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Wing leadership enters social media realm
VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- The 30th Space Wing's commander and command chief are now online.
As part of Secretary of Defense Robert Gates' call for more open communication in the military, Col. David Buck and Chief Master Sgt. Angelica Johnson have created pages on Facebook to facilitate that communication.
The creation of their pages on Facebook coincides with the creation of a page for the 30th Space Wing. People are invited to become fans of all three pages.
"It's important in this day and age to use every communication outlet possible," said Colonel Buck. "Our people, especially our younger Airmen, are migrating toward these social networking sites. If that's where they are, then that's where we need to be."
People are flocking to social networking sites to meet old and new friends, share information on various topics and have plain, old fun. The commander has all this in mind when he logs into his page.
"I hope to educate, I hope to inform, I hope to entertain," said Colonel Buck. "And along the way, maybe we can improve the way we're doing business. Maybe we can break down some communication barriers."
While the wing commander and command chief plan on using their pages and the 30th Space Wing page to interact with Team Vandenberg, they see opportunities outside the base gates.
"I'm looking forward to reaching out and connecting with the local community," said Chief Johnson. "In an open forum like this, we can not only get to know our neighbors better, but also quickly respond to any concerns they may have."
Another opportunity provided by entering the realm of social media is reaching out to people who may not know much about the 30th Space Wing's mission or space in general. Educating the public is one of the bigger goals of these pages, Colonel Buck said.
"Space is not as visible as, say, an F-22 screaming across the sky," he said. "It's just as valuable, but not as visible. So it's not just the Airmen or retirees we need to reach; it's those people who are very removed from the space business, someone who wants to learn more or just talk about space."
Whether they want to share a photo, ask about the next Fit to Fight Run or find out more about space launch, fans of any of the pages shouldn't expect their messages to be lost in cyberspace. The wing commander and command chief said they will use this social media tool for its intended purpose: communication.
"We're not online to police the Internet, we're here for open communication," said Chief Johnson. "It's like the ultimate 'open-door policy.'"
For Colonel Buck's page on Facebook, click here. For Chief Johnson's page on Facebook, click here. For the 30th Space Wing's page on Facebook, click here.