NC Here we come.............

Woo Hoo ... packing, printing, last minute details ... very busy day here .  Getting ready for the weekend.  A reunion of sorts, a meeting and greeting of new and old friends.   A chance to put a name with a face, to deepen the bonds that in some cases exist only through a facebook or other online connection.  Yes folks, a group of Marine loved ones are descending upon Jacksonville, NC  to laugh, to talk, to share our experience to date and yes, probably to cry a little, but most importantly, to connect.   

I received this in an email this morning from a Marine Mom who I consider to be a good friend -


Well I was asked such a ridiculous question this week....."You are going off with strangers?"...my reply.."No, I am going to be with my buddies" :)

Perfect answer in it's simplicity!!!!!!!  It's so hard to explain the bonds that are formed with others that have traveled the boot camp, combat training, MOS and then finally PDS road with you.   Along the way I've virtually and personally developed relationships,  who have become acquaintances or friends,  all forged in the trenches of surviving the unknown together.    In some cases I have revealed a more vulnerable 'me' with these buddies then with some life long friends.   There is something about sharing the fear or terror... the sadness and the triumph... in an anonymous setting such as online that frees one up to be more honest about their feelings.  Maybe it's in the comfort of realizing that there will be no ridicule, no judgement - you're preaching to the choir.  At one point or another we've all felt it, we all understand it and we know .. we just know.

In the course of time these relationships have widened so that now they also include our non military life, birthdays, promotions, weddings - sharing the day to day of our lives.  Our commonality began with our Marines but has now moved to friendships in every sense of the word. And I can't wait!!!

Some of the woman that I will see this weekend have been in my life now for over a year, we met during boot camp, we saw each other at our first meet and greet and then again at MCT graduation.  Each of our Marines took a different path to get where we are today,  some had long schools, some are infantry, some have deployed and some are gearing up... it's all different yet oddly, all the same.  Luckily a lot of our Marines are stationed at Camp LeJeune, so now we get to meet again, a little over a year later to reinforce and deepen the bonds..   Some that will be there this weekend I have never met in person and am equally excited to see them.   You can never have too many people to turn to in times of joy and distress  and everything in between.   So we'll break out the wine, dance to some music, tell stories that will make us laugh, share care package ideas and meet each others Marines. All the while knowing deep down that we are lucky to have found these buddies.

I can't help but wonder how difficult this was pre - internet, without the ability to search out and meet others walking the path.  I am so glad that I have had this medium and the opportunity to meet some wonderful and interesting people through it.  

This is a weekend to celebrate that ... and be oh so thankful for it as well. 

It's hug a Marine Day May 1st - look out Jacksonville .. here we come !

Loose Lips Sinks Ships

With all of us using social media, blogs, websites etc... I thought is might be useful to remind everyone about OpSec!  I know we all get so excited, or upset, at some of the news our service members tell us. We just want to share it with everyone we know! Homecomings, deployments, training exercises all fall in this category.. it's natural to want to share.  It's hard to pull back when we ask our service member a question and it's answered with " I don't know" .. how can you not know? - aren't you doing it right now?? This is just a reminder of what we as family members should or should not ask or tell. 
   

The Department of Defense can shut down websites, message boards, and support forums for violations of Operational Security.   Let's be sure we are helping keep our Military and their families safe by not violating Operational Security. If in doubt, don't post it. Thanks.

Here's the long and the short of it and a story first posted by the FRO of the 24 MEU-






The Ten OPSEC Points:


Don’t discuss future destinations or ports of call! 

Don't post last names of active military!!

Don’t discuss future operations or missions!

Don’t discuss dates and times of when we will be in port or conducting exercises!

Don’t discuss readiness issues and numbers!

Don’t discuss specific training equipment!

Don’t discuss people’s names and billets in conjunction with operations!

Don’t speculate about future operations!

Don’t spread rumors about operations!

Don’t assume the enemy is not trying to collect information on you so he can kill you, he is!

Be smart, use your head, and always think OPSEC when using email or phone!

* An Example of OPSEC Failure. In early October 2000, “Tom” sent an email to his wife, telling her that he would be in Aden, Yemen for a port call on Tuesday. Tom’s wife then posted this to the web page she’d been maintaining for other family and friends to stay up to date on Tom’s latest deployment. Armed only with Google and some background information he’d collected from Tom’s neighborhood, a terrorist agent figures out that “Tom” is Petty Officer Tom Smith aboard the USS Cole. The terrorist group that the agent works for has been planning an attack using a small boat and explosives. The only problem is that they have limited resources, and are unable to keep a boat laden with explosives on the water for days or weeks at a time. They can only keep it afloat for a day. But now that their agent has provided the date of Tom’s upcoming liberty, they know what day that will be. On Tuesday, the boat is loaded and the terrorists sail around the harbor until the US warship comes in. On 12 October 2000, Al Qaida did just that. The terrorists on the small boat actually waved and smiled at the crew of the USS Cole as they floated in close enough to the ship to detonate their cargo. As a result, 17 sailors were killed and many more injured.

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 sailors to get it. They want you, the family member.

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! u will often know some bits of critical information. Do not discuss them outside 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 were 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. 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 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 spy, and consequently deadly to Americans.

Be Careful

There may be 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 discussion about where your spouse is deploying, or going TDY, can be very useful to our enemies.

OPSEC IS A FAMILY AFFAIR - DISCUSS OPSEC WITH YOUR FAMILY

All Family Members Are Part Of The Military OPSEC Team. They Need To Protect Information To Ensure The Safety Of All Our Soldiers, Sailors, Airman, Coast Guards, Civilians, And their Families.

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 safety. You can protect your family and friends by protecting what you know of the military day-to-day operations. That's OPSEC