--- title: The emerging importance of Facebook for U.S. Army communications image: https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/file-1604204107-jpg/blog-files/6a00d83451f23a69e20120a5dfc514970b-200wi.jpg --- [Skip to main content](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/2009/10/the-emerging-importance-of-facebook-for-us-army-communications.html#maincontent) [ «  View All Posts ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog) # The emerging importance of Facebook for U.S. Army communications October 15th, 2009 1 min read By [David Meerman Scott](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/author/david-meerman-scott) ![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/file-1604204107-jpg/blog-files/6a00d83451f23a69e20120a5dfc514970b-200wi.jpg?width=200&height=266&name=6a00d83451f23a69e20120a5dfc514970b-200wi.jpg) [![Army_logo](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/file-1604204107-jpg/blog-files/6a00d83451f23a69e20120a5dfc514970b-200wi.jpg)](http://freshspot.typepad.com/.a/6a00d83451f23a69e20120a5dfc514970b-pi) While at The Pentagon on Friday, I had a chance to see the five-acre inner courtyard at the center of the building. It is a remarkably tranquil park where people meet, take a break, or grab lunch. I interviewed Lieutenant Colonel Kevin V. Arata, U.S. Army, Director, Online and Social Media Division in the courtyard. We discussed social media in the Army and especially the growing importance of Facebook for communications today. In just six months, the [US Army Facebook page](http://www.facebook.com/USarmy) has 65,000 fans and there is a very active Wall. [Direct link to the video here.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L-BXi2YrRko) **Here are some of the Army's sites: ** [U.S. Army web presence ](http://www.army.mil) [ArmyLive blog](http://armylive.dodlive.mil/) [U.S. Army on Facebook](http://www.facebook.com/USarmy) [U.S. Army on Twitter](http://www.twitter.com/USArmy) [U.S. Army on Flickr](http://www.flickr.com/soldiersmediacenter) [U.S. Army on YouTube](http://www.youtube.com/soldiersmediacenter) [U.S. Army on Vimeo](http://www.vimeo.com/usarmy) [U.S. Army on iReport](http://www.ireport.com/people/USArmy) [U.S. Army on NowPublic](http://www.nowpublic.com/usarmy) [U.S. Army on Delicious](http://delicious.com/USArmyMedia) **If you have been following this blog, you know that I have been blogging all week about what I learned [during my day with the DoD](https://www.webinknow.com/2009/10/the-us-department-of-defense-communications-arsenal.html). If you missed it, here are the other posts.** Discussion with [Roxie Merritt](https://www.webinknow.com/2009/10/us_dod_social_media.html), Director of New Media Operations at the Office of the Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs in the U.S. Department of Defense. Interview with Brian Natwick, [The Pentagon Channel merging television and Web-based content](https://www.webinknow.com/2009/10/the-pentagon-channel-merging-television-and-webbased-content.html) Armed with Science: [Brand journalism in the U.S. Military humanizes a huge organization](https://www.webinknow.com/2009/10/brand-journalism-in-the-us-military-humanizes-a-huge-organization.html) I hope you enjoyed these five blog posts about communications within the U.S. Department of Defense. I'd like to thank [LT Jennifer Cragg](http://twitter.com/jencragg), New Media Directorate, Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Public Affairs, Defense Media Activity who set up all the interviews for me and educated me about the inner workings of public affairs at the DoD. She even drove me to the various locations during terrible traffic -- we were never late. Thank you LT Cragg. [ David Meerman Scott ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/author/david-meerman-scott) David Meerman Scott is a business growth strategist, advisor to clever entrepreneurs who are building emerging companies, and the international bestselling author of a dozen books published in 30 languages. David’s high-energy keynote presentations, masterclasses, and virtual events educate, energize, and inspire. Connect: [mailto:david@freshspot.com](mailto:david@freshspot.com) Topics: [ Social Media ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/topic/social-media) [ Facebook ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/topic/facebook) [ Brand Journalism ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/topic/brand-journalism) Don't forget to share this post: ## Related Articles [![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Artemis%20earthset.jpg?width=5568&height=3712&name=Artemis%20earthset.jpg) ### Nasa’s Artemis II Lunar Mission: A PR Triumph for the USA April 11th, 2026|1 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/nasas-artemis-ii-lunar-mission-a-pr-triumph-for-the-usa) [![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Moltbook.jpg?width=1536&height=1024&name=Moltbook.jpg) ### Moltbook: A Social Network for AI Agents Where Humans Can Only Watch February 3rd, 2026|1 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/moltbook-a-social-network-for-ai-agents-where-humans-can-only-watch) [![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Screenshot%202025-10-29%20at%2010.27.19%20AM.png?width=835&height=466&name=Screenshot%202025-10-29%20at%2010.27.19%20AM.png) ### Don’t Fly Wizzness Class Video from Dave Carroll October 29th, 2025|1 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/dont-fly-wizzness-class-video-from-dave-carroll) [![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Chef%20Todd%20Edwards.jpg?width=1500&height=1010&name=Chef%20Todd%20Edwards.jpg) ### Pulling Back the Curtain to Show What Happens Behind-the-Scenes October 15th, 2025|1 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/pulling-back-the-curtain-to-show-what-happens-behind-the-scenes) [![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/DMS%20BM%20hybrid%202004.jpg?width=1432&height=966&name=DMS%20BM%20hybrid%202004.jpg) ### The Fandom Playbook: My New Book and Companion AI Chatbot September 24th, 2025|1 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/the-fandom-playbook-my-new-book-and-companion-ai-chatbot) [![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Stefano%20Paciotti.jpg?width=1500&height=1084&name=Stefano%20Paciotti.jpg) ### The Ham Whisperer of Rome: How Stefano’s Honest Videos Won the World’s Heart June 24th, 2025|1 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/the-ham-whisperer-of-rome-how-stefanos-honest-videos-won-the-worlds-heart) [![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/LinkedIn%20comments.jpg?width=1114&height=737&name=LinkedIn%20comments.jpg) ### Comments Are the Key to LinkedIn Engagement January 29th, 2025|1 min read ](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/blog/comments-are-the-key-to-linkedin-engagement) [![](https://www.davidmeermanscott.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Kolkata%20Chai%20Ani%20and%20Ayan.jpg?width=1236&height=858&name=Kolkata%20Chai%20Ani%20and%20Ayan.jpg) ### Brewing Authenticity: How Kolkata Chai Co. 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