The U.S. Air
Force saw a surge of Facebook growth --an increase of 7.2 percent from April.
It is the
largest increase the Air Force has experienced since the March 2012 surge;
where it registered an impressive 140,000 plus boost of Facebook fans.
This despite a rocky month for the Air
Force, which struggled to remain visible, the Department’s official Facebook account has been steadily gaining
Facebook fans, leading to the impressive numbers seen, making it this week’s
military department leader for social media growth.
The growth has
also been steady on Twitter.
As of May 1, the Air Force clocked recorded 91,964 fans on the social
network service--for at total growth of 6.9 percent between April 2nd and May
2nd.
The recent
spike in social media growth comes on the heels of a $156 million contract
awarded to Lockheed Martin by the Department of Defense. The contractor--which
manufactures planes, weapons equipment and other devices for the Air
Force--will be responsible for building new training devices for aircrews and
maintenance personnel. The new devices will be delivered to military bases in
New Mexico, Arizona, Texas, as well as the Air Force's base in Ramstein,
Germany.
The
announcement has been a boon for Lockheed Martin's Twitter account as well,
which has garnered over 24,000 followers since its inception.
The jump in social
media fans is the first good news for the Air Force since ABC News reported
that cadres of airmen and pilots have protested the new F-22 Joint Strike
Fighter, citing the jet's oxygen deficit problems as a major concern.
