Military using Facebook and Twitter to recruit

Services turn attention to Facebook, Twitter

By Sagar Meghani - The Associated Press
Posted : Friday May 1, 2009 14:10:45 EDT

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 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 sites offer 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, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, has a new Facebook page to answer questions about the mission in Iraq and spread the word about what the troops are accomplishing there.

The Army isn’t the only branch of the military with Facebook friends or that has a following on Twitter. The Air Force has also established 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, a spokesman said. Even the Coast Guard commandant regularly updates his Facebook status while traveling.
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Services turn attention to Facebook, Twitter