Military reminds personnel to remain vigilant on social media

by Senior Airman Colby L. Hardin
22nd Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs

3/24/2015 - MCCONNELL AIR FORCE BASE, Kan. -- The digital age is making the world a smaller place and the "bad guys" could be a lot closer than you think.

It continues to be dynamic and evolving. Now it's almost a cultural norm around the Air Force and globe to have social media as a part of everyday life. Those who use it, also have the responsibility to protect themselves, information and the Air Force mission.

Airmen should consider the risks associated with posting personal information on social media sites. It could potentially put themselves or their family in danger without them realizing it.

"Social media is all controlled by you," said Capt. Michael Cox, 22nd Operational Security program manager. "Think twice before posting something."

With the ease of uploading information to social media sites, it's easy to forget that unwanted eyes may be watching.

One way to maintain a safe social media profile is to scrub social media pages of any military affiliations. This is one of many avenues Airmen can take to minimize the information available to potential enemies of the U.S.

Department of Defense personnel are also advised to report anything that looks suspicious to law enforcement.

"You just have to look for things that are out of the normal," said Cox. "If you see something that you don't see every day, you should question it. It could be as little as seeing a person in the office hanging around that you usually don't see."

In order to maintain readiness, all units are advised to review work place and off-installation action plans to ensure effectiveness.

"There has been no information of potential local activity," said Staff Sgt. Christina Manella, 22nd Security Forces Squadron force protection intelligence analyst. "But we need to ensure on and off duty that we have heightened situational awareness."

Reporting suspicious activity and monitoring social media use are just a few ways to make it hard for enemies to collect harmful information. Other ways include not giving out vacation plans and being aware of where you go in uniform when not at work.

"Beware of your surroundings," added Cox. "Keep doing what you're doing but stay vigilant at the same time."

Every unit is assigned an OPSEC manager to ensure that all questions are answered and appropriate actions are taken.

If you have any questions or to report suspicious activity, call the McConnell Eagle Eyes at (316) 759-3976.