Social media sites soon will be open on the Air Force Network

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In April, Air Force personnel will be allowed to access Internet-based social media sites via the Air Force Network for official use and limited personal use. All Airmen must use due diligence when posting information online and must always follow Joint Ethics regulations, operations security and pubished rules of engagement. (U.S. Air Force graphic)
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Social media sites soon will be open on the Air Force Network

Posted 3/30/2010

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by Capt. Christina R. Hoggatt
Air Force Space Command Public Affairs

3/30/2010 - PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. (AFNS) -- Air Force officials are opening the Air Force network to allow access to Internet-based social-networking sites. Initial access will be available at five Pacific Air Forces bases March 30, and will begin opening sites Air Force-wide later in April.

This change in policy is a result of the Department of Defense Directive-Type Memorandum 09-026 -- Responsible and Effective Use of Internet-based Capabilities -- issued Feb. 25.

The PACAF bases with initial access to Internet-based capability sites include: Andersen Air Force Base, Guam; Eielson AFB, Alaska; Elmendorf AFB, Alaska; Hickam AFB, Hawaii; and Yokota Air Base, Japan.

According to DOD officials, Internet-based social-networking services have become integral tools for all manner of operations across the military services and in collaboration with other federal agencies and the public.

Air Force Space Command Headquarters is the Air Force-designated approval authority for the AFNET. In this capacity, AFSPC officials are responsible for the policies, procedures and the implementation plan for Internet-based capabilities on the AFNET. The Air Force implementation plan will allow access while still ensuring a tight and secure network to defend against malicious activity to safeguard the missions that depend on cyberspace.

The initial phase at PACAF will involve tracking metrics from both pre- and post-access allowed periods and involve a multi-disciplinary risk assessment prior to opening the sites Air Force-wide. The assessment will help mitigate operational risk, but it also will educate AFNET experts on the guidelines that might be required for Internet-based social-networking site usage.

"As we leverage these new technologies, it is imperative that all Air Force personnel practice safe online activity to protect the network," said Gen. C. Robert Kehler, commander of Air Force Space Command. "The Air Force views the use of social media sites as a positive way to communicate and conduct business. Social media and other emerging technologies provide an increasingly important means of communication and collaboration. Providing more open access will allow the Air Force to communicate more effectively to all Air Force personnel, their families and external audiences."

According to Brig. Gen. David B. Warner, AFSPC communications and information director and chief information officer, AFSPC officials worked hand-in-hand with those in the Secretary of the Air Force Office of Warfighting Integration and Chief Information Officer, the Air Force Network Integration Center and 24th Air Force to develop the policy and processes to allow access to these sites.

"All Air Force personnel will be allowed to utilize Internet-based social media sites via the AFNET for official use and limited personal use," General Warner said. "All Air Force personnel must use due diligence when posting information online and must always follow Joint Ethics regulations and operational security, or OPSEC.

"The Air Force will limit or restrict the use of Internet-based capabilities as needed to defend against malicious activity or for operational considerations. Assuring the Air Force missions that rely on cyberspace is our number one priority," General Warner said.

According to various regulations, Air Force personnel cannot post any classified or sensitive information and must follow the guidelines for appropriate social media and Internet use. The inappropriate posting of information on the AFNET and any other OPSEC violations will be punishable by Uniform Code of Military Justice.

Personal use must be of reasonable duration and frequency that have been approved by supervisors and do not adversely affect performance of official duties, overburden systems or reflect adversely on the Air Force.

"We recognize the importance of allowing Airmen to have access to more Internet-based capabilities to communicate, and we will work to strike a balance between maintaining a safe and controlled network while allowing Airmen to have appropriate access," General Kehler said. "Adversaries continually try to gain access to our mission critical systems. All AFNET users must do their part to help secure operations conducted in and through cyberspace. The results of the operational assessment may drive the final timing of AF-wide implementation."

Now that these tools are available, all Air Force personnel and their families can get the most up-to-date Air Force information from Web sites on the Air Force's official social media directory.

Additionally, to continue safeguarding the AFNET as well as the privacy of all Air Force people, there are many online training tools to help educate everyone on appropriate online activity. Those sites include:

-- National Operations Security Program -- OPSEC and Social Networking Sites Safety Check list

-- DOD's Social Media Hub

-- U.S. Strategic Command's Social Network Training site

For appropriate use of the Internet and social media see the Air Force and DOD guidance below:

-- AFI 35-113, Internal Information, Chapter 15: Social Media

-- Air Force Instruction 33-129 Section 2, Use of Internet Resources by Government Employees

-- AFI 35-107, Public Web Communications

-- Joint Ethics Regulation 2-301-Use of Federal Government Resources

Comments

4/12/2010 6:48:05 AM ET
It will be interesting to see if the test results in PACAF yield the green light to the rest of us, Air Force-wide. Also, will this enable us to access webmail services like Yahoo mail, G-Mail, Hot Mail, etc.? They are all developing social networking applications as well, and being able to access them would be a great option to have, on top of getting to Facebook, MySpace etc.

Paul Bryan, Ramstein Air Base Germany

4/8/2010 9:48:28 PM ET
Worked for the PACAF NOSC a few years back and currently work with another Govt. agency that has allowed social networking sites like above. Speaking from experience as a hacker, antihacker AF Network Manager and Information SEC Officer.This is very very dangerous territory Facebook alone gives a hacker more than enough information about you -- Birthday where you previously worked, where you are working right now, where you currently live ETC...then your pictures show where your house is who you hang with ETC.Not all people have good intentions I can look up pretty much everyone at my workplace and find their facebook account. Nothing like finding a picture of the colonel getting drunk at a party with girls/guys all over him/her. Oh how about your coworker that has bathing suit pics of her/him on facebook, it goes on and on and on. How many people cut and paste, all of us what if you forgot that you just cut a paragraph on something secret?

Dino, San Antonio

4/5/2010 5:34:30 PM ET
Definitely a morale booster. I would say net productivity will be neutral or increase. A happy workforce is a productive workforce.

Scott, South Dakota

4/2/2010 1:38:21 AM ET
Social Networking at work, Why? I have read some comments below about how filters will be in-place or how local policies will be created because of this decision. How many man hours is it going to take to police this? Leave this can of worms closed. Yes, the job still get's done every year, and our manning is crap. But what happens when the NORMS no longer work? What then?

Maintenance Cheetah, USAFE-Aviano

4/1/2010 10:51:24 AM ET
Unless it's work related which I HIGHLY doubt then there's nothing wrong that.

Mr. Comments Section Tough Guy, East Coast

4/1/2010 2:41:50 AM ET
I worked as the quality assurance manager in a pepsi laboratory as a civilian. We decided to allow full access to the internet to all employees in the lab; however, this access was monitored by management. We found the first couple weeks to be busy monitoring this but later production increased substantially because people were eager to get the task at hand finished so they could check their facebook or whatever. Simply hold supervisors and their airmen accountable and this wont hurt the mission.

experience, japan

3/31/2010 11:42:39 PM ET
This is an outstanding avenue for PA to reach wider audiences. As far as abusing the limited personal use, leaders and supervisors will take care of any jackassery.

SNCO, Deployed

3/31/2010 9:03:53 PM ET
One word for people...TRANSFORMATION. It's been going on for years now and still people refuse to change with the times. Get off of your tails and lead your people and you won't have to worry about productivity being sacrificed because of social media. Geez, accept the responsibilities you were given when you became a supervisor.

DK, Maxwell

3/31/2010 4:33:30 PM ET
Thanks, John. Spot on. The Air Force also has a Forum section on the myDP where Airmen can ask questions on all sorts of issues ranging from assignments to mentoring to general information. Social Networking is already happening in our services; why not embrace the ability to get our messages out quickly and to a wider varied audience? For those worried about productivity, I'm thinking NCOs and supervisors will write paperwork and discipline folks for abusing the SNS privliges just like they would for abusing lunch hours, fitness time or any other work-day related activity. Besides, how many people does this really affect? The majority of servicemembers don't ride a desk. They work the gates perform maintenance activities handle CE responsibilities etc.

KJ, Nebraska

3/31/2010 3:52:15 PM ET
The irony here is that by virtue of joining a conversation via the comments option on this Web site ,even those who disagree with the new policy have engaged in social media. That's exactly what social media is - a conversation. Just like the telephone and e-mail, this form of communication is met with skepticism because it is new and most people view it as a potential waste of time. Social Media isn't a "while you're at home" venture. It's worldwide. Airmen blog from deployed locations to keep family and friends informed. Our own Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is active in social media. Why? Because he knows that's how a majority of people communicate today. An interesting thought the fastest demographic growing and getting into social media isn't the younger generations. It's the baby boomers.

John, Sheppard

3/31/2010 3:39:45 PM ET
In my honest opinion I think that they should be allowed. If people can't use their better judgement on when it's an appropriate time to use them or not it's on them. There are many career fields that have a lot of down time and there is just so much school work or training that you can do. The social networks give people something to do to make the time pass while they are sitting there waiting for something else to happen.A perfect example is AFIM. I know a lot of people get on that. Most of them sit on there and chat in their down time but like everything else the internet gives us access too some people are constantly using it when they shouldn't.

Joseph V, Scott AFB

3/31/2010 3:34:19 PM ET
And you thought your internet was slow at work before... youtube is considered a SNS per the directive and local CCs can only temporarily ban the use of SNS per DoD guidance. On the bright side more people doing dumb things equals less force shaping to pay for our toys... I mean planes.

D, MDL

3/31/2010 3:21:37 PM ET
Good for PACAF. They better not mess up a good thing. Just like anything else, this beginning sets the example for the rest of the bases. Blogging, like this one right here, gets read around the world. Not only by you and me but by the Pentagon and possibly the White House. Post good ideas - make things better. Anyone can influence important decisions made to the right people anytime by comments on blogging. Use the tools given to you for our advantage appropriately and the guarantee will be an impact to the right change for all of us.

Keith, Iraq

3/31/2010 3:09:50 PM ET
I think we all know out of the 40 hour work week the amount that is productive is never even close to 40 hours There are distractions everywhere, even if it's the co-worker that loves to chat. This is another tool that can be or not.

Annie, VA

3/31/2010 3:02:33 PM ET
Social media is the new way. Looks like the old hats need to get on board with it. Jen, why is it a bad example for young Airmen? Evidently someone above your pay grade feels that social media is productive. Why is everone so fixated on productivity? A mission comes down, the job gets done. Where is the productivity in hurrying up and waiting or, better yet, the office NCO providing Mary Kay consulting services on a government phone; or how about the productivity lost in going to the bathroom? No wonder the Air Force is failing nuke inspections -everyone's stressed out and so consumed with productivity.

Mediocre Airman, USA

3/31/2010 2:54:44 PM ET
We need as leaders to reach out to our younger generation. This is the way they communicate. We all need to get our cheese moved a little now and again. Of course proper controls need to be in place to ensure we minimize abuse.

Waller Clifford, Scott AFB

3/31/2010 12:47:23 PM ET
Here is a concept how about supervisors be supervisors and hold people who aren't getting the job done accountable. Surfing the Web and social media is a symptom of a time management problem. So taking away access addresses the symptom not the problem. These same arguments were made when the Internet as a whole was made readily available in offices and guess what, the mission is still getting done. Whether you agree with it or not social media is here to stay.

Jason, Offutt AFB

3/31/2010 12:21:37 PM ET
This is a case of damned if you, do damned if you don't. The DoD has accepted Social Media as a way of getting the word out and now they've given their blessing for it to be used while on duty. Good luck with managing that. To say we're all grownups is a false hope. Let the troops represent the Armed Services on the social media sites while at home.

Mike, Colorado

3/31/2010 11:24:51 AM ET
JB I would challenge you that productivity IS lost based on access to many sites. ESPN and March Madness is a perfect example.

Don M, Peterson AFB

3/31/2010 11:21:34 AM ET
@RH, eBay is an online auction site. Hotmail is a web based email site. Neither of those are classified as a social media.

Zach, SPANGS

3/31/2010 10:36:43 AM ET
As someone who works in Information Assurance I can tell you that just because the Air Force says yay Go see facebook at work doesn't mean that it will be authorized on your local network.As with any policy local commanders can restrict new and existing policy. Not to mention that your NCOIC or office supervisor can tell you not to use it at all.

Joshua Gulke, Offutt

3/31/2010 10:06:28 AM ET
@RH - Or you can just get an iPhone or DROID. Cell phones are bigger problems in the work place than this.

Mike , Sheppard

3/31/2010 8:43:32 AM ET
Most civilian companies have had unfettered internet access for years and somehow their workers stay competitive and get work done. Silly to think that Airmen will immediately wig out and play Farmville all day on Air Force time. I think we're all grown ups.

JB, Utah

3/31/2010 8:28:33 AM ET
According to our Wing IA Office, when the access is granted visits to social media sites must be for business purposes only such as visiting Air Force organizations which have Facebook pages or are on YouTube. So, it sounds like there will be filters and restrictions. However, the supervisor should still watch the usage levels. No distrust - just keeping honest people honest.

Sarge, Robins

3/31/2010 7:41:33 AM ET
I agree with RH. There is already a loss of productivity with individuals texting and using IM throughout the day. I believe this will set a bad example for younger airmen who need to understand that work is not the place to be using social networks.

Jen, Ohio

3/31/2010 4:53:21 AM ET
I still don't know how I feel about this decision. The introduction of social networking sites will definitely be a time-waster for the majority of desk jockeys around the AF but at the same time it is a great opportunity for the public affairs career field. A number of base PA agencies host facebook pages and commander's blog and twitter accounts so this will give web managers a chance to operate and update these sites from their main desktop and not the computer in the back corner hooked up to a commercial modem.

Ninja, USAFE

3/30/2010 9:03:02 PM ET
Great ... lets bring back hotmail and ebay to the network. That way we surely won't get anything done

RH, Las Vegas

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