The impact of social networking programs such as Facebook, MySpace, YouTube, Flickr and Twitter is transforming the way we work with media, the way we recruit and sustain our force, and the way we interact with the American people. Such tools are essential to linking our deployed men and women with their families, friends and communities at home. Recently, it became clear to me that I needed to get engaged in much the same way our soldiers and airmen have. I offer my early experiences with Twitter, as an example (but not an endorsement).

My first exposure to Twitter, a "micro-blogging" service, happened in Europe at our State Partnership Program conference. The conference chair opened with an announcement about the conference hash tag for Twitter. I had no idea what he was talking about, but several attendees did. Those attendees pointedly told me the information was useless to National Guard members since our networks blocked access to Twitter. Well, we fixed that problem, and I began to learn more about this new phenomenon and its potential impact on how we communicate.

It may surprise some to learn how high up the chain of command interest in social networking sites has risen. Adm. Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; Adm. Jim Stavridis, commander at U.S. European Command; and Adm. Thad Allen, commandant of the Coast Guard, all were on the bow wave of the tweeting trend. Price Floyd (@PriceFloyd), the principal deputy assistant secretary of Defense for public affairs, has been an outspoken supporter, along with other civilian DoD leaders, of broader use of Internet capabilities for communications.

I asked the help desk technician to sign me up for an account. Today, I am up and running on Twitter, have a great group of followers, and follow many users. It may not be the most powerful tool in my communications arsenal, but it is certainly the most personal and the most enjoyable.

How do I use Twitter?

I use it to stress important messages to the National Guard community. Tweets of 140 characters quickly and concisely put out a core message. Issues such as the importance of flu vaccines or National Preparedness Month can be highlighted to a broad audience. I also retweet stories from other senior Defense leaders and organizations to help them spread their core messages.

When I'm traveling, I give out a lot of coins to soldiers and airmen who demonstrate excellence. For the new generation, a tweet is the electronic equivalent of that coin — publicly recognizing their achievements in front of people who matter to them, their followers. This is a powerful tool — I can tell by the speed with which the word spreads across cyberspace and from the back-channel messages that their bosses send to tell me how much the tweet meant to that soldier or airman. This works just as well when recognizing the contributions of units or publicly acknowledging awards and honors.

Twitter is also an effective way to drop a lead on great things the National Guard is doing to the reporters and bloggers. I'll tweet about a meeting with a foreign visitor, or an ongoing domestic support mission, or an upcoming event. The public affairs teams in my office and in the various states, as well as the traditional media and bloggers that follow me, often pick up these stories and push them out as news. And, since we ventured into social networking, visits to our award-winning public affairs Web site, www.ng.mil, have more than doubled since January.

There's valid concern about operational security. My security team warns me that I need to be careful about disclosing travel plans. Others worry about spreading classified details. Proper oversight and discretion can mitigate these risks. I trust our service members to be responsible and exercise good judgment.

The technology folks also worry about security of the network from attack — also a valid concern. But my response is: "Figure it out." These tools are too important to lock away. Some of the brightest minds in the country are focused on securing our networks and lowering this risk. I am confident they have the skills to both empower users and protect critical systems and data.

The National Guard is committed to making these powerful Internet capabilities work. The young men and women joining the service today don't know what the world looked like before Facebook, MySpace, YouTube, Flickr and Twitter. They are transforming the way we do our work. As a leader, if I am not personally engaged in the communications evolution, then I cannot expect the organization to follow.

Air Force Gen. Craig McKinley is chief of the National Guard Bureau. He can be followed on Twitter @ChiefNGB.