This is a place to share insight and witticisms and to collaborate and promote the things I love best: defense, technology and PR. I have been lucky enough to manage public relations for technology companies in the defense industry for several years which has led me to the best media, analysts and communications professionals in the world. I hope to share my experiences and inspirations with you - and them.
There's a long established symbiosis between the military and gaming communities - the military invented the original technologies, the gaming industry adopted these technologies for consumer applications, which then grew like gangbusters, which then ultimately cycled back to influence how military simulation and training applications are created and executed.
All I know is that the lines between entertainment and training have certainly been blurred with games like Call of Duty. And that it’s all pretty freakin’ cool if you keep it in perspective and know that sitting on your couch playing a game has nothing to do with what our military forces do.
If you're on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn there is no way you haven't noticed the unbelievable presence that the United States military has in social media. The US is taking social media seriously - more so than many other countries from what I can tell – and it’s a full-time investment. If you don’t know what I’m talking about just check out the Facebook pages for the US Army and Marine Corps. Through social networks the military is able to engage recruits, those enlisted, and veterans as well as their family and friends in a dialogue about the inspiring work and heroic challenges that servicemen endure.
I find these pages a great resource of news and photos; they provide access to speakers and events I might otherwise be completely unaware of. Yes, the US has certainly embraced social media in a big way and it seems to be paying off.
Check out this presentation from the Department of Defense about optimizing online engagement in the Army. There are some good best practices outlined and you’ll get a sense of just how much the military wants to engage everyone in this conversation.
