Social media not just a toy, it’s a tool

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Joel Mease
  • 501st Combat Support Wing Public Affairs
RAF ALCONBURY, United Kingdom --  Facebook, Flickr, YouTube - all great ways to have fun and keep in touch with friends and loved ones, but why use them at work?

As many Airmen in the 501st Combat Support Wing noticed May 10, they had the ability to log in to these sites at work. However, the Air Force didn't intend for you to make sure your crops were watered 24/7 on Farmville or watch stupid pet tricks on YouTube - it was given to you to help leverage what you do every day in the Air Force as a tool.

So how is it a tool? Air Force research has shown traditional journalism has shifted and now uses the Web as a primary resource for information. According to the Air Force Public Affairs Agency on Emerging Technology, "Traditional, vertical communication is critical for the Air Force, but new technologies give Airmen the opportunity to horizontally inform the media, the public and each other."

In plain English, they are telling Airmen, "If you don't tell the Air Force story, someone else will."

So it's ok for Airmen to discuss their views. According to the Air Force Public Affairs Agency it's actually encouraged: "The Air Force views Web sites and blogs positively, and it respects the rights of Airmen to use them as a medium of self-expression."

However, just because it can be said doesn't mean it is necessarily a good idea to put the information out there. Since all Airmen must ensure good order and discipline and all Airmen are on duty 24-hours, 365-days a year, common sense and some guidelines need to be followed and all actions are accountable under the UCMJ.

It's ok to use social media for your own personal use, but it needs to be limited and your usage will be monitored, said Major Brian Bakshas, 423rd Air Base Squadron commander.

Another "biggie" is to make sure operational security guidelines are always followed. While the 501st CSW doesn't have a flight line, we do important support work for the intelligence community. A photo of a building or fence line might seem harmless, but might be worth its weight in gold to a group whose efforts are to undermine our relationship with the United Kingdom.

"You can and will be prosecuted if you violate OPSEC rules," Maj. Bakshas said.
Opinions are also encouraged, but they too have simple guidelines that need to be followed. If an Airman is going to post an opinion, it's important to preface it stating the views are your own and not of the Air Force. Also if an Airman is on a blog about Air Force jet engines and the Airman is a finance specialist, it's better to stay in the lane of what the Airman actually knows.

Airmen are also asked to consider bandwidth issues when using social media on the government network. If an Airman is uploading 300 photos on to Flickr, then perhaps that's not quite what the Air Force means by limited personal use. The bottom line is ultimately the network is there for work proposes, not to document his or her entire trip across Europe.

"If bandwidth usage is too high, we will have to restrict those sites," Maj. Bakshas said.

The guidelines are pretty simple to follow, and with a little common sense Airmen can make a positive impact in social media. If there are still questions of what to do and not to do, it's all right to ask. Just call your local PA office. For more information on why the Air Force views social media as important tool visit http://www.af.mil/shared/media/document/AFD-091210-043.pdf.