Why does the US Central Military Command need Twitter and Youtube accounts?

[MannyGoldstein]

I find it bizarre.

(Those accounts were hacked today, allegedly by ISIS.)

[arcane1]

1. One possible reason:

http://www.buzzfeed.com/mhastings/congressmen-seek-to-lift-propaganda-ban#.lfJADwLJw

[dilby]

2. Because most of their employees are familiar with using social media.

It's the same reason colleges use twitter to send notifications to students, like if there is an active shooter on campus.

[countryjake]

3. And Agent Mike waves hello...

Last night on CNN International, they reported that Anonymous has hacked, exposed, blocked, and named a bunch of Terrorist accounts on Twitter and elsewhere. One commentator said it was nice to see them helping rather than thwarting US security.

Cyberwarfare at its finest.

Strange days are here.

[Trillo]

4. Because corporations are people my friend.

I presume for the same reason that any corporation has a social media account. There's no reason for the U.S. military to be any different from any other hierarchical group of "persons".

[yuiyoshida]

5. Is this it?

https://twitter.com/southcomwatch

[MannyGoldstein]

6. @centcom, I think

http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/jan/12/us-central-command-twitter-account-hacked-isis-cyber-attack

[yuiyoshida]

7. yup thanks..

https://twitter.com/CENTCOM

not gonna follow them.. was just curious

oooh! check this out! https://twitter.com/OpIceISIS

[MannyGoldstein]

13. Strange days, indeed!

[JonLP24]

8. Why would it be bizarre?

For the same reason as this -- http://www.defense.gov/news/articles.aspx

Chairman: Sequestration Cuts Would Require Strategy Change

By Amaani Lyle
DoD News, Defense Media Activity

WASHINGTON, Jan. 11, 2015 – Unless Congress changes the Budget Control Act, which now requires a return to sequestration-level spending cuts in 2016, the military will need to change its strategy, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said in an interview broadcast today.

In an appearance on “Fox News Sunday With Chris Wallace,” Army Gen. Martin E. Dempsey said the Army is drawing down from 570,000 soldiers to 450,000, but he noted that a Pentagon analysis shows sequestration would drive that number to 420,000, and even lower under some circumstances.

Sequestration would leave the military “far less able to do the things that we think the country needs us to do,” Dempsey said.

Meanwhile, he United States continues to face threats from both state actors and nonstate actors, the chairman said. Though he’s concerned about that, he added, the United States still is the most powerful nation in the world by any measure, and is likely to remain so – “unless we -- unless we talk ourselves out of it and legislate ourselves out of it with things like the Budget Control Act.”

http://www.defense.gov/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=123948

I actually find it bizarre you find it bizarre and I say that with all due respect, I hope this makes sense.

[SidDithers]

9. To communicate with people?...

Sid

[MannyGoldstein]

11. You win the Internet! nt

[MineralMan]

10. Why does anyone have them?

Why do you ask? That's my question. How does it matter?

[Man from Pickens]

12. because then they can have them "hacked by ISIS"

and thus justify another trillion dollars pissed down the toilet