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JB MDL reaches 20,000 Facebook fans

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Scott Saldukas
  • Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst Public Affairs
JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, N.J --  The Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst official Facebook page reached another milestone May 17, 2014, by reaching 20,000 fans.

The JB MDL Facebook page officially launched July 27, 2010, and has earned recognition as one of the top Facebook pages in Air Mobility Command and one of the largest wing pages in the Air Force.

"The goal has always been to provide the JB MDL community with a quick resource for news and information regarding the base issues and activities," said Angel Lopez, JB MDL Public Affairs Office chief.

Even though the release of timely information daily is important, it proved to be an integral tool to keep the joint base community up to date during Hurricane Irene in 2011 and Superstorm Sandy in 2012. It also has been a major tool informing base personnel about road conditions, reporting instructions and major range training.

"Weather and road condition updates received an amazing response during this past winter, which some argue was the worst in South Jersey's recent history," said Staff Sgt. Scott Saldukas, JB MDL Public Affairs Office social media specialist. "Another major type of post our audience seems to appreciate is notification on major range training. Because JB MDL is a major artillery training site, large munitions are used and may cause the local community concern. Using Facebook allows us to send accurate and timely information to those seeking answers."

The 2014 JB MDL Open House and Air Show also brought more than 300,000 people to the joint base May 10 and 11. Many of the visitors from across Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York used the Facebook page as a resource for information and updates. There were nearly 40 posts about the air show that reached more than 1,000,000 people. This included a virtual town hall designed to answer any remaining questions about the event.

"We want to provide as much information as possible," Lopez said. "Our main goal is to keep the JB MDL community up-to-date on anything occurring on base and to promote a sense of community."

While social media is referred to as the "new media" and is evident in the numbers of users, the JB MDL Public Affairs Office is dedicated constantly delivering information and engaging with the audience.

"Gaining 20,000 fans is an amazing feat and is a testament to how information reaches the masses," Lopez said. "Our mission is to engage in two way communication with the public. Facebook is a platform that works exceptionally well to do this, and we hope when someone has a question they come to our Facebook page. Most of all, thank you to every one for trusting us to deliver you the information you need."

Call 754-2104 or post a question at www.facebook.com/JBMDL