the defended. According to P.W Singer author of Wired for War, and an expert in military technology “technology is fundamentally changing warfare, whether we fully understand the impact or not”. In essence, technology has transformed the way in which the military fights, protects, and serves our country via digital revolutionary tools such as virtual training and robotics. The days of just putting on a uniform, picking up a weapon and going to the battlefield is no longer valid due to the advancement of technology. For example, as we speak, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV’S) are being used to carry out our wars remotely. Take a look at these short Frontline snippets which illustrates this phenomenon:

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/digitalnation/waging-war/remote-control-war/taking-out-the-taliban-home-for-dinner.html

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/digitalnation/waging-war/immersion-training/virtual-training.html?play

With the continued progression of technology and the fast track of the digital world, it makes it terrifying to think what technologies other militaries across the world may have access to and how it could possibly be utilized to our demise.

Not only has technology in the Military redefined war but it has also steered some of the technology that we as civilians access today. “Military technology has historically found new applications in civilian life. While wars are devastating to the civilians caught in the middle, they also push technological advancements that benefit civilians long after their conclusion, from Roman roads built to speed troop transit to the Internet, which was initially developed by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) as ARPANET (Jay Stowsky, Spin Off to Spin On).” After providing us with a remarkable tool/asset such as the internet and considering the internet’s life changing effect on our world with the creation of new media, can you imagine what technological sensation military technology might release to us next and the impact that this technology will have on new media?

The Military Family

From an outsiders perspective, social media seems like amuch more effective way for deployed soldiers to communicate with their families back home. The rationale comes from the ease of email and instant messaging. It seems both military spouses and soldiers would like the immediacy of using social media to communicate. Themilitary, after some time, has a policy that, at least, give the soldiers another option for communication. It seems family communication and well-being had some effect on allowing soldiers ability to use social media. In an article from American Forces Press Service (2010), Price B, Floyd, assistant secretary of defense for public affairsconsiders social networking sites like Facebook or Skype " 'invaluable' for keeping in touch with their deployed family members". There is excitement in being able to speak to loved ones in real time and explain what is happening at that moment.

Handwritten letters, packages, or phone calls are still very prevalent among communication methods( Merolla, 2010). In the study by Merolla (2010), email ranks third below phone and letters. Most computers or areas with internet connection are in commonareas, which leaves limited time for more intimate conversations. Also with regulations within social media policy, soldiers and spouses must be prepared to communicate with all forms and set designated times in order to maintain healthy communication (Merolla, 2010). Is the immediacy and easy good for healthy communication within the military? Is it possible that casually typing an email that says "the kids are driving me crazy at home today, wish you were home" can cause MORE stress to the deployed solider?

Along with family communication, another way to look at the military and new media is through websites. The National Military Family Association website provides countless amounts of information for everyone involved. It appears to give spouses an outlet to look for information about being part of a military family. The site offers information such as : where to look for blogs or support groups; a way to share stories directly to site; or help with legal matters.

After thinking about some serious topics, it might be nice to remember that deployed soldiers are having fun with social media. Take for instance Sgt. Scott Moore asking out Mila Kunis. Click on his picture to watch a very suave soldier.

Social Media Policy and the Military

Social media has proven to be problematic when paired with businesses and other organizations that deal with sensitive information.

So how does the U.S. Military - one of the most cryptic organizations in the world - handle social media in the information age? Especially when a HUGE percentage of its members depend on online communications to keep in touch with family and friends?

In 2007 the U.S. Marines issued a complete ban on social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube claiming that such sites are a "proven haven for malicious actors and content and are particularly high risk due to information exposure." But just three short years later, in early 2010, the Pentagon reversed the ban for all of the armed forces, giving thousands of troops access to the formerly denounced social tools. Although certain headlines may have lauded the reversal as a huge move, the fine print shows many restrictions still apply.

Social networking sites can only be accessed from non-classified government computers and the policy still allows commanders to limit access at their discretion for various security reasons or to address bandwidth constraints.

Military members are still barred from visiting websites that promote "malicious activity" like gambling, pornography or hate crimes.

“This directive recognizes the importance of balancing appropriate security measures while maximizing the capabilities afforded by 21st Century Internet tools,” Deputy Secretary of Defense William J. Lynn III said in a press release. Lynn completed a full review weighing the benefits and risks of social networking before committing to the use of SNS by military members.

David M. Wennergren, deputy assistant secretary of defense for information management and technology, commented on the benefits of social media use in the military. "The world of Web 2.0 and the Internet provides these amazing opportunities to collaborate," he said. "It not only promotes information sharing across organizational boundaries and with mission partners, but also enables deployed troops to maintain contact with their loved ones at home."

Since removing the ban, it seems that the U.S. Military has taken full advantage of SNS by allowing individual units and their components (numbered in the thousands) to create their own pages to share photos, video and news. http://www.facebook.com/101st?sk=wall Even good ol' Marty Dempsey, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, has a Facebook page - written in the first person, no less.

Facebook itself had something to say about the DoD's decision to lift the ban. Don Faul,Director, Online Operations at Facebook and a former U.S. Marine, issued this statement about the policy:

“Facebook is heartened by today’s decision to begin to allow our nation’s men and women in uniform and civilian employees across the Department of Defense responsible access to social media, which plays an important role in people’s daily lives. Facebook is an efficient way for people with real-world connections to share information and communicate and can be a particularly beneficial link between those stationed around the world and their families at home.”

The Department of Defense (DoD) now has a whole website - cutely called Social Media @ Dod - dedicated to connecting folks to the U.S. Armed Forces via the interweb. But as lighthearted as the site may appear, there are tons of guidelines, restrictions and user agreements that military members must commit to before participating.

Flip though the DoD's official social media policy below:

Sources:

Parr, Ben. "New U.S. Military Policy Opens Up Social Media to Troops" - Mashable - 26. February 2010 http://mashable.com/2010/02/26/military-social-media/

Cashmore, Pete. "US Marines Banned from Social Media Sites" - Mashable - 4 August 2009 http://mashable.com/2009/08/04/us-marines-social-media-ban/

Miles, Donna. "New Policy Authorizes Social Media Access, with Caveats" 5 March 2010.

http://www.army.mil/article/35116/New_policy_authorizes_social_media_access__with_caveats/

Dao, James. "Military Announces New Social Media Policy" 26 February 2010.

http://atwar.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/02/26/military-announces-new-social-media-policy/

DoD Social Media Hub - http://www.defense.gov/socialmedia/

Photo: http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-t-ifHsM4uRM/TqRpQ4UE3oI/AAAAAAAAAD8/6VfgQLpsOis/s1600/DODc.jpg

Screenshot: General Martin E. Dempsy: http://www.facebook.com/GENDempsey