Columbus Ledger-Enquirer Logo

Chuck Williams: What are you doing soldier? Tweeting, sir! | Columbus Ledger-Enquirer

×
  • E-edition
  • Home
    • Customer Service
    • Mobile & Apps
    • Archives
    • Buy Photos and Pages
    • Special Sections
    • Contact Us
    • Plus
    • Newsletters
    • Newspaper in Education
    • Subscribe
    • Subscriber Services

    • News
    • Local News
    • Photos
    • Crime
    • Databases
    • Education
    • Job Spotlight
    • Georgia
    • Business
    • Nation/World
    • Lottery
    • Sports
    • Alabama
    • Auburn
    • Braves
    • Columbus State University
    • Cottonmouths
    • Falcons
    • Hawks
    • High Schools
    • UGA
    • Blogs & Columns
    • War Eagle Extra
    • Bulldogs Blog
    • Valley Preps
    • Guerry Clegg
    • Politics
    • Elections
    • ToDo
    • Living
    • Dining
    • Celebrations
    • Outdoors
    • Faith
    • Comics
    • Puzzles & Games
    • Horoscopes
    • Blogs & Columns
    • War Eagle Extra
    • Bulldogs Blog
    • Guerry Clegg
    • Tim Chitwood
    • Richard Hyatt
    • Ledger Inquirer
    • Valley Preps
    • Chuck Williams
    • Dimon Kendrick-Holmes
    • Alva James-Johnson
    • Natalia Naman Temesgen
    • Chris Johnson
    • Opinion
    • Forum
    • Letters
    • Dusty Nix
    • Sound Off
  • Obituaries
  • Readers' Choice

  • Classifieds
  • Jobs
  • Moonlighting
  • Cars
  • Homes
  • Place An Ad

  • About Us
  • Mobile & Apps

Chuck Williams

Chuck Williams: What are you doing soldier? Tweeting, sir!

Chuck Williams

chwilliams@ledger-enquirer.com

    ORDER REPRINT →

September 21, 2015 05:22 PM

Gen. Robert B. “Abe” Abrams  walked into the crowd last week at Fort Benning’s McGinnis-Wickam Hall as he addressed the Maneuver Warfighter Conference.

The commanding general of the U.S. Army Forces Command with four stars on his chest was looking for a certain major — or at least that is what he thought at the time — armed with a cellphone, quick-twitch thumb and an opinion or two. The man he was looking for was 2nd Lt. Luke Miller, who is easy to find. Just go to Twitter and type in @GovtIssueJoe.

“I understand there is a major out there live tweeting,” Abrams said.

How did @GovtIssueJoe respond? “Did he just talk about me live-tweeting him?” Miller tweeted.

SIGN UP

Sign Up and Save

Get six months of free digital access to the Ledger-Enquirer

SUBSCRIBE WITH GOOGLE

#ReadLocal

Roger that, lieutenant.

The general wasn’t mad. He was just being realistic. Abrams pointed out that he was up at 5 that morning reading the tweets from the day before. That is when @GovtIssueJoe hit his radar.

The son of famed Gen. and former Army Chief of Staff Creighton W. Abrams Jr. was just pointing out this wasn’t his father’s Army without actually saying that. Last week, a number of soldiers were live tweeting the Warfighter Conference. Abrams’ point: “We need to pay attention to social media, and read. Especially read. That’s how to learn how to think.”

It wasn’t just young soldiers like Luke Miller who were recording what the generals were saying.

Maj. Gen. Scott Miller, commander of the Maneuver Center of Excellence at Fort Benning, joined Twitter just after the conference started.

“The first time I ever tweeted was about an hour into the conference after I started a conversation on Facebook,” Miller said. “I did that on purpose. I understand Facebook, but I don’t understand some of the other social media. I talked to one of my guys and he said, ‘Hey, sir, tweeting is where it’s happening.’”

Imagine a soldier having that conversation with Gen. Patton. This is a different kind of Army and a different time. One must understand and use social media. The enemies are using it. Why would you not want soldiers on social media?

“There is an awful lot to be learned on social media — good and bad,” Maj. Gen. Miller said. “It gives you an idea of the perceptions and undertones going on out there.”

There are ways to use social media that make sense. As women were working their way through Ranger School, critics were pounding away with information — a lot of it misinformation — on Facebook. At some point, those in the Airborne and Ranger Training Brigade began to fight back. Maj. Jimmy Hathaway, the brigade’s executive officer, took to Facebook to challenge the critics with the facts from someone on the inside.

His post went viral.

Unfortunately, we live in a time where if people say something enough on Facebook or Twitter, it becomes fact.

Some on the Army’s top brass have realized that and have begun to march to the cadence of the times, and that’s a good thing.

Contact Chuck Williams, senior reporter, at chwilliams@ledger-enquirer.com

  Comments  

Videos

Miss Georgia will remain in Columbus and celebrate 75 years with the 2019 competition, mayor said

Hardaway defeats Woodward Academy, advances to next round in state tournament

View More Video

Trending Stories

Man dies of gunshot more than week after shooting on Parkchester Drive, coroner says

February 16, 2019 11:09 AM

Man, woman die in Auburn after shootout and apartment fire on Stonegate Drive

February 16, 2019 06:51 PM

Miss Georgia Scholarship Competition staying in Columbus, mayor Henderson says

February 16, 2019 02:19 PM

Miss Georgia will remain in Columbus and celebrate 75 years with the 2019 competition, mayor said

February 16, 2019 12:45 PM

Hardaway defeats Woodward Academy, advances to next round in state tournament

February 16, 2019 10:40 AM

Read Next

After 20 years of investment, Community Foundation looks to future of giving

Chuck Williams

After 20 years of investment, Community Foundation looks to future of giving

By Chuck Williams

    ORDER REPRINT →

September 30, 2018 09:12 AM

There are 300 funds at the Community Foundation of the Chattahoochee Valley. It has $170 million in assets and has awarded $155 million in grants in 20 years.

KEEP READING

Sign Up and Save

#ReadLocal

Get six months of free digital access to the Ledger-Enquirer

SUBSCRIBE WITH GOOGLE

MORE CHUCK WILLIAMS

As Gen. Miller takes control of Afghanistan fight, all you need to know is he’s a ‘badass’

Latest News

As Gen. Miller takes control of Afghanistan fight, all you need to know is he’s a ‘badass’

September 07, 2018 02:39 PM
If the Big Mac has been around for 50 years, that must mean I’m getting old

Latest News

If the Big Mac has been around for 50 years, that must mean I’m getting old

August 03, 2018 09:59 AM
What local journalists do matters, now more than ever

Latest News

What local journalists do matters, now more than ever

June 30, 2018 05:13 PM
Political Rewind offers in-depth, non-confrontational conversation

Chuck Williams

Political Rewind offers in-depth, non-confrontational conversation

June 08, 2018 04:19 PM
Bucket list item gets punched after fog lifts in South Dakota’s Black Hills

Chuck Williams

Bucket list item gets punched after fog lifts in South Dakota’s Black Hills

May 18, 2018 02:56 PM
Columbus judge uses creative justice to punish CSU student who did not report car crash

Chuck Williams

Columbus judge uses creative justice to punish CSU student who did not report car crash

May 05, 2018 09:16 AM
Take Us With You

Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand.

Icon for mobile apps

Columbus Ledger-Enquirer App

View Newsletters

Subscriptions
  • Start a Subscription
  • Customer Service
  • eEdition
  • Vacation Hold
  • Pay Your Bill
  • Rewards
Learn More
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Newsletters
  • News in Education
Advertising
  • Digital Solutions
  • Niche Solutions
  • Print Solutions
  • Place a Classified
  • Local Deals
Copyright
Privacy Policy
Terms of Service


Back to Story