Preface: The Rise of the Navy Gold Star Program

9/11 led to two wars, with troops finally leaving Afghanistan after two decades. Brave Americans stood up and fought for our country. Many didn’t return home. Whether they died on the battlefield, at sea while training, or on the home front by suicide or from other injuries sustained overseas, families were and continue to be left behind.

In 2014, 13 years into the conflicts, the Chief of Naval Operations initiated the Navy Gold Star Program. It was designed to support the needs of the families of the fallen, keeping them connected to the Navy.

The Department of the Navy’s 2019 Social Media policy reads, “the internet never forgets.” It serves as a reminder to Sailors and their families that what they put on social media, lives forever online. It also continues the encouragement that Sailors and their families should share their Navy story.

In 2022, the Department of Defense published its first-ever service-wide social media policy.

Interspersed throughout these years are the realizations and studies highlighting the links between social media use and depression.

The Navy Gold Star’s presence on Facebook currently has 23,000 followers. These are comprised of NGS families, military, and fans of the page, supporters. This page is managed by the Navy’s MWR Marketing Team and is not marked as an official social media page belonging to the Navy (as of 10/19/22).

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