Arizona U.S. Sen. Mark Kelly and Utah Sen. John Curtis are asking the U.S. Army to reverse a policy that prevents Yuma Proving Ground from operating its own official social media accounts.
In a letter sent Thursday to Under Secretary of the Army Michael Obadal, the senators said an Army directive issued in June could make it harder for the Yuma testing facility and other Army proving grounds to communicate directly with surrounding communities and private-sector partners.
Under the policy, Yuma Proving Ground and Utah’s Dugway Proving Ground are not authorized to maintain their own official social media accounts. Instead, they must rely on higher-level Army organizations to distribute information.
The senators said they understand the Army’s goal of maintaining consistent messaging, but argued that local communication is important to the facilities’ operations.
“While we understand the Army’s goal of communicating with a clear and unified voice, the directive risks undermining installations for which direct communication with local communities, industry, and other stakeholders is integral to mission success,” the senators wrote.
The letter also raises concerns about the Army’s efforts to expand partnerships with private industry. The senators said social media provides a relatively inexpensive way for testing facilities to showcase their capabilities and connect with companies developing military technology.
