The Enemy is listening..

Today I'm revisiting a topic I am very passionate about, one that I feel noone takes as serious as they should. I posted about this shortly after starting my blog, but I'm deleting that post and going into more detail. I have studied OPSEC since the day I became a Navy wife. I have read so many Official postings on OPSEC and have been to a briefing on it as well. So, With all things considered.. I would consider myself to be well educated when it comes to OPSEC. I will do a PERSEC post another day.. betcha I scare a few of you with it too. I have scared a few friends when I talk about it. ;)

First off, What is OPSEC?

OPSEC means Operational Security. OPSEC is the process of denying potential adversaries any information about capabilities and/or intentions by identifying, controlling, and protecting generally unclassified evidence of the planning and execution of sensitive activities.

Something Everyone should understand-
Although some 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 the Enemy knew detailed information, the service member's mission accomplishment and personnel safety could be jeopardized. By being a member of the military family, YOU will often know some bits of critical information. Do Not discuss them in public and with persons who are not immediate family or affiliated with the military- Only people you trust and who practice OPSEC.

• Where and how you discuss this information is just as important as with whom you discuss it. Adverse 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 cell phones, and even baby monitors, using inexpensive receivers available from local electronics stores.

Some information you may think is insignificant, However.. Paired with someone else's "Insignificant" information, it can be puzzled together and the full picture put together. Puzzle pieces ARE a violation of OPSEC.

What not to talk or post about:

• Do not post deployment dates or redeployment dates.
• Do not post Training dates such as Ship Underways
• Do not post homecoming dates- this includes training/ underway homecomings
• Do not Post R&R dates- Arrival or Departure.
• Do not discuss Locations, Keep it on a "Country" basis Such as Afghanistan. Navy Ladies, Don't discuss what country the ships are porting in at all.
• Do not discuss convoy routes (“we traveled through XYZ on our way to ZXY”) 
• Do not discuss detailed information on the mission, capabilities or morale of a unit  or command.
• Do not discuss details concerning security procedures, response times, tactics
• Do not discuss equipment or lack there of.
• Do not talk about or speculate about future operations or movements. This would include a ship changing ports Stateside. (i.e. a specific carrier moving from Norfolk to Mayport)
• Do not post countdowns or time frames, same for count-ups. Counting down is giving the exact date. Counting up from the day he left is a puzzle piece. While you may not be giving exact information, Put with someone eles's percentage or estimate.. you give it away.
• Do not post pictures of your SO with obvious landmarks that can give away his or her location. 
• Do not pass on Rumors.. (i.e. "I heard the dates changed")
• Do not post percentages- Some feel this is ok, but it is also a puzzle piece. If you pair it with someone else's puzzle piece/ Violation- it can be figured out. You post that you are 50% done.. and someone posts he's been gone 90 days.. You then have a date/ timeframe.

I think you get the idea. 

If you refuse to follow these guidelines, you are putting YOUR service member at great risk. Not only are you putting yours in greater danger- You are putting every service member in their unit/ command/ ship.. etc at risk.

By not following these rules you are potentially getting your service member in trouble. I know a few ladies who got there husband put on restriction and stripped of their crow (they lost rank) because they couldn't wouldn't adhere to OPSEC. I have also met a girl on Myspace who refused to listen to numerous people when they told her not to post dates of her boyfriend's deployment. By not listening, she caused his group's deployment to be extended by a few months.

Remember, no matter your affiliation, status, rank or age- you have a part in the security of your loved one!

Learning to Appreciate Red Lights

Welp, The husband is out again, workup number 7 or 8 since April? I've lost track.. he's been away nearly 85%  or more of the time since then. It's crazy to think, but the time has flown by... now, Deployment is nearing. We'll get through that just as we have these past months.

As I drove to base today, to see my Sailor off.. We were sitting at a red light, at first I was thinking about how long the red light was.. then I smiled. It's the little moments we take for granted. It was the last few minutes I had with my husband, Why rush it? My mentality changed completely.. I wanted the red light to last just a little bit longer. A few more minutes of conversation with my best friend.

 Sadly, Red lights turn green, my husband is probably napping on the boat by now, and I'm here pecking away on this keyboard. I'm content. Sure, I'm going to miss him.. well, I miss him a little bit right now.. but I'm thankful I was able to embrace the extra minutes that were granted by something so simple.. A red light.

Days like today... you learn to appreciate red lights, because every extra minute with him means so much.

Ship is on the Move

Lately there have been a lot of ins and outs with my hubby's ship. Aren't workups just fun?! {sarcasm, if you didn't get it.)

The USS Enterprise being pushed into the pier April 18, '10

So far, it hasn't been all that bad. The first time they went out for a week was a little rough. My husband's email had not been set up on the ship and obviously cellphones are prohibited (not like that would have mattered.. they are in a solid steel cage more than 50 miles out from land!).. so there was no contact. Thank God for other military wives who are always there. Several nights I stayed up chatting with other Enterprise wives until after 2 in the morning. There is truly no friendship that compares to the friends I have made in the almost 2 years my husband has been in the service. When he came home after that first workup.. I had a huge sense of pride and even more support for my husband. Watching that ship pull in, I smiled and I felt like like I had not seen my husband in months.

Flag at Half Mast for fallen Soldier

I know what you're thinking.. it was just a week! Well, this was our first, both mine and my husband's, first "workup", and the USS Enterprise's first outing in 2 years! So yeah, it's somewhat of a big deal! They got the old clunker running again! I felt so proud, and felt so Happy. Not happy that my husband will be away so much, but happy because this is what he likes doing. This is his career. Happy because my husband is starting to feel like he is going to make a difference and serve his Country. After all, that is why he joined the Military. He wanted to be apart of something bigger than himself and serve his country. And I support him and love him.

They have been in and out all month it seems. Started off with a fast cruise in the shipyards, to getting out and finally getting to play in the water a couple times. The guys are exhausted right now.  My husband just got a day off after more than 3 weeks of not having a day off. Hoping to catch up on some much wanted time with him before he leaves again.

 Met up with several girls to watch the boat pull in. We were there for 5 hours! (hence the reason my hair looked horrible!) But in the end, the wait, the bad hair, and having to pee so bad it hurt.. it was totally worth it.

My husband said he actually had fun out there. He said he worked his but off, but for some reason... he liked it. Which is GREAT because we have 18 more years of this. ;)

I hope you enjoyed the few pics I posted from the ones I took from the day they moved back to Norfolk. Everyone on Facebook seems to enjoy them. So, I figured you might too! :)