The impact of social media on the media environment has been widely recognized; as has the ability of extremist and adversarial organizations to exploit social media to publicize their cause, spread their propaganda, and recruit vulnerable individuals. Supporting the growth of social media has been the phenomenal global increase in mobile telephone usage, and much of this increase is in areas where there are existing conflicts or conflicts are highly likely.These combined revolutions will increasingly have a direct impact on virtually all aspects of military operations in the 21st century. In doing so, social media will force significant changes to policy, doctrine, and force structures. This Letort Paper explores the implications of social media for the U.S. Army.

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About the Author: ABOUT THE AUTHORS

IAN TUNNICLIFFE is a Director at Accordance Associates and has led communications, research, and training projects across the Middle East, Africa, and Asia, including Iraq, Libya, Egypt, Nigeria, Somalia, and Afghanistan. A visiting lecturer in social media to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) School in Oberammergau, Germany, his recent work has focused on the role of social media in conflict areas, in particular in Syria, Nigeria, and Somalia. He has also continued to provide the United Kingdom (UK) with exercise support for the Allied Rapid Response Corps (ARRC), serving as the Head of Social Media in Exercise Trident Jaguar 2015 and Exercise Arrcade Fusion 2015. Prior to that, he served for 20 years in the British Army, rising to the rank of Colonel, and his last few years of service were with the Directorate of Targeting and Information Operations (DTIO) in the UK Ministry of Defence (MOD), where he helped develop UK cross-government strategic communications plans in response to a number of international crises in the Balkans, Africa, Asia, and especially the Middle East during the Iraq crisis and conflict. His last post in the Army was in Baghdad, Iraq, during the period between September 2003 to June 2004, where he worked as Director Plans in the Office of Strategic Communications of the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA), working for Ambassador Paul Bremer. During his tenure, he was responsible for Iraq-wide Coalition and United Nations (UN) media campaigns to inform the population of Coalition and UN activities.

STEVE TATHAM is a private consultant specializing in Strategic Communication, influence, target audi­ence analysis, and information operations. Dr. Tatham resigned from the UK's Armed Forces in July 2014. On leaving, he was the UK's longest continuously serving officer in information activities. Between 1998 and 2003, he worked in media operations, covering conflicts in Sierra Leone (2000), Afghanistan (2001), and Iraq (2003), where he was a public spokesperson for the invasion. Between 2003 and 2013, he worked in information operations and psychological operations (PSYOPS). Dr. Tatham was the Commanding Officer of 15 (UK) PSYOPS Group from 2010 to 2013, during which time he deployed on multiple occasions to Afghanistan; was involved at the operational level in operations in Libya; and deployed to East Africa in an advisory role. His final military appointment was as the Special Information Operations Project Officer in the UK Ministry of Defence Operations Directorate. In 2007, he advised the then-commander of British Forces in Afghanistan on influence operations when the strategically vital town of Musa Qala was retaken by British and Afghan forces. The Pentagon later described that operation as the: "single best thing to come out of Afghanistan." Dr. Tatham is the author of two books: Losing Arab Hearts & Minds: The Coalition, Al-Jazeera and Muslim Public Opinion (Hurst & Co, 2006); and, Behavioural Conflict: Why Understanding People's Motivations Will Prove Decisive In Future Conflict (Military Studies Press, 2012). Dr. Tatham holds an M.Phil. and a Ph.D. in international relations, both focusing on ideas of influence and strategic communi­cation in conflict areas.