By Star Henderson & Tara Crooks

Q: Are my e-mails and/or letters to my husband being read? Seriously, I’m not trying to sound paranoid, but someone from his ship told me they were. I’d just like to know, if this is common practice, why.


Dear Shannon:  
Two words come to mind. No doubt many have heard them: OP SEC (really Operational Security, or OPSEC).
Operational Security might be the reason behind why e-mails or letters to your husband are read, if they even are. The logistics behind reading every communication to and from port or ship is quite daunting, though. Most likely there is a policy that requires “spot-checking” what is going back and forth.
If you write letters about soccer practice and broken dishwashers, you may wonder why the Navy or any military unit would even care.

HERE’S WHY
Operational Security is the practice of safeguarding any information that is relevant to movement, unit strength and unit capabilities with technology, ammunition or skill sets. Especially at the outset of this war, a renewed campaign to educate service members and their families about what information to safeguard and how to do it was in full force. It is not that the practice of OPSEC is new, but the means by which we communicate is growing from snail-mail and secure phones to online family scrapbooks, to e-mail to VoIP. This puts a lot of information at risk of being viewed or gleaned by technologically smart foreign entities that may wish to harm the United States’ interests, service members and/or her citizens.
Your e-mail and letters may be mundane, but spot-checking everyone’s to determine possible vulnerabilities with regards to security measures and culpable content is just a commander exercising good sense. Additionally, a good commander knows also that there are a few other arenas that deserve a closer look, including online social networks, Web logs and message boards or discussion forums.
A letter is usually straightforward and personal. “Here is what we did today. We thought of you often. Love, the Family.” There’s no need to exchange questions about how many sailors are “on board” or which equipment is “down” for maintenance. In general, you are writing for private matters and the information being shared is not detrimental to the safety of the mission or crew.
Online discussions are another matter. Oftentimes individuals get involved in documenting a particular experience or debating policy. There is little to be done about who reads what and who spouts what, so these avenues tend toward making the military more vulnerable if not monitored well. Because of this, OPSEC procedures and policy are constantly being reviewed and improved. Many liken the oversight to censorship, but we feel it is more about keeping service members and military interests safe.

HERE’S WHAT
In fact, the most useful part of good OPSEC training is helping everyone (including family members) “get past” the idea that monitoring in some cases is oppression or censorship.
For example, the military does not tell you that you can’t express an opinion or document a homecoming; it just asks that you be careful how and how much. Too much or too specific info like your soldier’s remote location, your specific unit designation or any mission details could be just what someone is waiting to hear in order to do sabotage or something much nastier.
Even a small part of information published in a vulnerable source (i.e., a blog) can be harmful.
We must keep in mind that the enemy casts a wide net. A small part of information from one family, another from a soldier and still another from the mainstream media can comprise an accurate picture of future operations enough for planning a fatal attack.

HERE’S HOW
• Request a family class on Operational Security from a military subject-matter expert. Good training will help you understand why OPSEC is important, how the family plays a role, and what to do if you observe suspicious activity.
• Search each of your favorite military-related, online networks for their OPSEC guidelines. If they don’t have some, request that they post some. If they are unclear, ask for clarification.
• Report all OPSEC violations. It’s better to err on the side of caution than pave the way for the unspeakable.
• Don’t ask questions of your spouse that may lead him to be conflicted between choosing safety and securing your sanity. There are truly things that families do not have a “need to know.”
• Develop a family policy that addresses what can be shared with friends, neighbors and co-workers and how and what will be communicated between home and the deployed location.
• Confirm all gossip with a military or designated official. Use an official chain to distribute approved, sanitized messages.
Good question, Shannon. We know the idea of being “reviewed” is an uncomfortable one, but most likely it doesn’t happen often. And, if you practice the guidelines above, there should be nothing to worry about.

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