On today's cover of The Washington Post, there was an article that seemed to really resonate with me. The article, Facebook brings the Afghan war to Fort Campbell, discusses the impact of the war on military (Army) families with regards to Facebook.
Word seems to spread among the families when the troops are ordered to
maintain "radio silence" when there has been an incident within the
company.
With each successive year of war, new technologies and social-media sites have narrowed the distance between the home front and the frontlines. In the early days of the Afghan war - before Facebook existed - troops typically e-mailed home a few times a week. They called even less frequently.The thing is not hearing from the loved ones is the key off that something is not right within the company. This causes panic back home and everyone gets worried about whose loved one(s) it is. Once one person finds out that something happens to his/her loved one, it narrows down to who else can and is involved; the information seems to spread like wild fire through all the different types of social media.
Only hours after the explosion on Monday, June 7, the news that something terrible had happened spread among the three dozen wives of Gator Company through social-media sites and text messages. Worried spouses called the battalion's rear-detachment headquarters at Fort Campbell, searching for news. They posted prayers on Facebook. They scoured the Internet for scraps of information about their husbands' fates.Is the use of social media to connect with loved ones fighting overseas worth the heartache of waiting to hear news of loved ones because of the military blackout? I know that military policy is to let loved ones know of fallen troops before everyone else knows, but could it be beneficial for troops not to maintain "radio silence," with loved ones letting them know that they are okay?
I would like to take time to thank those families and loved ones of our troops who served, are serving, and will serve overseas. My sister, just this week, got engaged to an Airman. I hope I can be there for her, if the time ever comes, but I'm also glad to know that people will be around her know the same exact fears to help her through.
God Bless our Troops and God Bless America
