About Social Media Today
US Pacific Fleet
A couple weeks back I had the fortunate opportunity to talk with the folks at the US Pacific Fleet when Theresa Donnelly, their Public Affairs Community Relations Director, reached out to tell me about the command’s new Facebook page and Twitter feed. Theresa sparked my curiosity and I was soon begging them to open up the kimono and share their social media efforts and some hint of their strategy. I was quickly rewarded with the opportunity to hear from Captain Scott Gureck, Director of Public Affairs for US Pacific Fleet:
STRATSOC: How is your command using the social web today? Are there any notable successes to date?
CAPT Scott Gureck: We have a team approach to engaging in Web 2.0 social media. Each individual in our office is encouraged to participate and take “ownership” and oversight of a different platform – podcast, blog, Twitter or Facebook. Recently, while Adm. Willard was traveling in India and Pakistan a reporter quoted his podcast back to him and asked a question. That shows the power of the new media, and we are engaged. We encourage and support our subordinate commands to also engage, and they are on board. On May 13, Naval Surface Forces started their Facebook and Twitter pages.
STRATSOC: Do you have a social media strategy? If not, how do you decide what capabilities and concepts to employ on the social web?
CAPT Scott Gureck: CPF’s strategy is to engage new media in a way that offers a compelling and interesting portrait of U.S. Pacific Fleet operations and the people performing those operations. Many people who are engaged with new media have little or no experience with military operations or exactly what we do. By having a podcast, blogs, Facebook Page and Twitter we are able to demonstrate what we are doing and reach a diverse audience. We see the new media as another dimension for communication; our strategy is to reach out to as wide an audience as possible and engage wherever we can, resources permitting.
STRATSOC: Have you experienced any challenges engaging in social media?
CAPT Scott Gureck: We have been very fortunate in that Navy leadership has been very supportive of our use of social media tools, and Adm. Willard has even discussed his support of social media in a recent blog post and podcast. As time goes on, more and more people are using these tools and following the examples set forth by our Commander in Chief and Combatant Commanders. For example, early this year, Pacific Command established Twitter, Facebook, blog, Flickr and MySpace accounts; our Commander’s podcast was established in September 2007. Participation by senior leaders demonstrates that our military is committed to open communication and dialog.
STRATSOC: What could other commands learn from your use of social media?
CAPT Scott Gureck: One of the biggest differences between traditional media and social media is the ability to engage in two-way communication. This is very important because it stimulates dialogue and allows users to have an authentic, personable engagement with Pacific Fleet. By only putting out a press release, we might not know what the public thinks, but the comment functions used in most social media tools enable us to talk to the public in new and exciting ways.
STRATSOC: Are there any big plans or unique concepts you plan to employ in the future?
CAPT Scott Gureck: Our next project is an aggregated group blog, getting ready to deploy this summer, with voices of Sailors, family members and Navy civilians from all over the Pacific Fleet area of responsibility. We will feature unique and diverse people who are already writing interesting blogs and spotlight them on our group blog page. It’s an exciting time to be working in public affairs and community outreach as we open lines of communication in this evolving world of social media.
Admiral Willard, Commander US Pacific Fleet
Recently nominated by President Obama to take over the US Pacific Command , Admiral Willard is the current Commander of Pacific Fleet. Willard, a strong advocate of social media, knowledge management and leading edge communication strategy, will undoubtedly bring his advocacy of Web 2.0 and social media to PACOM as well. Also known by his call sign “Rat”, Adm Willard maintains a commander’s blog and a collection of weekly podcasts called the “Rat-Pac Report”. He is also a former Top Gun – a real Top Gun - who appeared in the movie Top Gun as the MIG-28 pilot who receives “the bird” from Goose & Maverick.
While Admiral Willard has been criticized online for his lackluster and “boring” blog – one notable example being Galrahn at Information Dissemination , the Admiral has openly admitted that the blog and social media in general are a learning process for him and other senior leaders. I can accept that – in fact, I’m excited to see Adm Willard take on the top spot in the Pacific. While he may not be a “social media expert” he is both an advocate and a practitioner who will get better with time and more importantly, will advocate and support the use of social media across the Pacific Command. Quite telling on this front is Adm Willard’s post on March 26, 2009:
I think the Navy and we in leadership positions have an obligation to use the communication media that work. And, in this day and age I think the opportunity to employ a podcast or to engage in a blog are effective means of communication that are better accepted than some traditional means that we formerly believed strongly in.
It’s not necessarily comfortable for senior Navy leaders to engage in cyber media methods that they’re not particularly accustomed to, but we can grow accustomed. I’ve been operating a blog now for a couple of months, and while I have a lot to learn to make it an effective engagement tool, I have already seen the benefits of it. The responses that I get back, critical or not, are of value to me as a Navy leader here in Pacific Fleet to understand the tenor out there in certain subject matters.
I’ve had my podcast quoted back to me in foreign audiences, and when that occurs that convinces me that these are media that the Navy would be well served to continue to explore and adapt to, whenever we see the opportunity. So this is a chance that we have to seize what is current, especially among our young Sailors, as a communication medium, and I’m all for it.
Captain Scott Gureck, Director of Public Affairs for US Pacific Fleet
Supporting Adm Willard is a seasoned communications leader and self-professed technology geek and Apple “fan boy”, Captain Scott Gureck . As Director of Public Affairs for Adm Willard and the Pacific Fleet, Scott has been a tremendous leader and champion of the fleet’s forward leaning communication strategies. With a history of leading communication change using the internet as far back as 1997, Captain Gureck is a rising star in the Navy’s communication domain. Interested in knowing the man behind the Public Affairs uniform? Here he is in his own words:
“I’m an action-oriented technology evangelist with a proven track record of consistently implementing innovative and entrepreneurial improvements to every organization served. Possessing a strong bias for doing, I strive to create purposeful, focused change to move the corporate vision forward while reaching our full economic and social potential. A “doer” who prefers to create opportunity that can then be turned into actionable deliverables”
“I’m Directly responsible for brand management and public image for the largest naval fleet in the world. Implemented several new media initiatives including a CEO blog and weekly podcast, a corporate Facebook page, and Twitter-based news alerts. Directly manages a half million dollar budget and a team of 18 while indirectly coordinating the efforts of another 150 people throughout the Pacific.”
Prior to his service at Pacific Fleet, CAPT Gureck was the Director of the Navy Office of Community Outreach (NAVCO) , a position that gave him strong experience working community relations across a broad demographic of the United States. But more importantly, Scott has been an early innovator. At the Naval Media Center he developed a Navy-wide news web site while also serving as the Chief of Publishing. In the late nineties, Scott developed one of the military’s most advanced public-facing websites for the US European Command. We’re not sure where Scott’s headed to next, but we’re certain we’ll find him on the frontlines - advocating for social media and perhaps even bringing his beloved Macs into the enterprise…
For further insight into US Pacific Fleet you can follow them at @PacificFleet or become a fan of the Pacific Fleet Facebook Page
