"Nothing like a good ol' fashioned safety brief to make you feel at home eh?"

Operations Security (OPSEC) is keeping potential adversaries from discovering our critical information. Even though information may not be secret, it can be 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 outside of your immediate family and especially not over the telephone, online, or with those not in the need to know basis. (Some Examples may be detailed information about the mission of assigned units, details on locations and times of unit deployments, pay information, powers of attorney, wills, deployment information, references to trends in unit morale or personnel problems, details concerning security procedures, etc.). 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 essential to mission readiness and everyone's personnel protection. Where and how you discuss this information is just as important as with whom you discuss it. Some adversaries who are determined enough can easily collect data from cordless and cellular phones, local recreational areas, and online using inexpensive equipment available from local electronics stores. If anyone persistently seeks information, notify your military sponsor immediately. He or she will notify the unit OPSEC program manager. Eagle Eyes everyone!!!