Social Media: Today's Hub for the Military Family

By Shannon Mason, March 2023 American Military Family Magazine

Just breathe. Being new to the Military or a Military Installation can be a little overwhelming at first. To be honest, that is one emotion you will get quite accustomed to as a Military family, Spouse, and Service Member. However, the Military and your Duty Station have an arsenal of services and resources to help your family for many different areas and situations. There are also other ways to gather information about a new base, whether you prepare to PCS, have just arrived, or have been here a while. Nowadays, social media is a major source of information we utilize. When we are alerted to a PCS, one of the common things first done is to add the new Installation’s home Facebook page to our feed to start the flow of information we will need. Next, Spouses usually join the Facebook page for the Spouses of that installation to do some questioning research and peruse other posts for insight.

A popular treasure trove of information can be found on the Spouses Facebook page for your Installation. There are a myriad of resources to be had there. From different Military branch acronyms and traditions all the way down to numbers for various departments at the clinic, information on the schools for our children, or hours of the Commissary during the Holiday season. Yes, you could do an internet search to aid in accumulating information on the areas that matter and affect your family. There are many articles and tidbits of information out there, but when you want something more pinpointed, and in real time such as a venue or organization with a list of requirements, the Spouse’s page will have the 411 to help you navigate your questions from those who are seasoned spouses and those who have had firsthand experience. Want a church with a certain atmosphere, a gym with childcare, a salon that specializes in a certain technique? How about the auto repair shop everyone prefers or if you’ve experienced a long waitlist with childcare on post? Are you arriving at a new duty station soon, have a list of priority questions, and were just told you have two weeks to execute a DITY move and pressed for time? The Spouses page will reign in that overwhelm and get you feeling as prepared as you can be.

If you reside on your Military installation in housing, there are usually Facebook pages for the individual communities that you reside in. Be sure to request to join your neighborhood’s page as this can be another valuable resource for you and your family in terms of information. You usually have the helpful reminder post about when the water might be shut off for your street due to a leak or even the holiday schedule for trash pickup for those of us who space things easily. You can ask your neighbors for assistance in bringing home a furry friend who accidentally got out of the house or maybe inform someone of a missing toy or item of value that has been located at the nearby park. Most moderators of the page will usually let you advertise your home business and services or maybe you have an inquiry as to anyone having the resources to make a certain product you are in the market for. The most convenient of all is the call out for your neighbors on a certain ingredient you are missing, such as a teaspoon of baking powder while mid-baking, and the hospitality call to arms of your neighbors’ responses. Whatever it may be, you’ll tend to get a few replies in a timely manner from those helpful souls.

Lastly, let us give ode to the haphazard posts of gold nuggets that tend to save us time and headaches every now and again. How many of you have ordered dinner from a delivery service? Maybe you didn’t want to take your young children out, everyone in the house was under the weather, or maybe being new here and stuck in the hotel on post has you craving something other than microwaveable food? Knowing the best food delivery company that can get past the gate and onto post successfully, so your order isn’t canceled, is a great share. That sort of question in our feed seems to be glanced over as you scroll until you really do realize that it is important in its own right. There are also questions regarding décor advice on how to work with a difficult housing room layout, how to get ink pen out of your Service Member’s uniform, and “What in God’s creation is this insect hanging out on my back porch” posts that tend to be helpful to more people than you would think. Let us not forget that handy screen shot in your phone from the picture someone kindly posted of the hours and gate closures on post to keep us from detouring when we need to get somewhere in a timely manner. A genuine lifesaver for sure!

The need for information, and usually fast information, is the way of the Military and life nowadays. The ability to have updates, FYIs, and pressing questions answered makes life easier. Whether you are looking for recommendations on a family-friendly outing within a day’s drive, contact information for something you’re having no luck acquiring, needing advice or direction on a sensitive military issue, or the best place to shop for certain things, the Spouse’s page has you covered.