Switched has a new home! Huffpost Tech.

Click here to visit the new home of Switched!

Hot on HuffPost Tech:

See More Stories
AOL Tech

Veterans Affairs Engages Vets via Facebook, Twitter and Blogs

by Caleb Johnson on April 12, 2010 at 07:30 AM

In an effort to reach increasingly younger veterans, the Department of Veterans Affairs hired a former member of the 101st Airborne, and active blogger, to revamp its social media strategy. According to The Washington Post, Brandon Friedman's job is to change the way veterans communicate with a department that's long been known for its lack of transparency. Friedman, who received a book deal in 2007 after he'd begun blogging about his experiences in Iraq and Afghanistan, has created Facebook pages and a Twitter account for the V.A., redesigned its Web site, and has formulated plans to launch a blog dedicated to veterans by the end of this year.

The Post reports that about 60-percent of the service's members deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan are under 30-years old. Since that means they're very likely to use social media as a primary means of communication, all that Veterans Affairs must do is open up a channel. "Veterans want to be engaged," Friedman told the Post. "They want a two-way conversation with us, to tell us what we can improve on."

Though it's been a bit slow to accept, the U.S. military seems to finally be embracing social media. So, we salute the military officials behind this move. Anything that cuts down on waiting in line for information at government offices is fine by us. [From: Washington Post]

Tags: blogs, facebook, government, military, SocialMedia, SocialNetworking, top, twitter, va, veterans

HuffPost AOL Social News Most Popular