You know so many people have been asking about when your spouse is coming home.
You decided to let everyone know the date and time they are coming home on Facebook.
Someone saw that you posted the homecoming date, now EVERYONE now has to wait longer to see their spouse. Why? Because you violated OPSEC. Not only do you have to wait to see your spouse, but you just made a lot of people VERY unhappy.
What is OPSEC?
Operational Security is protecting information that could be taken by our adversaries and used to harm our service members. This can include troop movements, deployment dates, homecoming dates, etc.
Why would making a post on my own social media matter?
I once read that a great way to think about OPSEC is like a puzzle. Your post is just a piece of that puzzle but it is an important one. If someone is able to piece together the homecoming dates they are able to piece together massive troop movements which are not something you want enemies to know.
Just because it is on your personal social media does not make it private.
You are using a company's platform, that platform could be hacked at any time. You have no idea who could be getting a hold of that information.
Why would any enemy be interested in what I have to say?
The odds of someone actively looking at your own social media account are slim. However, why would you want to open yourself up to that possibility? You have no idea who is able to look at your information.
According to the OPSEC guide published by the United States Navy, "Terrorist groups have used information gained from the Internet to target family members of deployed military personnel. In countries throughout the Middle East and southern Asia, terrorists have successfully kidnapped and assassinated numerous westerners in an attempt to influence U.S. foreign policy."
While this isn't the norm, this is something you need to be aware of when it comes to the safety and security of your loved ones.
But people are bugging me about when the date is!
What I usually do is give them a time frame. I will say "Oh at some point this winter." or "We are hoping sometime in the next few months."
I will talk about dates and time frames in person to family or a friend, but I do not give out information online ever!
At the end of the day, your spouse's safety is what is most important. Keeping important information safe is what is going to guarantee a seamless homecoming.
Interested in learning more? Check out these posts!
5 Commandments of OPSEC
5 Commandments of PERSEC
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