Do you remember the CNN vs. Ashton Kutcher Twitter contest? After the actor won, the US Army’s social media whiz, Lindy Kyzer, challenged Kutcher to her own Twitter duel. Kyzer joked that Kutcher will have competition once the Army taps into its Twitter potential: “If he has a million followers, why can’t we? We’re the US Army,” she said.
For a year and a half, it’s been my great honor to work on the “front lines” of military social media. I’ve watched smart and savvy military leaders tap into the potential not just of Twitter, but of blogs, podcasts, videos and more. So when news came this summer that DoD may be pulling the plug on social media it was troubling to me.
This is not a black-and-white conversation — it is nuanced and important. Military leaders know social media works and is both popular and effective — but is it secure? While many avenues remain open as the policies are being considered, the U.S. Marines moved to close access.
Two of the most prominent ideas mentioned on the DoD's Web2.0 Guidance Forum are "families" and "deployed." (Credit: Wordle.net)
The Pentagon’s new “social media czar” Price Floyd offers a hopeful response to the controversy. And the DoD actively sought input on military / family use of social networks as they conducted policy review.
I think social media is crucial for the military; here are some examples of why:
The Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mike Mullen, uses his Twitter account to talk about everything from piracy on the high seas to educational opportunities for veterans. An example of his quick, personal notes: “I am troubled by the effects of PTS and TBI, these signature wounds of modern war, and the stigma that surrounds them. We must do better.” That’s an honest, personal message communicated effectively.
Major General Oates, one of the commanders in charge of operations in Iraq, maintains a public blog called Task Force Mountain. On the blog, MG Oates not only talks about the real things of life, he asks for feedback on subjects ranging from “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” to “What is the stupidest rule or policy you have seen in the Army?”
When asked about his openness, Oates said: “I think candor is hugely important. Be candid in your thoughts, questions, responses. We don’t just lead soldiers, we lead Americans, and Americans get to ask ‘why?’ I want my leaders to engage in candid conversations with their soldiers and tell the truth, including saying ‘I don’t know.’ ”
I believe MG Oates’ insight is spot-on: candor is hugely important. When we’re candid with our colleagues and clients, we establish trust and credibility. When we’re candid in our communications, we empower our audience with reality. That’s good for the military and military families.
Here’s a recent story about what the military is doing with social media.
What do you think, does the military need social media? (Part 2 next week)
I think the military need social media – not only does social media spark interaction, networking, teamwork, and communication, information is relayed through various means, and heavy online presence of what our military is doing and what it tries to promote is heard better. The communication isn’t one sided, and it is not simply about recruiting. It is about communicating your message to the United States and the entire world. The fact that interaction and communication is key makes the military more approachable and respectable (not saying that it isn’t already).
However, social media just pushes that boundary even more so and reaches out to the hands of the audiences.
We too have embraced social media on our website:
http://www.realmilitarynetwork.com – with our online community and myspace: http://www.myspace.com/realmilitarynetwork and twitter.com/realmilitary accounts.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts in this article.
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