TroopTube helps keep Marine families connected

Even if they are sent overseas on deployment, Marines will be able to stay connected with their families at home in Yuma.

TroopTube, recently unveiled by the Department of Defense, is a government-run video-sharing Web site sponsored by Military OneSource allowing service members, military family members and troop supporters to view, post and comment on videos. The site can be accessed at www.trooptube.tv or via militaryonesource.com.

Developed in response to the May 2007 ban on government employees using public video-sharing and networking Web sites such as YouTube and MySpace, TroopTube is designed to help bridge the communication gap between families and deployed defense personnel, said Army Lt. Col. Les Melnyk, Pentagon spokesman.

TroopTube can be used on any computer, including government ones, to see those important family moments. Defense personnel and other users can upload personal videos for public or private view from any computer as long as they have an Internet connection, said Melnyk.

This is a good tool for Marines to use to communicate with their families, said Staff Sgt. Douglas Vasquez, a fuel operations chief for Yuma-based Marine Wing Support Squadron 371 who is deploying next year.

The great thing about a site like this is Marines and family members will actually be able to see each others' faces, and it appeals to many Marines who use technology like it, said Vasquez, who is also a husband and father of two daughters.

"(TroopTube) doesn't make the deployment any easier, but it definitely adds more peace of mind," said Jennifer Dixon, wife of MWSS-371's Cpl. Michael Dixon. "It will be nice to see his face in the course of those seven months."

Although users will be able to upload most videos, there are some limits to how much and what can be posted.

Videos are limited to five minutes of play time or 20 megabytes of memory. They will be screened by government monitors who will flag videos that reveal sensitive information, contain graphic violence and obscenity or break copyright laws.

The screening process is meant to keep troops safe and sensitive information from getting to the enemy, not to censor users, said Melnyk.

Despite being up and running, the site is still developing, said Melnyk. TroopTube will continue to change to fit the needs of the family and their military members.


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This story previously appeared in The Desert Warrior, the newspaper of the Marine Corps Air Station.