The Army's 1st Information Operations Command (Land), Vulnerability Assessment Division, OPSEC Section has provided a very useful presentation called, "OPSEC (Operations Security), A Guide For Family & Friends." Because the document linked to above is a PDF document and might take a while to download, we have copied the text below. Please take a minute to read this, as it vital information.

Though it is an Army brochure the content applies to all branches!

Do your part to keep our troops safe!

What is OPSEC?

Operations Security, or OPSEC, is keeping potential adversaries from discovering our critical information.  As the name suggests, it protects our operations - planned, in progress, and those completed.  Success depends on secrecy and surprise, so the military can accomplish the mission faster and with less risk.  Our adversaries want our information and they don't concentrate on only soldiers to get it.  They want you, the family member.

You Are A Vital Player In Our Success!

As a family member of our military community, you are a vital player in our success, and we couldn't do our job without your support.  You may not know it, but you also play a crucial role in ensuring your loved one's safety.  You can protect your family and friends by protecting what you know of the military's day-to-day operations.  That is OPSEC

Protecting Critical Information

Even though information may not be secret, it can be what we call "critical information".  Critical information deals with specific facts about military intentions, capabilities, operations, or activities.  If an adversary knew this detailed information, our mission accomplishment and personnel safety could be jeopardized.  It must be protected to ensure an adversary doesn't gain a significant advantage.

By being a member of the military family, you will often know some bits of critical information.  Do not discuss them out-side of your immediate family and especially not over the telephone.

Examples of Critical Information

• Detailed information about the mission of assigned units
   

• Details on locations and times of unit deployments
   

• Personnel transactions that occur in large numbers (Example, pay information, powers of attorney, wills, deployment information
   

• References to trends in unit morale or personnel problems
   

• Details concerning security procedures

Puzzle Pieces

These bits of information may seem insignificant.  However, to a trained adversary, they are small pieces of a puzzle that highlight what we are doing and planning.  Remember, the elements of security and surprise are vital to the accomplishment of our goals and our collective personnel protection.

• Where and how you discuss this information is just as important as with whom you discuss it.
  Adversary agents tasked with collecting information frequently visit some of the same stores,
  clubs, recreational areas, or places of worship as you do.
   

• Determined individuals can easily collect data from cordless and cellular phones, and even baby monitors, using inexpensive receivers available from local electronics' stores.
   

• If anyone, especially a foreign national, persistently seeks information, notify your military sponsor immediately.  He or she will notify the unit OPSEC program manager.

What Can You Do?

There are many countries and organizations that would like to harm Americans and degrade our influence in the world. It's possible, and not unprecedented, for spouses and family members of U.S. military personnel to be targeted for intelligence collection.  This is true in the United States and especially true overseas!  What can you do?

Be Alert

Foreign governments and organizations collect significant amounts of useful information by using spies.  A foreign agent may use a variety of approaches to befriend someone and get sensitive information.  This sensitive information can be critical to the success of a terrorist or a spy, and consequently deadly to Americans.

Be Careful

There are times when your spouse cannot talk about the specifics of his or her job.  It's very important to conceal and protect certain information such as flight schedules, ship movements, temporary duty (TDY) locations, and installation activities, for example.  Something as simple as a phone conversation about where your spouse is deploying, or going TDY, can be very useful to our enemies.

Thank You

Thank you for taking the time to read the information provided above.  The goal of the "1st Information Operations Command (Land), Vulnerability Assessment Division OPSEC Section" and Guardian Angels For Soldier's Pet is to provide readers of this material a greater understanding of the Military's security concerns.  The information provided is not intended to frighten you or make you suspicious that everyone you meet is a secret agent or terrorist.  But stay alert - if a stranger shows excessive interest in the affairs of your family members and/or friends, military or not, notify the authorities.

*Annotation from the Silent Ranks Productions Management

OPSEC is required for pictures of all kinds as well!

DO NOT PUBLICLY SHOW GRAPHICS THAT EXPOSE THE TROOPS i.e.
 

• imitating Military ID cards for tags (BIG NO, the enemy is listening and LOOKING, don't help them get fake Military IDs to get on post!!!)
   

• name, rank and exact location (like camps ect.) of your service member especially not combined, this will also protect you more from identify theft
   

• dog tags with readable information (your/your service member's SSN and blood type are confidential and especially the first one can be used for identity theft!)
   

• images of broken equipment (don't expose the material's weakness, for it might be taken advantage of!)
   

• some even argue the return counters are sensitive (i.e. 100 days till he returns)!