Yes... Yes I know

I know its been far to many days since you've heard from me ;-)

There was a slight issue some days ago and I wanted to make sure I wouldn't be stepping on any toes. With that being said though hopefully the next topic of discussion can be discussed with out any one getting up tight...

OPSEC- this may very well be the most well know acronym in the military and the most black/white, grey, purple, yellow, green, multi colored mis understood acronym as well. You either hate it or love it. You understand it and except it or you don't.

OPSEC stands for operational security. To elaborate completely on that can become quite boring and frankly un believable. Basically it should be a guide that helps people decide what they can and can not say, what info they can put out and what info can be put out over which means of communication. Boring already huh? Say your loved one is deployed scheduled to come back on August 15th at 2pm. Then say you call everyone you know and post it to Facebook- any guess on what could happen next? The flights can be cancelled, they can be delayed, they can be shot down, ect. Information like this falls in to the wrong hands and game over. If we Americans find information out this way what makes us so lame to think they don't do it to us? Sounds like a far stretch right? That probably is but here is a true story for you.....

A higher ranking man was stationed over seas, he worked for the American embassy- his family back at home in the states. How does he communicate with them? Skype and Facebook. A terrorist organization wanting information hacked his personal computer using basic hacking techniques (that I know absolutely nothing about....). His Facebook as well as his families where all private and protected. FYI: Private means shit... Nothing is private when it is on the internet. Long story short the terroist where able to get his sons soccer team from a photo, from that team get his high school, from the high school the city, and from following his family home from a game the mans address, from the address and photos of them with the family they were able to attempt getting information from this man. Did it work no... Was the family in a great deal of danger YES. Terrorist aren't just funny dressed men with odd head dress btw...

This is where things get grey... Unless something personally effects most people they don't care, it doesn't seem real and it is not taken seriously. The grey is what is exceptable and what isn't.  Everyone will tell you differently because everyone has their own version. Common since is key, listenting to people when they tell you what you are doing is wrong is important and being cautious what information you put out there honestly could save lives.

Here is what I know:
-NEVER SHARE DATES!
-NEVER SHARE TIMES!
if you have to give a date or a time be a little secretive about it. For instance I might say to my sister "remember the day that you were suppose to have your daughter? now take the day that I was suppose to have my son away and add the amount of times your husband showers in a day plus the amount of boyfriends that you had in highschool..." Why is this important because giving times and dates of when your love will be home is more then just saying when they will get home it is telling anyone and everyone when they are leaving the FOB, how they are leaving, how many people, based on the type on unit youve no doubt put out already youve now told them what to expect, not to mention they will know what roads are going to be traveled and where to put the road side bombs that very well could blow up in your face. You've just outlined a whole military movement that hasn't even happened yet and now may never happen. Its about protection, its about making safe what needs to be so so safe.

MORE ON OPSEC later... This subject bugs me. Honestly its a NO DUH type of thing and I wish more people tried living on earth like the rest of us and would take their i'm more special then you obviously because nothing horrible will ever happen to me behinds out of the clouds...