Military and Facebook

[NSDreamer]

  So I was just somewhat surprised to come home from a training exercise to see privates from my unit attempting to add me on facebook. Suffice to say, I didn't click yes as I feel that allowing troops in my unit into my personal life is a bad idea in regards towards my being in a leadership position.

I was wondering if anyone had any thoughts on the matter of troops respecting boundaries in situations like this and similar situations?

 

[Davionn]

  So I was just somewhat surprised to come home from a training exercise to see privates from my unit attempting to add me on facebook. Suffice to say, I didn't click yes as I feel that allowing troops in my unit into my personal life is a bad idea in regards towards my being in a leadership position.

I was wondering if anyone had any thoughts on the matter of troops respecting boundaries in situations like this and similar situations?

I think it's up to you and your comfort level.  Nothing wrong with declining, IMO.

I usually accept the invite (don't realy seek them), but in doing so, I place them in a special list with particular privacy settings.  The troops see only what I'm comfortable showing them.

 

[bdave]

I don't see the problem with it.
A few members of my BMQ(c) added me and that's fine.
As long as they/you are professional and 'respect the boundaries' when you are on DND property or in uniform, I would think it would be fine. If they start posting stupid stuff on your wall, you can always "remove them as a friend".
That being said, you can limit how much info they can see using your privacy settings.

 

[Nemecek]

And remember, it goes both ways too. You might lose some respect along the line if your statuses are things along the lines of: "Ahhh man, so hungover. Can't believe how fat the girl was I went home with last night."

Not saying you will post that at all, but just keep it in mind.

We're all people in the end. We all have our personal lives and likes or dislikes. Just because someone is a subordinate doesn't mean by any stretch you can't be friends with them. It's like any work situation. Just be smart about it.

 

[Shamrock]

My Facebook friends run the gamut from no hook privates to a couple of light colonels.  Everything is categorized, and I'm cautious about what I post.  However, I find social networking an effective aide to leadership.  In essence, I treat it as an electronic all ranks mess. 

 

[stealthylizard]

The only military friends I have as a no-hook private, are cpl's and below.  If they get promoted (appointed) to M/Cpl I remove them.  I am somewhat old school in the belief that there is a line of familiarity that shouldn't be crossed between various ranks of NCM's.  But that being said, facebook was the preferred method of communication in Afghanistan between KAF and FOB's.  For some reason, facebook was more reliable than official online military communication methods, and the phone wasn't any better.

 

[Trueblue]

IMO,

it all depends on what sort of working relationship you have with the guy, if you're a master corporal and you are working along side him on a daily basis I don't see anything wrong with him attempting to add you...

that being said if you are a bit higher up in the sense that you would only see him at work if he was in crap, that may be a little bit too much.

 

[PuckChaser]

I have my supervisor and some of my subordinates on my Facebook. We're a close section, but we all know where the line is between military bearing and being friends outside of work.

 

[aesop081]

I have my supervisor and some of my subordinates on my Facebook. We're a close section, but we all know where the line is between military bearing and being friends outside of work.

The trouble we are running into now is that most of us have been flying together for years, are all fairly senior and are all quite casual with eachother (officers and NCMs). We are now starting to get our first privates and they dont know or understand where that line is and we have to thread carefuly so they dont get themselves in trouble. Regardless of the method used, what i say can have a big impact so i tend to stay away from the new folks on FB.

 

[PuckChaser]

Yep, that's a good point. Like you said, most new troops don't know the line yet, and even sometimes their military bearing is lacking. My shop is all Cpls and MCpls, so there's less of a "new guy" issue for us.

 

[toughenough]

Just from looking in your profile, I'd caution you to remember that typically these no hooks will mirror your career path quite closely. I'm not sure how things go in the service battalion, so this is written in context of an infantry unit.

Right now you are an OCdt, and they are no hooks. When you are fully trained, you'll be a brand new 2LT and they they'll be a new Pte. You'll be shaped and molded and guided by your Pl 2iC, and they Pte will have the same experience with his Sect 2iC or Sr Cpls.

When you become an LT, you'll be comfortable in leading your Pl and doing your job. He'll become a Cpl and be comfortable in his job and start taking on more and more leadership responsibility. When you're staring down the barrel of Capt, he'll be setting his sights on MCpl.

He'll be shaping more troops more directly then you will be at this point (or probably any point). He can or make or break the morale of his section, and possible the platoon. You'll be relying on him to have his troops meet your (and higher's) intent. He will be enforcing some level of discipline, and will be ensuring his troops don't go down from carelessness with regards to pers admin, hygiene, kit, etc.

When/if you ever take over a company, he'll be there as a Sr NCO.

In theory, one day when you take over your unit, he'll be there as a CSM or RSM.

Hopefully you see where I'm going with this. Please don't think you are above your troops. You need them. If you are the man you should be to be leading, you'll have nothing to hide, and won't mind the troops respecting you for what you really are, and not just what you are for 3 hours one night a week.

 

[NSDreamer]

Tha

Just from looking in your profile, I'd caution you to remember that typically these no hooks will mirror your career path quite closely. I'm not sure how things go in the service battalion, so this is written in context of an infantry unit.

Right now you are an OCdt, and they are no hooks. When you are fully trained, you'll be a brand new 2LT and they they'll be a new Pte. You'll be shaped and molded and guided by your Pl 2iC, and they Pte will have the same experience with his Sect 2iC or Sr Cpls.

When you become an LT, you'll be comfortable in leading your Pl and doing your job. He'll become a Cpl and be comfortable in his job and start taking on more and more leadership responsibility. When you're staring down the barrel of Capt, he'll be setting his sights on MCpl.

He'll be shaping more troops more directly then you will be at this point (or probably any point). He can or make or break the morale of his section, and possible the platoon. You'll be relying on him to have his troops meet your (and higher's) intent. He will be enforcing some level of discipline, and will be ensuring his troops don't go down from carelessness with regards to pers admin, hygiene, kit, etc.

When/if you ever take over a company, he'll be there as a Sr NCO.

In theory, one day when you take over your unit, he'll be there as a CSM or RSM.

Hopefully you see where I'm going with this. Please don't think you are above your troops. You need them. If you are the man you should be to be leading, you'll have nothing to hide, and won't mind the troops respecting you for what you really are, and not just what you are for 3 hours one night a week.

In response to this, I believe in that very strongly. While my career will likely not keep me with this unit when I CT, it's still important to remember that. After all, I won't be the only one. Besides you owe a debt of respect, I feel, as an officer to troopies. They may be rowdy and always F*** you over without meaning to, but they also do the grunt work, while I'm writing down orders and plans they're hucking gear up the 105 because the MLVW broke down and can only go at 60Kmph and as a result have to double time when they get to obj to unload.

 

[Danjanou]

My Facebook friends run the gamut from no hook privates to a couple of light colonels.  Everything is categorized, and I'm cautious about what I post.  However, I find social networking an effective aide to leadership.  In essence, I treat it as an electronic all ranks mess.

Kind of like this site 8)

 

[Jarnhamar]

I can't stand facebook, it's retarded how people update EVERYTHING.
I just got my hair cut, I'm reading a book, I just watched a funny commercial.

I only use facebook to keep in touch with army friends from tour and soldiers from my regiment.  As much as I hate it facebook makes keeping in touch with people pretty easy. Good for passing off non secure information about ex's, mess parties, timings etc..

It can backfire though.  I had a friend get an email while he was overseas because an officer at his unit saw his picture on facebook. He was in the field for Op Medusa and unshaven 
The adj at this guys reserve unit back in Canada wanted the deployed soldier charged..
Also pictures from a mess party were put on facebook on a young soldiers personal page and an officer was snooping and took issue with some pictures he didn't like.


As an officer you'll be under the scope for everything you do, or post.

 

[Haggis]

Also pictures from a mess party were put on facebook on a young soldiers personal page and an officer was snooping and took issue with some pictures he didn't like.

And rightfully so, if those photos violate the law or contravene command direction.  Remember, the CO is ultimately responsible for everything that happens in a unit - good or bad - and relies on his officers and NCOs to keep him out of shyte.  Imagine how much trouble it could've been if the snooper had been a liquor inspector or journalist?

Many employers also surf Facebook (and other social networking sites) for information and insight about potential employees.  Some go as far as asking to be temporarily added as a friend on your site as part of the hiring process.  If you're not comfortable with sharing a photo/comment/status update with the entire world then you have three choices:

1. adjust your privacy settings to mirror your comfort zone;
2. be very selective and somehat discriminatory about who you "accept" as Facebook friends;
3. don't post the photo/comment/staus update.

The same caveats can be applied to e-mail addresses as well.  Sending an electronic application form from the e-mail account throbbinghotstud(at)hotmail.com will probably not get you an interview.

(Edited to ensure the fictional e-mail account wouldn't work)

 

[Bluebulldog]

Being one of the aforementioned no-hook privates I'll lump in my 2 cents.

My Res unit has a page on facebook, which many of the currently serving members are on. It's a great middle ground, without adding people to your friends. You can however change your privacy settings to allow members of that group to see a few more details.

Now I'm a little older than most privates, and have a better sense of what is proper or not. IMHO I think it comes down to comfort level. Let's see...if you're not comfortable walking up to the person and saying "let's grab a beer in the mess" then you probably shouldn't be adding them on FB. If you work pretty closely with someone, then by all means.

 

[PuckChaser]

It can backfire though.  I had a friend get an email while he was overseas because an officer at his unit saw his picture on facebook. He was in the field for Op Medusa and unshaven 
The adj at this guys reserve unit back in Canada wanted the deployed soldier charged..
Also pictures from a mess party were put on facebook on a young soldiers personal page and an officer was snooping and took issue with some pictures he didn't like.

I have one officer on my Facebook, because I trust him to confront me directly if there was something inappropriate relating to the CF on my profile. Its just better to keep 1 or 2 ranks up and 1 or 2 ranks down only, unless you know for sure they won't be doing things like you described.

 

[AgentSmith]

I've got a bunch of my army friends on facebook ranging from people from my BMQ to people I work with in my unit, from Pte all the way up to WO and 2 Lt. I don't see it as any big deal. I respect peoples boundaries at work as far as rank goes but after work I'm not afraid to go out and have a beer with them. 

 

[Shamrock]

... all the way up to WO and 2 Lt.

That's a contradiction.

 

[AgentSmith]

That's a contradiction.

What do you mean?