Posted on Feb 18, 2014
SSG Instructor
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In recent light of the Social Media fallout from the Air Force Trainee to the Troops of the Wisconsin National Guard; How have you in the past, or in the wake of, spoken to your troops about Social Media and the Army Values?

 

Most soldiers in my length of Time in Service didnt recieve training on Social Media from our NCO's because it was not the hot button item it is as of late.  In some circumstances this could be the reason that the newer soldiers today are not recieving this advice from their leaders.

 

As an experiment, I showed our Trainees how much could be found on social media by a simple google search.  needless to say there were a few that decided Facebook was not their friend.

 

I feel that we need to ensure our soldiers learn that their actions on social media can have long lasting and potentially devistating outcomes.

 

What say you? 

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Responses: 2
CW2 Joseph Evans
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Personally I think that Social Media gaffs are good. It creates a sense of community and the transparency allows for people to make mistakes and correct deficient behaviors. Unfortunately there are people having their careers impacted more by the media mishaps than drunken behavior of senior officers and NCOs.
The advantage of old age at this point is the belief that my worst mistakes were pre-facebook. Probably not true since I'm still learning, after all, learned so much from previous mistakes, I'm thinking of making a few more.
Where we are failing these junior Soldiers and Airmen as leaders is that we are caving to popular opinion and are prepared to crucify them for an error in judgement that resulted in a distasteful display, while we continue to coddle professional careerists that make decisions that get people needlessly dead. Embarrassment can be survived, death not so much. 
We really do need to reconsider our priorities.
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Yes I agree that the full hammer of UCMJ on something that can be used as a lerning moment is getting out of hand.  I was caught under age drinking by my battalion CSM, I didnt get article 15, but I was embarrased a little running around the barracks in shorts and shower shoes.... point was taken well to heart.
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SFC Robert Trodahl
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I have done that before as a Platoon Sergeant. I used a couple of volunteers as examples, and they too didn't like the results.  It did serve as a wake up call to the young Soldiers!!
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