Military influencers are taking over social media. The Pentagon is at a loss on how to handle them.

"All military influencers, regardless of follower count or content style, operate in a murky space between personal branding and military ethics guidelines. Some share lighthearted or mundane glimpses of daily military life; others push boundaries with sexualized or irreverent posts. Across the ranks, Pentagon policies on social media are vague and unevenly enforced, leaving troops eager to grow their followings but wary of the consequences, according to interviews with six military influencers and five public affairs officers."

"The lack of clarity has spawned a confusing ecosystem that the Army's own influencer program hasn't yet regulated. Top Pentagon officials are giving some directives ad hoc: A new warning last week from the Navy Secretary said sailors and Marines' social posts would be reviewed for political content. The note didn't explicitly state what was off-limits or how enforcement would work. Inside the military, social media is like the Wild West."

"Some, like Marine 1st Lt. Kagan Dunlap, have appeared at major events alongside political heavyweights like Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Vice President JD Vance. Others have joined the Army's now-paused "Creative Reserve" pilot program, which tapped soldier-influencers for help recruiting and marketing. Attitudes toward military influencers are sharply divided within the ranks. Some troops are troubled by the idea that service members can accumulate wealth and clout for successful post-military careers while still in uniform."

Military influencers range from service members appearing at major political events to participants in the Army's paused 'Creative Reserve' pilot program that tapped soldier-influencers for recruiting and marketing. Content spans mundane daily life to sexualized or irreverent posts. Pentagon social-media guidance is vague, unevenly enforced, and sometimes issued ad hoc, including a recent Navy Secretary warning about political content without clear boundaries or enforcement procedures. The unclear rules create a confusing ecosystem, prompt concern about service members accumulating wealth and clout while in uniform, and leave troops eager for clearer guidance.

Read at Business Insider