As many already know, the innovations that eventually became the Internet were originally developed through DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) as a means of communication between military and educational networks.  Well now it seems social media is taking the Internet back to its roots.

During the past week, some amazing stories have emerged about the military’s groundbreaking use of social media.  From Facebook saving the life of a soldier thousands of miles away to stockpiles of Weapons of Mass Destruction being monitored online, social media has been keeping the military pretty busy. And this Veterans Day we got to hear some eye-opening stories about how our armed forces utilize the internet to keep us safe.

Recent articles posted in a timely fashion for the celebration of Veterans Day have described some fascinating and, in some cases, very emotional breakthroughs in the military applications of social media.  BusinessInsider describing how, through a network of thousands of soldiers on Facebook, a suicidal soldier’s life was saved from thousands of miles away in the middle of the night.

A TechHive article published this week also showed the incredible ways the military is using social media to gather intelligence.  Syrian opposition forces use new media techniques every day to gain intelligence as they fight against the Assad regime, and the amount of information brought in by these methods is roughly equivalent to 100 intelligence officers using traditional methods.  This Google map, currently used to track movements of and attacks by Assad regime forces, is a great example of how the military utilizes social media to monitor conflicts around the globe and ensure that chemical and biological weapons remain secure in the region.

Finally, a story posted just today by HispanicBusiness announced the launch of RallyPoint, a military-only social network.  RallyPoint was launched on Veterans Day this year as a way for those who have served in uniform to connect with their fellow service members, past and present, as well as connect people with the same skills and expertise.  Consider how RallyPoint might be able to be a support network for soldiers with PTSD in the way that Facebook helped the suicidal soldier mentioned above.

Many great things are happening in the world of social media that aren’t just keeping Americans safe, but helping to keep the world safe, and serving our men and women who proudly wear their military uniforms.

From OPUSfidelis to all the men and women who put themselves in harms way for the cause of freedom: Thank you for your service!