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.