JB MDL Facebook page reaches 5,000 likes Published March 28, 2012 By 2nd Lt. Alexis McGee Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst Public Affaris JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, N.J. -- The Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst Facebook fan page officially reached 5,000 fans March 27. The aptly named, "Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst," Facebook page officially launched on July 27, 2010, and in a short amount of time, has earned recognition as the number three Facebook page in Air Mobility Command. The Joint Base Public Affairs team keeps the community updated on base events and happenings via Facebook. The frequent posts allow service members, families, friends and community members to interact. "Our goal has always been to be the best page for JB MDL and its community members," said Angel Lopez, Joint Base public affairs chief. The social media site was also an integral tool to keep the joint base community up-to-date during a storm in 2011 that was anticipated to be the first hurricane to hit New Jersey in more than 100 years. The outlet became a venue for families and friends of JB MDL to offer support to one another as the storm approached. Community members expressed their appreciation for the JB MDL page once the storm passed. "You did a great job during [Hurricane] Irene sharing relevant info in a timely manner," said Lorinda Barnes via Facebook post. "I didn't want the drama many other sources were all about. What I wanted to know was what gates were open if we had to leave in an emergency, what the road conditions were, and what services were available as things got back to normal. I appreciate all the time and lost sleep it took to inform your community. Hope we don't need it again, but if we do, I know where to turn!" The JB MDL Facebook page has also helped to enhance the camaraderie throughout the community - particularly throughout the storm. "During the hurricane, people turned to us for support and though the circumstances were unfortunate, it was rewarding to bring solace to the JB MDL community," said Lopez. "The page made it easier for us to provide immediate responses to our community when they needed it most." Often touted as a 'new media,' Facebook has changed the way joint base representatives communicate with their public. It provides a setting for people to communicate - literally at their fingertips-- with joint base officials. During a town hall meeting June 6, 2011, here, community members who were unable to attend were invited to participate virtually through Facebook. The virtual attendees posted their questions on Facebook and representatives from the public affairs office asked the questions in-person at the meeting. The public affairs representatives then responded live with posts to Facebook. "Thank you for taking my questions into consideration since I'm unable to attend," said a Facebook post by Angel Cianci-Hartman. From questions about upcoming events to questions about places to live near base, the site gives people who are unfamiliar with the base a sense of community. "People post a wide variety of questions on Facebook and I love the opportunity to help them with whatever questions they may have," said Senior Airman Bryan Swink, Joint Base Public Affairs community relations specialist. "One person posted a question about promotions and I was able to provide some insight into how the military promotion process works. It's a great feeling knowing I can respond quickly to help address any concerns people may have." The site also serves as a place to highlight the accomplishments and post congratulatory messages for Soldiers, Sailors, Marines, and Airmen stationed here. "Congratulations to Staff Sgt. Brittney Orr, of the 305th Operations Support Squadron, who was STEP promoted to the rank of technical sergeant by Lt. Gen. Mark Ramsay, 18th Air Force commander, Feb. 15 during an all-call at the Joint Base Theater," said one of the posts. The public affairs team also post safety advisories and construction updates to ensure the joint base community is informed of any potential safety issues around base. One of the JB MDL posts highlighted this as inclement weather approached the area, "Snow is on the ground! If you are out and about, please be cautious and keep safety in mind. Drive safely and obey all speed limits on base." If it's a natural disaster alert, safety update, community event details or congratulatory message, community members can expect to find it on the JB MDL Facebook page. "We want to provide as much information as possible," said Lopez. "Our main goals are to keep the JB MDL community up to date on anything occurring on base and promote a sense of community." People of all ages, states and countries use Facebook and the JB MDL Facebook page fan is no different. The average fan of the joint base page is a female between the ages of 25 and 34 living in New Jersey; however, fans of the page represent 20 different countries and speak 16 different languages. The public affairs team modified their traditional means of communication by joining Facebook to meet the needs of the Joint Base community. The team continues to break traditional media barriers by engaging in social media sites that bring the Joint Base public together. In addition to Facebook, the public affairs team also uses a photo sharing social media site called Flickr to disseminate photos from base events. The team shares numerous pictures weekly on the site giving community members the opportunity to view and print photos from base events. The public affairs career field is constantly evolving to meet the needs of the public and will take every opportunity to find creative ways to reach the community. "Achieving five thousand fans shows how much our community has come together since we developed the Facebook page," said Lopez. "Public affairs is all about engaging the community and hearing what they have to say. We hope that by promoting our page we will encourage more people to come online to join in the conversation to let us know how we can better meet their needs." Call 754-2104 or post a question at www.facebook.com/JBMDL for more information.