Posted on Mar 12, 2014
Finding out the death of a loved one on Facebook, BEFORE official notification from Casualty Affairs.
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This is an EXCELLENT article for a systemic problem we have been facing for years. I've seen it first hand and this article is spot on, on how devastating this truly is.<div>What is the answer? What should be the punishment for those who post this information? Should they be punished? Do we need to re-look at our current program and get the word out in an official capacity in a more timely manner?</div><div>I could not imagine this being my wife or kids finding out about me this way. This is something we must fix.</div><div>http://keepcalmandhaveacosmo.blogspot.com/2014/03/racing-facebook-new-challenge-for.html<br></div><div class="pta-link-card"><div class="pta-link-card-picture"><img src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-ycqZlC5hLMQ/TuK6Ahn562I/AAAAAAAAAQ4/FEov774-lbs/s320/postemailicon.png"></div><div class="pta-link-card-content"><div class="pta-link-card-title"><a target="_blank" href="http://keepcalmandhaveacosmo.blogspot.com/2014/03/racing-facebook-new-challenge-for.html">Keep Calm and Have a Cosmo: Racing Facebook: A New Challenge for the Military Community</a></div><div class="pta-link-card-description">Excellent post Jill. I think day and age of instant information, we often do not stop to think of the consequences of a single 'click'. Having been a spouse in our small Navy helicopter community fo...</div></div><div style="clear:both"></div><div class="pta-box-hide"><i class="icon-remove"></i></div></div>
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As an Army CAO/CNO (haven't had to perform the duty yet thankfully) it was talked about in the class. I think it is more of training our soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines. Casualty Notification Officers chosen are local to the primary next of kin (PNOK) and secondary next of kin (SNOK). Notification has to be made within four hours of the call. Once notified the CMOC acts expeditiously. They can't do it any faster. Notification hours are already 0500-2300. Though even trying to help, history shows that a helpful friend only makes it works. For situations like the article where it is a unit Facebook account, some type of punishment should be dealt. The CoC should also have a good policy available for anyone they allow to run their unit Facebook and Twitter pages.
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SSG Robert Burns
What about when CNN breaks the same news story "Helicopter crash at X, with x number of Soldiers killed?" 4 hours is a long time to wait. Do you think we need another form of initial notification that may not necessarily be in person in order to make sure they hear it from us first? Then get the details once the CAO arrives?
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Suspended Profile
People at the source with knowledge of the casualty should be responsible enough to ensure the information is embargoed until an in person team can be sent to provide notice, compassion, counseling, and referral services to the next of kin.
Facebook, and social media, are too coldly impersonal to be considered as any kind of compassionate notification.
This MUST BE AN IN PERSON service without any regard for the interests of the media and/or any other parties.
SFC Aaron Calmes
Notifications were originally a letter, and then telegrams, to the system we have now. The scene in "We Were Soldiers Once" with the wife taking the telegrams from the taxi driver is accurate. That is what started the in person notifications. The system we have now is the best possible solution. Every spouse can probably tell you when the news mentions even a single KIA or death they assume the worst. The problem occurs when specific units, locations, types of aircraft, etc are mentioned. Again, I believe these best answer is to train your troops. Notifications should be in person.
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For the person that posted on FB, obviously there can be 100 different scenarios
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LT Jessica Kellogg
For who? The service member who posts on Facebook or writes home? That I can understand. But what about when it's the media sharing an official press release (the basic "there was a crash, x people remain unaccounted for"). Like SGT Dean mentioned, in the public affairs world theres a "need" for information to be released as soon as possible, but unfortunately this can easily lead to misinformation and assumptions.
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