Social Media—We’re fully connected! Published Aug. 11, 2010 By Col. Michael Hornitschek 375th Air Mobility Wing Commander SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. -- The Air Force is fully embracing social media venues such as Facebook, Twitter, and blogs as essential to connecting with its workforce and family members. I'm happy to report that the 375th Air Mobility Wing is fully on board with these initiatives. The wing has already established its Facebook presence which you can find by searching for "Scott Air Force Base." Since going public in April, we've steadily gained a following and hope to increase the number of fans and comments as we continue our discussions and share information about the work and life environments at Scott AFB. In addition to the wing's Facebook page, today I'm launching my own page as another way to communicate directly with you--just search for "375th Air Mobility Wing Commander." My goal is to share with you events and policies from my vantage point as well as facilitate discussions about issues that are important to you. Some commanders have started their Facebook pages off by asking, "What's the worst (or best) thing about the base." I have already informally asked this of the men and women of the 375th Air Mobility Wing via anonymous 3x5 cards distributed as I met with them during my first week on the job. We have been transcribing the feedback and will be talking about those comments on my Facebook page, so be sure to look for that in the coming weeks. In deciding whether to launch my own page, some informal surveys were conducted and the answers weren't too surprising--many Airmen feel a reluctance to comment or become a fan of a wing commander's page. I understand how that could be the sentiment generally speaking, but I'm positive that we'll be able to engage with each other in a professional and positive way that encourages feedback and discussion. I'm interested in hearing from all ranks, from our civilians, from our tenants, from our family members, and from our community partners. Your feedback is important to me, and I look forward to dialoguing on many subjects." My Facebook page is not meant to circumvent the already established avenues for issues that need immediate attention or corrective action, such as the chain of command or the Action Line program, but rather it's another way to gauge the climate here at Scott and be able to share information quickly. I will still pass along vital information about policies and programs through the chain of command, but this social media tool will allow me to focus on other aspects of life at Scott that include families as well. I've already listed a few posts so you can see a sampling of how I'm tracking with this effort, so I encourage you to share observations, ask questions, or comment on each other's posts as well. It's interesting to note that the Air Force just reported its Facebook page reached 100,000 fans since it went live last year. Paul Bove, an Air Force social media strategist, said the real success though for social media comes when community members engage with each other on topics. "Numbers don't mean anything if people aren't active. Luckily, we have a great group of fans who ask questions, share stories and express their support for the Air Force and all the service members who serve," he said. The Air Force has also made it clear that this social media engagement path is one we will continue to pursue. With the opening of the networks to allow access to these sites, it has become easier for us to support this effort. However, we should be deliberate, and careful in our use of this technology and these venues. We must always be aware of operational security, and ensure we're representing the Air Force in a professional manner. Other guidelines such as staying in our lane of expertise and not revealing too much personal information are important to remember, too. This is a great opportunity for us to engage in two-way communication, so I encourage you to check out our official social media presence on Facebook and Twitter. All of these can be accessed through our public web site www.scott.af.mil. See you in cyberspace!