Army - Stimulating Simulation

Family Life By
Rebecca Alwine, Contributing Writer
She enjoys working from home and looks forward to taking
her business with her when her husband, a captain recently
named to the major list, is transferred from Fort Huachuca.
It Really Is That Popular
Facebook statistics show that in 2015, 82 percent of people
ages 18–29 who were online accessed Facebook daily. Significant
percentages of Facebook users were also seen in other age
groups that were online: 79 percent of people 30–49, 64 percent
of those 50–64, and 48 percent of people over the age of 65.
In 2014, 70 percent of all Facebook users accessed the website
daily, with 45 percent of them doing so several times a day,
according to the Pew Internet & American Life Project, which
studies social media use.
In the Army, community information used to be conveyed
during a monthly meeting, often hosted by the garrison. It
served as a place for all organizations, units and groups to discuss
upcoming events. With Facebook, these meetings are fading
away, according to conversations with community leaders
at Fort Huachuca. The assumption is that everyone is checking
Facebook at regular intervals for information.
Now, protocol offices send electronic invitations to events.
Installations update residents on the status of road conditions
and closures via Facebook pages. News events break on Facebook,
with casualty assistance officers rushing to beat social
media to deliver notifications.
Not everyone is a Facebook fan. For example, one general’s
spouse is not on Facebook, Twitter or social media of any kind,
and she doesn’t plan to join.
“I’ve been a spouse for over 20 years, and I’ve never understood
why I need to be on Facebook in order to receive information,”
she said. “I always received reliable information via
phone trees and official [Family Readiness Group] emails, and
I’ve heard about the drama on Facebook. I don’t need that.”
As of now, she has no way to get information through
channels other than her spouse.
A ‘Time-Waster’
Army spouse Lindsay Jobe, whose husband is stationed at
Fort Huachuca, deactivated her Facebook account because she
felt it was a time-waster. However, “I do feel like I miss out on
some things that are accessible through Facebook, such as
Army events and information, interest groups, and networking
and meeting people,” she said.
Another senior spouse acknowledges that Facebook is helpful
in difficult situations: “It’s much easier and faster to keep in
touch when there are urgent needs. But it should not be relied
upon as the only way to get official information,” she said.
“Official information should be given to everyone, regardless
of their choice to use Facebook. They should be contacted via
other channels to ensure that everyone receives it.”
Others are concerned about posting sensitive information.
“I feel like we share a little too much when it comes to security
issues, soldiers and families alike,” said Chastity Kishpaugh,
an Army wife stationed remotely. “Even posts that seem
harmless can reveal information.”
The Army has written guidance about social media and on
the official Facebook page of Joint Base Lewis-McChord,
Wash., there’s a list of things that should not be posted. The
list was written in conjunction with DoD, the Army and Air
Force. Information that is considered to be in violation of operational
security includes casualty information, classified information,
information protected by the Privacy Act or the
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, personally
identifiable information and sensitive information, according
to the DoD Social Media User Agreement.
Reliability, Relevance Concerns
With spouses looking to Army public affairs and official Facebook
pages comes additional concerns about the reliability and
relevance of things being shared. Laurel Frock at Fort Huachuca
has been an Army wife for nine years, and has seen the good and
the unreliable when it comes to official Facebook pages. “A great
example of a highly professional Facebook page is Fort Meade
[Md.]. I don’t question anything they post because they’ve
proven their reliability and relevance. When I see pictures celebrating
National Cat Day from other garrison Facebook pages,
it’s harder to take them seriously when they post about real
topics. It’s all about presentation and professionalism.”
However, National Cat Day may be part of a successful social
media plan. According to the Social Media Examiner:
Your Guide to the Social Media Jungle, a website for businesses,
engaging followers increases the visibility of a Facebook
page. Constant, relevant and engaging posts keep people
coming back to the page, which is imperative in the case of
emergencies.
One example of using Facebook in an emergency was during
Hurricane Joaquin in fall 2015. The 3rd Battalion, 60th
Infantry Regiment “River Raiders” at Fort Jackson, S.C., had
to cancel graduation. The unit posted the news on its official
Facebook page and fielded questions and comments. It also
used Facebook to update families, soldiers, civilians and the
general public about school closures, curfews, and which gates
would be open immediately following the storm.
The Public Affairs Office at Fort Huachuca utilizes other
social media outlets, outside of Facebook, in order to connect
with people who may not have Facebook accounts, Linton
said. These include YouTube, Vimeo, Twitter, Pinterest and
Flickr.
However, “if there is a plan to communicate with me outside
of social media, I don’t know about it,” one spouse at Fort
Huachuca said. “I’ve never been asked for my phone number
or email since moving here a few years ago. I’m not sure how
they would contact me.”
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March 2016 ■ ARMY 53