How Social Media Helped PACOM in 2009

This past year, a lot of things have happened within PACOM's Area of Responsibility (AOR).

In the last three months alone, we've seen the value of social media in connecting us with people around the world as we carry out our mission in the Asia-Pacific region. We are thankful for those who have helped us spread the word via retweeting/reposting our messages primarily via Twitter and Facebook, most especially during our Humanitarian Assistance/Disaster Relief operations in the Philippines, Indonesia, and American Samoa, this past October.

While it was good to see how much our daily Disaster Relief Fact sheets and Flickr photos were used and shared online, it was even more amazing to see how people came together in a time of crisis to help each other out.

A picture is truly worth a thousand words, and it’s a great way to show the various activities of our Air Force, Army, Marine Corps, and Navy service members around the AOR, such as participating in local community projects and outreach programs, leading or participating in joint military exercises, building relationships and collaborating with other countries to prepare for large-scale natural disasters, sharing best practices with local authorities to promote peace and security, and more recently, spreading the holiday cheer.

We are always moved by the comments that we receive, and we would like to thank our social media friends for amplifying our messages through the “likes” and reposts on Facebook, as well as via the mentions and retweets on Twitter, especially during #militarymonday and #followfriday. We get to hear of your support for our troops (#SOT on Twitter) not just on special occasions but every day!

Social media has definitely helped PACOM in telling stories that are often untold via traditional sources, but more importantly, it has helped us in connecting with you. We have certainly learned a lot, and we are looking forward to learning how we can further develop our social media efforts in 2010.

What are ways in which we can better connect with you this new year? What’s on your mind? We’d love to hear your thoughts!