The Army Should Defend Soldiers Online, Too, Top Enlisted Soldier Says – By Elizabeth Howe (Defense One) / Oct 12, 2022
‘I got your back’, says Sgt. Maj. Grinston, who subtweeted critics of women in the military on Twitter, seeming to contradict the Army secretary.
Two days after the United States Army secretary urged top officers to use caution when posting on social media, even if in defense of their troops, the top enlisted soldier gave his senior non-commissioned officers different advice.
“As a leader, you are expected to intervene on behalf of your soldiers,” Sergeant Major of the Army Michael Grinston read from Army command doctrine. “And in parentheses it says: online and in-person.”
What Army leaders can post on social media has been a hot topic at the Association of the United States Army’s annual conference in Washington, D.C., following a controversial investigation into one general’s public defense of female troops.
In a report released last week, the Army accused Maj. Gen. Patrick Donahoe of bringing “negative publicity” to the service after he posted several tweets rebuking political talk show host Tucker Carlson’s criticism of women serving in uniform. The Army’s decision to investigate Donahoe has drawn fire from those who believe service leaders should defend him instead.
