Posted on Aug 11, 2016
Is it right for Soldiers to post Military paperwork and photos of equipment on Social Media?
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Specifically talking about US Army WTF moments, when people post things to their page just for a laugh.
Do you think it compromises the Army Values?
Do you think it compromises the Army Values?
Values
Ethics
Social Media
Professionalism
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 12
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In my opinion it would depend on what is posted, the WTF page shows the insanity that we must sometimes deal with on a daily basis. If anything our troops enjoy a good laugh. Before the internet you had to see these insane ideas and examples in cartoons like Pvt Murphy etc. As long as regulations are not violated as in OPSEC etc I see no problems with it. A happy troop is a bitching troop. Covering things up and pretending they don't happen is a recipe for a very bad ending.
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I personally like the "silent warrior". You shouldn't really be putting everything out there.
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SSG Stephan Pendarvis
Yeah sometimes you get people who just have to let the world know they are "HOOAAH" for their ego purposes.
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I guess it would depend on what paperwork or photos? Most stuff is unclassified and can be found through simple google searches. Beyond that, anything FOUO or classified, should not.
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CW2 (Join to see)
Even at an unclassified level I would argue that the world doesn't need to know.
I.e if a unit only has half their gun trucks operational because the mechanics messed something up. Is that something the general population needs to know.
I.e if a unit only has half their gun trucks operational because the mechanics messed something up. Is that something the general population needs to know.
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PO3 Donald Murphy
CW2 (Join to see) - Well sadly we crossed that bridge back during Desert Storm when Peter Arnett was broadcasting our every move over CNN. Good thing Saddam couldn't get his TV to work, right? Its not freedom, it's free-dumb. Also keep in mind that we're typing on computers made in China with Chinese parts. And of course the US government has checked the chips for any trojan software...(wink wink)
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For years, the US lived in fear of the capabilities of the Russian military during the Cold War. It wasn't until afterwards that we found out that the Russian military was a paper tiger fraught with maintenance and logistic issues. The US has publicly acknowledged that it has located and subsequently bombed a Daesh headquarters based on the background scenery of a picture published on a social media website. Confirmation of official Russian troop deployments to the Ukraine were essentially proven by posts and pictures published on VK (the Russian version of Facebook) by Russian soldiers.
So do posts made to sites like the one you mentioned violate Army Values? They most certainly do. Portraying the degraded state of military equipment, military readiness, unit morale offer strategic insight into the overall status of the US military. However, this has to be tempered with such things such as the publicly released information of the extremely degraded readiness of Marine Corps aviation assets due to a lack of funding.
What it comes down to is most service members don't realize how much information can be collected by open sources. Posts made by PVT Snuffy may be insignificant by themselves. However, when someone from a Foreign Intelligence Service with an interest in a subject that PVT Snuffy posted to the website you mentioned goes through and searches PVT Snuffy's friend list, other posts made by him and his friends, open sourced information googled online and so on is combined, you can get a pretty clear picture of what you want.
So do posts made to sites like the one you mentioned violate Army Values? They most certainly do. Portraying the degraded state of military equipment, military readiness, unit morale offer strategic insight into the overall status of the US military. However, this has to be tempered with such things such as the publicly released information of the extremely degraded readiness of Marine Corps aviation assets due to a lack of funding.
What it comes down to is most service members don't realize how much information can be collected by open sources. Posts made by PVT Snuffy may be insignificant by themselves. However, when someone from a Foreign Intelligence Service with an interest in a subject that PVT Snuffy posted to the website you mentioned goes through and searches PVT Snuffy's friend list, other posts made by him and his friends, open sourced information googled online and so on is combined, you can get a pretty clear picture of what you want.
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Probably not....not good form...whether it's from ego bragging rights or just plain stupidity. It can be used by people to whatever means they like.
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CW2 (Join to see) " when people post things to their page just for a laugh.
Do you think it compromises the Army Values?"
Chief, lets ask...
CW2 (Join to see) Do you think it compromises the Army Values? If so WHY? HOW?
Not that you personally dont like it, that's valid but not answering the great question asked..So How or Why do you feel it compromises the Army Values?
Do you think it compromises the Army Values?"
Chief, lets ask...
CW2 (Join to see) Do you think it compromises the Army Values? If so WHY? HOW?
Not that you personally dont like it, that's valid but not answering the great question asked..So How or Why do you feel it compromises the Army Values?
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CW2 (Join to see)
I asked this question partially because a memo from our division found its way to US Army WTF moments before it was distributed to the units. Meaning someone thought it was more important to spread what we were doing on Facebook to get some laughs than actually do their job.
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SGM Erik Marquez
CW2 (Join to see) - Your talking about the alcohol restriction MEMO?
I see no impact positive or negitive from that common, non earth shattering everyday type general order being made public.. Be it on social media or posted to the wall in the local strip club shitter.
I see no impact positive or negitive from that common, non earth shattering everyday type general order being made public.. Be it on social media or posted to the wall in the local strip club shitter.
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CW2 (Join to see)
SGM Erik Marquez - In that case my problem isn't with it being posted online but that someone thought it was more important to send it to a joke site than disseminate the info
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SGM Erik Marquez
CW2 (Join to see) - Chief do you know it was one or the other?
Or was it disseminated through channels as it was in years prior (this was for the annual training event yes?) and yes, some SM also sent it to a FB page for publi mocking, having violated a unwritten but well known rule "never give an order you know will not be obayed"
Chief, bottom line, overall I dont disagree with you, while not illegal or against regulations there are things shared on Social Media that do not serve the greater good of the service. The majority shared is inconsequential and has no affect good or bad on a units mission, and then some is just down right wrong, both a violation of regulation and prejudicial to good order and discipline.
Or was it disseminated through channels as it was in years prior (this was for the annual training event yes?) and yes, some SM also sent it to a FB page for publi mocking, having violated a unwritten but well known rule "never give an order you know will not be obayed"
Chief, bottom line, overall I dont disagree with you, while not illegal or against regulations there are things shared on Social Media that do not serve the greater good of the service. The majority shared is inconsequential and has no affect good or bad on a units mission, and then some is just down right wrong, both a violation of regulation and prejudicial to good order and discipline.
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I think the more accurate question would be "Is it safe?" As a military mom, my son asks me not to even post his picture on social media because of his MOS. You are a professional. I'd keep things private.
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If you feel you need to question it before you post, then don't. Honestly, look at OpSec.
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