Hello Everyone.

Safety for your SR (future Sailor) and you!

Sailors LAST names are not allowed anywhere on this site. If your last name is different from your sailors it is still not recommended. This site is publicly viewable...anyone can read the public pages.

FIRST names are allowed but I, and some of the other “veteran” moms, will most often advise you not to use them. So, let’s say you use your last name in your N4M name, post a picture of your SR...call him/her by their first name...it makes it very easy to match them up with you while in Boot Camp.

SR=Seaman Recruit...this is a good way to refer to your loved one while they are in BC.

Why does that matter? Your SR's are trying to get through BC with as little undue attention as possible. "Fly under the radar", so to speak. So...Less is best!

The MOST important reason for being discreet is OPSEC-OPerational SECurity. This is a way of life for us now. It will be for your Sailors career and for some of them, even more so, depending on their individual security clearance. We keep our PIR groups public so that anyone may join and feel welcome. We would rather help you to learn about what is okay to say and what is not on the internet...closed groups or open ones. Even in face-to-face relationships I don't give specifics about my husband or sons military life.

Here is a link to the "Community Guidelines" for N4M:

http://www.navyformoms.com/forum/topics/navy-for-moms-n4m-community

Here is the link for "OPSEC is everyone’s responsibility" specifically:

http://www.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=3342

Here is a link to the video on OPSEC on this site:

http://www.navyformoms.com/video/opsec-internet-safety

OPSEC OPerational SECurity - is simply denying an adversary information that could harm you or benefit them. OPSEC is a process, but it is also a mindset.

✓ Donʼt discuss future destinations or ports of call.

✓ Donʼt discuss future operations, exercises or missions.

✓ Donʼt discuss dates and times of when we will be in port or conducting exercises.

✓ Donʼt discuss security procedures, movements, or arms.

✓ Donʼt discuss readiness issues and numbers.

✓ Donʼt discuss specific training equipment.

✓ Donʼt speculate about future operations.

✓ Donʼt spread rumors about past, current or future operations or movements.

✓ Donʼt discuss deployment or homecoming dates (including Tiger or Family Day Cruises)

✓ DO assume the enemy is always trying to collect information.

✓ Keep in mind there is no guarantee of security for information transmittal, or that a chat room or forum described as “military” has its membership restricted to militarypersonnel and their families.

✓ Be smart, use your head, and always think OPSEC when using email, phone, chatrooms and message boards.

PERSEC PERsonal SECurity - This is protecting your personal information, it is protecting the individual and his/her family and community.While the military is not as strict on PERSEC as they are on OPSEC, it is still an important aspect of security. Don't post phone numbers, addresses, email addresses... that can be traced directly to you or your recruit/Sailor.

Social Media

Since the subject comes up about OPSEC and social media in general, here is some additional information I have found posted on this site by other long time members:

Naval Operations Security (OPSEC) on FB:

https://www.facebook.com/NavalOPSEC

FB page shut down:

Gossip shuts down Bataan’s Facebook page