A Military of Influencers The U.S. Army Social Media, and Winning Narrative Conflicts

• Published in: The cyber defense review Vol. 7; no. 4; pp. 213 - 226
• Main Authors: Ross, Robert J., Rutland, Josh
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Army Cyber Institute 01.10.2022
• ISSN: 2474-2120; 2474-2139

In the interconnected era of the Internet, the military must confront the new face of an old threat: narrative conflict. Where states once maintained nearly absolute domestic control of the narratives surrounding their military engagements, social media have created a wide array of perspectives, arguments, and disinformation campaigns that constantly affect both the civilian and military populations. These campaigns encourage the questioning of state objectives and threaten the identity of the individual and the collective ontological identity of the society, making it more difficult for states to maintain momentum and support for their military endeavors. Without that support, military campaigns can collapse, regardless of the skill or preparedness of warfighters. This research explores three topics relevant to the U.S. Army in hopes of helping it better equip itself to succeed in narrative conflicts: the strategic impacts of commander’s decisions on the battlefield, the need to control signals emissions, and the consequences of bulk internet data sales. It then concludes by providing brief policy suggestions for mitigating these issues.