Military turns to Twitter, Facebook
FORT MONROE, Va. - You don't often hear a three-star general using the word friend as a verb. But for Lt. Gen. Benjamin Freakley and other Army brass, a new era has brought a new language - and new tools like the online social networks Twitter and Facebook - for seeking out young recruits and spreading the military's message.
FORT MONROE, Va. - You don't often hear a three-star general using the word
friend
as a verb.
But for Lt. Gen. Benjamin Freakley and other Army brass, a new era has brought a new language - and new tools like the online social networks Twitter and Facebook - for seeking out young recruits and spreading the military's message.
Freakley, who heads the Army command that oversees recruiting, says social networking offers another way to reach tomorrow's soldiers. "They live in the virtual world," Freakley said.
He cited Facebook as a key component in targeting 18- to 24-year-olds. "You could friend your recruiter, and then he could talk to your friends."
Even Gen. Raymond Odierno, top U.S. commander in Iraq, has a Facebook page to answer questions about the mission in Iraq and spread the word about what troops are accomplishing there.
The Army isn't the only branch of the military with Facebook friends or a following on Twitter. The Air Force has a Facebook page, Twitter feeds, and a blog, while the Marine Corps is using various networking sites mainly for recruiting purposes. The Navy is "experimenting" with several forms of online media, and some of its commands are using Twitter. The Coast Guard commandant regularly updates his Facebook status while traveling.
Even the White House is joining the popular social-network sites. The White House yesterday added Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter to its main Web page, whitehouse.gov - though the administration will not be able to reply individually to people who send messages.
The Army has gone a step further and also added to its Web site video games, a virtual recruiter, and clips that answer commonly asked questions. Showing off the videos during an interview at his office at Fort Monroe, Freakley said some of the questions were surprising: Can I have a dog in the Army? Can I be married in the Army?
The Army, Freakley said, wants to answer those questions.
Earlier this year, the Army established an online and social-media division within its public affairs office. The division's director, Lt. Col. Kevin Arata, said the search was on every day to find new avenues online to reach not only soldiers but also their families and the general public. "We know that's where they are, and we need to go to them," Arata said.
The Army recently launched its own Facebook page, which contains much the same information as its official Web site. Lindy Kyzer, who updates the site, says the networking sites add a different dimension: chat. "We really try to make it an open forum," Kyzer said, adding that negative posts are not removed.
"Everyone has an opinion, and it's amazing the Army is showing both sides," said Danny Andazola, 24, an Army reservist from Denver. "When younger people see comments from both sides, it can easily help them decide if the Army culture is for them."
