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Air Force backs down on Web site condemnation

The Air Force has publicly retracted erroneous information that it had widely circulated about a commercial military social networking site called TogetherWeServed.com.

Air Force officials had sent out information describing the Web site as an operational security “nightmare” since Jan. 30, citing concerns about the Web site’s server being based in Germany and the parent company being based in Canada.

“After subsequent research, some of the information in the briefing, created by an Air Force officer, was found to be inaccurate,” said Lt. Col. Melinda Morgan, chief of products and information for the Air Force Office of Public Affairs, in the announcement May 12.

“The author of the brief sent out a subsequent e-mail to retract the inaccurate information,” Morgan said. “Additionally, the Air Force has since requested the briefing cease to be propagated and will continue to take action to remove the briefing if instances of its use are discovered.”

Morgan noted that the company is a California-based corporation owned and operated by the TWS Advisory Group, made up mainly of military retirees and veterans.

Morgan said the press release does not constitute an Air Force endorsement of the Web site, and added that airmen are expected to comply with operational security guidelines when using this or any social networking Web site.

Wes Prater, co-founder of the Web site, said it may be too late.

“Although this is a positive sign from the Air Force, it is extremely overdue” — and may have been instigated only by the story appearing in the Military Times papers, as opposed to an internal initiative, he said.

“Air Force Commands have already sent briefs containing erroneous information warning their personnel to avoid AirForce.TogetherWeServed.com at all costs since the first week of February,” he said.

“The Air Force has blocked, without reservation, all access to [the site] from all bases, and to the best of our knowledge no command has sent any briefs to their personnel retracting the original brief, nor have any discriminatory blocks against [the site] been lifted.”

While most of the 50,000 Air Force members who joined the site before the erroneous information began circulating have remained members, most have not returned, he said.

“The result is clear — the site’s reputation throughout the Air Force has been destroyed,” Prater said. “We’re going to try our best to keep the site going. It’s part of our military community, and the other sites are doing well. We appreciate what the Air Force is doing now, but unfortunately, they let this go on for too long.”

TogetherWeServed.com launched its Marine and Navy community Web sites in 2003 and 2006. The Army version is scheduled to launch in July.

The Air Force version was launched in December 2007, and within three weeks membership had grown to 46,000, at a rate of about 2,500 a day. After the Air Force e-mail was circulated, Prater said, growth decreased to about 100 new members a day.

The briefing had raised concerns about operational security. “Anyone can log on with any alias and have full access,” stated the briefing, forwarded widely throughout the Air Force. “Bottom line — OPSEC nightmare!!!”

Prater said no one can see a member’s privacy-protected information unless the member agrees to make it available through his or her “buddies” list.

He said the sites are commercial entities and include disclaimers that they are not approved, authorized or endorsed by the Defense Department.

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Staff writer Seamus O’Connor contributed to this story.