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Proper use of social media by US Army Personnel

Social networking plays a vital role in the lives of Army personnel. The access to different sites of social media paves the way for the Army personnel to share their experiences with others, provide crucial information and remain connected to things they care about (US Army). The US Army supports the usage of social media by its personnel and their families because the different social networking platforms can be used to share the Army stories. Army personnel uses social media as a tool of creating meaningful connections with the American populous, thus maintain their trust and confidence in the US Army. However, the US Army only encourages the proper usage of social media by its soldiers and their families as a way of upholding the all-binding Army values both online and offline. The US Army has different security policies that control the utilization of social networking sites regarding the content posted and shared by its commands and personnel.

Security policies governing the use of social media

In September 2012, the Department of Defense (DoD) released the “DODI 8550.01 – Internet Service and Internet-Based Capabilities” that comprised of guidelines regarding how the US Army personnel could use social media. The government of the United States appreciates that the capabilities of the internet services are essential to the operations of the US Army. For that reason, Army personnel are to uphold the standards of the Army Values and Uniform Code of Military when posting or to share any information on social media (Joint Service Committee on Military Service, 7). The DODI 8550.01 provides regulations that prohibit Army personnel from misusing social media even when they are off duty. The inaccurate utilization of social media by the US Army commands and personnel violates the simple rules and guidelines on the conduct of Soldiers who are prohibited from providing the general public with sensitive information.

The “ALARACT 058/2018 – Professionalization of Online Conduct” provides Army personnel with the policies, guidance, and recommendations on the proper usage of social media. These policies were formulated to pave the way for the US Army commands and personnel to gain insight into appropriate ways of becoming representatives of the military on social media. According to a study conducted by the Office of The Chief of Public Affairs (5), security policies on the utilization of...