FORT MONROE, Va. — You don't often hear a three-star general using the word "friend" as a verb.

But for Lt. Gen. Benjamin Freakley and other Army brass, a new era has brought a new language — and new tools like online social networks Twitter and Facebook — for seeking out potential young recruits and spreading the military's message.

Freakley, who heads the Army command that oversees recruiting, says social networking sites are a way to reach tomorrow's soldiers.

"They live in the virtual world," Freakley said. He cited Facebook use in targeting 18- to 24-year-olds. "You could friend your recruiter, and then he could talk to your friends."

Gen. Raymond Odierno, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, has a Facebook page to answer questions about the mission there.

The Air Force has a Facebook page, Twitter feeds and a blog. The Marine Corps is using various networking sites for recruiting. The Navy is "experimenting" with online media, and some of its commands use Twitter, a spokesman said. The Coast Guard commandant regularly updates his Facebook status while traveling.

The Army's Web site has video games, a virtual recruiter and clips that answer commonly asked questions about life in uniform.

Showing off the videos during an interview at his office at Fort Monroe, Freakley said some of the questions were surprising: Can I have a dog in the Army? Can I buy a truck in the Army? Can I be married in the Army?

Earlier this year, the Army established an online and social media division within its public affairs office. The division's director, Lt. Col. Kevin Arata, said it tries to find new avenues online to reach not only soldiers, but their families and the public.

"We know that's where they are, and we need to go to them," Arata said.

Lindy Kyzer, who updates the Army's Web site and Twitter feed, says the networking sites add a chat dimension. "We really try to make it an open forum," Kyzer said, adding that negative posts are not removed (except for comments deemed not "family friendly").