Dear Sally,
My husband is deployed and they are scheduled to be coming home soon. I keep seeing other spouses in the unit posting stuff like dates and locations on their Facebook accounts! I know it is a violation of OPSEC and I have tried to talk to them about it, but they just ignore me. I have heard that a unit can be held back if information gets out about their exact dates and times. Is this true? Also, I feel like I should tell someone and was thinking about emailing the contact I have for his unit or calling someone on base who didn’t deploy with them. Should I tell?
Sincerely,
Worried About OPSEC
Dear Worried,
Yes, loose lips CAN sink ships… or at least delay them from coming home on time. No one should be posting OPSEC violations on social media, but we see it all the time and I too have heard the stories of units being held back because of it. I understand your frustration. Would I let someone know about this if I were in your shoes? Probably. However, I would not make direct contact with the unit in this situation.
I would contact whoever is responsible for family readiness like the FRG (Family Readiness Group) leader, Key Spouse, Ombudsman or FRO (Family Readiness Officer). Your husband should have that information if you do not. In my many years as a military spouse I have only ever contacted a unit directly one time and it was for a very specific situation that the FRG could not handle. Most commands prefer that spouses deal directly with the family readiness person because they are better equipped to answer your questions.
So call your FRG and let them know that they may want to reiterate the importance of OPSEC for all of their family members…then go get ready for that homecoming!
Sincerely,
Sally Spouse