Yes, the comment feature on AFPIMS is active by default as directed by DMA Marines.  This gives your command another communication method to receive feedback on the products you are producing as well as the messages you are communicating.  All individuals wishing to comment on your stories must register for an account and provide a valid e-mail address before they will be able to post a comment.  By providing a valid e-mail address, this gives the commenter a sense of accountability and has assisted with keeping comments appropriate.

There are several basic requirements that must be fulfilled to access AFPIMS (American Forces Public Information Management System) and publish content.
• Users must have a Common Access Card (CAC).
• Users must complete the required AFPIMS training for their security role assignment.
• Users must have an account in AFPIMS.
• Users must have their account added to the AFPIMS unit site and be assigned to the necessary security group role.

To get started with this process, contact your local public web developer or contact the AFPIMS help desk.

In order access sites on AFPIMS or DMA.mil, the site must be added to Internet Explorer's trusted sites listing. It is also recommended that you enable a few of the security features.

In order to add site to trusted sites
1. Click on the Tools menu
2. Click on the Security tab
3. Click on Trusted sites
4. Click on the Sites button
5. In the add this website to the zone, enter https://*.afpims.mil
6. Click the Add button
7. In the add this website to the zone, enter https://*.dma.mil
8. Click the Close button

Custom Level Options
1. Click on the Custom level... button
2. Scroll until you see the following sections and enable the feature listed below:
• Miscellaneous section: Display missed content
• Miscellaneous section: Drag and drop or copy and paste files
• Scripting section: Allow Programmatic clipboard access
• Logon section: Automatic logon with current user name and password
3. Click the OK button
4. Click the OK button to exit Internet Options

There are several DOD and Marine Corps publications that provide the guidance on organization and unit names in public affairs products including public websites.  The first is MCO 5720.77 Appendix J which states that all public website content must adhere to Associated Press and Marine Corps News style guidelines.  Both of those documents state that ordinals (1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc) must be used to identify units, except for those properly identified with roman numerals.  MARADMIN 115/05 provides the official guidance regarding the Marine Corps News Style Guide.  Additionally, the Department of Defense, the Department of Navy, and most professional news organizations observe the guidance provided in the AP style guide for all external products. For more guidance on policies and procedures please click here.

Steps required before moving forward with establishing and maintaining any official U.S. Marine Corps social media site.

1) Approval from your Commander and Public Affairs Officer.  The site must be approved for creation and release before any official social media site may be created and registered.

2) Be an authentic military source.  The point of contact for setting up and registering the site must use a valid ".mil" e-mail address.

3) Sites should be labeled on Facebook as "Organization-Government" when registering your new site. The use of any category or type other than a Government Fan page violates the government's terms of service agreement with Facebook. Make sure YouTube channels are set up as a government presence as well.

 4) Your social media site must relate to an official U.S. Marine Corps website.  Social media communications are based on an official military reference, such as your command website. 

5) Be sure to identify your site as "official".  One of the keys to social media is transparency - to build trust and let your fans know with whom they are dealing.

 6) Be sure to post the required DOD/USMC disclaimers.  The disclaimers identify your page as an official USMC social media presence and disclaims any endorsement.  This keeps everything above board for your community, you and your social media host.  An example of the required disclaimer on Facebook, which should be posted on the site's about page under "General Information", is as follows. 

----BEGIN FACEBOOK DISCLAIMER----

"Please feel free to express your opinion about the Marine Corps in an objective and respectful way that allows for a continued information relationship. While this is an open forum, it's also a family friendly one, so please keep your comments clean. In addition, we ask that you follow our posting guidelines here. Violation of the guidelines below may result in your post being removed.

-We do not under any circumstance allow graphic, obscene, explicit or racist comments or submissions, nor do we allow comments that are abusive, hateful or intended to defame anyone or any organization.

-We do not allow solicitations or advertisements. This includes promotion or endorsement of any financial, commercial or non-governmental agency. Similarly, we do not allow attempts to defame or defraud any financial, commercial or non-governmental agency.

-We do not allow comments that suggest or encourage illegal activity.

-You participate at your own risk, taking personal responsibility for your comments, your username and any information provided.

Lastly, the appearance of external links on this site does not constitute official endorsement on behalf of the U.S. Marine Corps or Department of Defense. Thank you for your continued support of the United States Marine Corps. For more information on the Marine Corps' use of Social Media visit

www.marines.mil/usmc/Pages/SocialMedia.aspx"

-----END FACEBOOK DISCLAIMER-----

7) Register your official social media site on the USMC social media directory.  

URL: http://www.marines.mil/usmc/Pages/SocialMedia.aspx?pid=banner_socialmedia

8) Remember only commanders, public affairs personnel, unit information officers and those who have been granted release authority should publish posts to your command's social media sites in an official capacity.

For additional guidance on official social media posts, please refer to ALNAV 056/10. 

URL: http://www.public.navy.mil/bupers-npc/reference/messages/Documents/ALNAVS/ALN2010/ALN10056.txt

 For additional guidance on unofficial social media posts, please refer to ALNAV 057/10.

 URL:  http://www.public.navy.mil/bupers-npc/reference/messages/Documents/ALNAVS/ALN2010/ALN10057.txt

For more information, please refer to the attached files, and please refer to the USMC Social Media SOP at

http://www.marines.mil/usmc/Pages/SocialMediaGuidelines.aspx.

VIRINs uniquely identify every image shot by military photographers by using four pieces of information: the date the image was shot, the Service of the photographer, an identification of the photographer, and a sequence number.

Example VIRIN: 060515-M-ZZ999-001
The components of the VIRIN are:

Field 1 — 060515: Date the image was shot (YYMMDD format)
Field 2 — M: The Service affiliation or status of the acquirer or originator (M for Marine Corps)
Field 3 — ZZ999: VISION ID (The VISION ID is assigned to each VI Professional, to obtain a VISION ID the photographer must register via the VI Professional web site. A VI Professional is defined as all photographers, videographers, graphic artists, photojournalists, broadcasters, public affairs and other personnel involved in the creation of official DoD imagery as part of their regular duties. Click here for more information about VI Professional. Or click here for more information about Defense Imagery. )
Field 4 — 001: Sequence number for that day (sequence numbers restart at 001 each day, not each shoot)

Unit websites are often the front line of contact for public interaction with the Marine Corps. As part of the United States Marine Corps effort to communicate across a wide spectrum of domains, to include the public, the HQMC Division of Public Affairs developed a new official Marine Corps website. AFPIMS (American Forces Public Information Management System) is the overarching architecture of Marines.mil. The Marines.mil websites provides access to:
• News
• Unit Information
• etc.