The Pentagon is seen on Oct. 21, 2021. (Robert H. Reid/Stars and Stripes)
WASHINGTON – Social media posts from official accounts at the Defense Department will be suspended for 10 days excluding communications about operations along the U.S.-Mexico border or military base activities, according to a memo issued by the acting defense secretary’s office.
“This suspension does not apply to social media communication concerning DoD’s current operations defending our southern border – in fact, this is the top priority for the department,” Joe Kasper, chief of staff for the defense secretary, wrote in the memo.
News of a pause of social media use throughout the Defense Department began to swirl Thursday. A senior defense official who spoke on condition of anonymity said at that time that the moratorium is meant to ensure department social media posts align with President Donald Trump’s “priorities on readiness, lethality, and warfighting.”
On Monday, Trump signed a slew of executive orders, including three related to the U.S.-Mexico border. By Wednesday, acting Defense Secretary Robert Salesses announced the deployment of 1,500 troops to help with border security. The forces will install physical barriers along the border and conduct detection and monitoring missions, according to U.S. Northern Command, which is leading the mission.
Detachments made up of about 500 Marines and sailors from the 1st and 7th Combat Engineer Battalions from the 1st Marine Division at Camp Pendleton, Calif., were already deployed in support of wildfires in the state and began transitioning Wednesday to the border.
They will “secure the border and protect and defend the territorial integrity of the United States,” according to a statement from the I Marine Expeditionary Force.
The remaining 1,000 troops come from various Army units from Fort Cavazos and Fort Bliss in Texas, Fort Campbell in Kentucky, Fort Drum in New York, Fort Stewart in Georgia, Fort Carson in Colorado, Fort Riley in Kansas and Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington state.
The memo also clarifies military installations are permitted to post about base operations and activities.
“I recognize the duty and responsibilities of military installation commanders to inform service members, military families, veterans, base partners and visitors about base activities and services. Therefore, the guidance does not apply for normal installation base operations and activities,” Kasper wrote.
Such operations and activities include posts related to recruiting, DoD Education Activity school happenings, notifications, and items related to morale, welfare, recreation and commissaries.
“Nothing in this memo should be interpreted as disrupting or ceasing normal installation base operations and activities,” Kasper wrote.
