Pentagon Allows the use of Social Media

According to Reuters ("Military allows Twitter"), on February 2010 the US Military allowed servicemen to use Twitter, facebook and other social media. It was previously banned citing security reasons. Military most likely usually is very slow in implementing new inovations or media and probably prefers to err on the side of caution. However on February the Pentagon officials stated that the US Military needs to take advantage of the media, aspecially in reaching out to young people ("Military allows Twitter")

This is a great step into making military - and military people - more medialized. It offers posibility to make soldiers communicate directly with other people over social networks and their followers might see them as more than just a faceless soldiers. That might be good both as a PR and as a way for the public to distinguish between soldiers and the global issues of conflict they are involved in. Through social media, people can interact directly with the servicemen and get their point of view on the situation in their immidiate surrounding - the small picture.

Former soldier and writer Tom Kratman stated in his interview made by Blackfive server (Kratman) that nowadays before combat mission, the commanding officer would probably need to collect soldier's cell phones, because coverage is almost everywhere and the soldiers might be tempted to call home if the situation becomes bad. Kratman point out how that may feel like to the parents of spouses of the soldiers who would hear him or her in the gunfire and then the connection would be suddently lost (Kratman). Kratman however states that overall the use of blogs and other social media by soldiers is a good things (Kratman).

It may be good for morale. Some officials may be worried that it may be a bad things if soldiers write how the situation is bad or how the morale is low. Kratman states, that if many soldiers of the unit write how the morale is low, then "maybe it's time to change the commanders." (Kratman)

There was probably a concern about security risks while using the social media, but security risk is most likely also with phones, and e-mail and blogs. One of the argument for allowing social media ("Military allows Twitter") was that thousands of people can already make security leaks through e-mail or cell phones, so that there is no point in restricting social media like Twitter of Facebook. ("Military allows Twitter")

As was stated before, military is most likely slow to implement change and some of it's officials may feel that there is no point in fixing something that was not broken. But allowing the use of social networks may prove to be a valuable way to increase the publics understanding of the military servicemen and women and their job.


Works Cited

Kratman, Tom. "An Interview with Tom Kratman." May 15, 2010.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXK9UyiLQSI

"Military allows Twitter, other social media." Reuters. May 15, 2010.
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE61Q07G20100227