LITTLE ROCK AIR FORCE BASE, Ark. -- The acting Assistant Secretary of the Air Force Daniel R. Sitterly issued an AF wide guidance memorandum, Personal Use of Social Media and Electronic Communication, Nov. 11, 2017.
This memo highlights the Air Force standards regarding Airmen’s use of social media and electronic communication, emphasizing the importance of consent with posting sexual imagery.
Electronic communication is defined as “conversing on computers, phones and other electronic devices using text messages, emails, instant-messaging and other means of communication using electronic devices.”
Compliance with this memo is mandatory for all Airmen; failing to do so will result in violation of Article 92: Failure to Obey Order or Regulation of the Uniform Code of Military Justice.
Additionally, all Airmen must be professional, treat others with; dignity, fairness and respect, and uphold the Air Force core values while using social media and electronic communication.
“Airmen need to understand whatever they send out to the internet stays there forever,” said Maj. Morgan Engling, 19th Airlift Wing Legal Office deputy staff judge advocate, referring to individuals posting pictures without consent. “On a daily basis, they need to be thinking what the consequences could be if they hit send.”
Discrimination of any kind will not be tolerated, and the Equal Opportunity Program for military and civilian members applies on and off duty on social media and electronic communication according to AFI 36-2706.
Furthermore, the memo states Airmen are prohibited from posting the items listed below otherwise they will be in violation of Article 92, Uniform Code of Military Justice:
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Posting with the intent to humiliate, harm, harass, intimidate, threaten or coerce the depicted person.
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Posting recklessly and disregarding whether the person shown would be humiliated, harmed, harassed, intimidated, threatened or coerced.
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Posting without the depicted persons consent.
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Posting an identifiable or identified person when that person is engaging in sexually-explicit activity or is of that person’s private area.
For a copy of the memo click here.