Tuesday Tucks Me In.....
Sharing this from a friend. Thank you Katie!
Tomorrow is Veterans Day.... if you can read this children’s book please do! It’s about Luis Montalvan and his service dog Tuesday. I read it to my classes in honor of Veterans Day and teaching them about nonfiction. I then looked it up because I wanted to see if he wrote anything else. What I found broke my heart....Luis was an army captain who served 2 tours in Iraq (2 bronze stars,purple heart,medal of valor&combat action badge) and was an advocate for service dogs. He suffered from chronic pain and PTSD. In 2016 he took his life. Suicide among veterans is high and I pray that they find the help and peace they deserve. Love our Veterans and take care of them..... what they have sacrificed for us is immeasurable
15+ OPSEC Rules for Military Families and Friends
In the military, OPSEC stands for Operational Security. There are rules and guidelines for OPSEC that pertain to services members and their families and friends. In this day and age with social media, there are a lot of bad guys out there looking for information to deter the safety and missions of our nation’s military.
WHAT IS OPSEC?OPSEC protects US operations – planned, in progress, and those completed. OPSEC is keeping potential adversaries from discovering critical information about the Department of Defense. The military needs to accomplish the mission quickly and successfully. Success relies on secrecy, surprise, and private information. Enemies want this critical information, and they are not just after the military member to get it. They also look to military families and friends.Unfortunately, OPSEC can’t be summed up in a brief list of rules and regulations and be expected to cover every possible situation. There are some general rules and guidelines to follow for military family members and friends.
RULES OF OPSEC
Do not post detailed information about the mission of assigned units.
Do not post details on locations and times of unit deployments.
Do not list your service member's specific job on social media.
Do not post where your service member is stationed/ported.
Do not post about personnel transactions that occur in large numbers (Example: pay information, powers of attorney, wills, deployment information).
Do not post details on locations and times of unit trainings.
Do not post unit/service member itineraries
Do not post references to trends in unit morale or personnel problems.
Do not post details concerning security procedures, response time, tactics.
Do not post details Personal Identifying Information (PII)
Do not post exact redeployment dates
Do not reveal camp locations, including nearby cities. After the deployment is officially announced by Military officials, you may discuss locations that have been released, normally on the Country level.
Do not discuss convoy routes (“we travelled through ‘such-and-such’ on our way to X”)
Do not discuss equipment or lack thereof, to include training equipment
Avoid the use of count-up or count-down tickers for the same reason as rule #1, if you do decide to use one, make sure only YOU and those you trust are able to see it.Be very careful if posting pictures of your loved one. Avoid images that show significant landmarks near their base of operations, and black out last names and unit affiliations.
Do not, EVER, post information about casualties (coalition or enemy) before the official release of the information.
Do not pass on rumors (“I heard they’re coming home early”, etc)
SOCIAL MEDIA
You may want to limit your posts to friends-only. Defaults can change on Facebook with no real notice, and suddenly you’re posting to the Public. If your FRG has a facebook group, ask the leader if it’s secret, closed, or public. What you post to a group may appear on other people’s timelines as well.
Photos
If you must post photos, consider cropping or blurring some details on pictures.
Geotagging
Make sure your location services setting is turned off, if you don’t want your or your spouse to be reporting where their location is.
Social media is not going away any time soon. More and more issues arise with social media and consequences hit much harder and much faster (with consequently less time to “undo” a mistake).
These OPSEC rules aren’t meant to limit your free speech or restrict your liberties- that’s exactly what our men and women in uniform fight to protect. They are put into place to help ensure the safety and security of our nation’s military.
If you have any questions, contact your (or your sponsor’s) unit OPSEC manager.
Thank you jd [@] semidelicatebalance [.] com
Red Cross Emergency Communications
War and disaster can tear families apart when they need each other the most. The American Red Cross can help your family members reconnect, whether the separation was caused by a recent emergency here at home, war or natural disaster overseas, or events as far back as the Holocaust.
The American Red Cross Hero Care Center is available 7 days a week, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, with two options for requesting assistance: online and by phone.
*NOTE: The American Red Cross does not authorize emergency leave for members of the United States military. The Red Cross role is to independently verify the emergency, enabling the service member’s commander to make an educated decision regarding emergency leave and then to provide transportation assistance and/or financial assistance if needed.
Military OneSource
Military OneSource is your 24/7 connection to information, answers and support to help you reach your goals, overcome challenges and thrive. As a member of our military family, you are eligible to use this Department of Defense-funded program anytime, anywhere. Turn to Military OneSource for tax services, spouse employment help, webinars and online training, relocation and deployment tools, and much more. Learn about some of the ways we serve you.
Sending a Military Care Package: What You Need To Know
Military care packages deliver a welcome piece of home to your service member while they’re away – whether that’s your child, fiancé, sibling or friend. They help both of you stay connected despite distance or duty.
Here are some appropriate ways to send those care packages to your service member throughout their time in the military.
Care packages during boot camp? Letters are better.
When your recruit first left for basic training, you may have noticed that they only took a few things with them. This is because the military provides everything recruits need during boot camp, from meals and housing to basics like toothbrushes or socks. Duplicates from home are stored and only retrieved after graduation.
That's why most service branches discourage care packages for recruits in boot camp. In fact, receiving an unauthorized care package may result in a punishment from the drill instructor for their entire unit. So, it’s better to wait until your recruit finishes basic before you send any packages.
Ordinary mail, however, is always allowed. A letter from home can encourage your recruit during the demands of basic training.
If you do send a letter, use a plain piece of paper and an envelope. It’s okay to send photos, but don’t do things like decorating the envelope – it could cause unwanted attention for your recruit. Plan on two weeks for letter delivery, so time letters to arrive before graduation. Think twice about texting, sending digital cards or email, as your service member will have very limited use of a cell phone, if at all. Use of cell phones is dictated by service branch and drill sergeants.
After boot camp is the time to send military care packages.
Service members who have finished basic training or are on deployment generally have more freedom to receive care packages. Sending a military care package is a great way to show your appreciation and love for your service member and all they do for our country.
If you are a parent or other relative, consider sending the music, toiletries, foods and treats your service member likes best. If you are in a relationship with a service member, think about sending notes, cards and small items that remind them how much you care. And, of course, photos from home are always welcome.
Here are some military care package ideas that are appreciated by service members:
Necessities, such as sunblock, socks, underwear, flip-flops, lip balm and powder
Snacks, including chips, salsa, nuts, cookies, beef jerky, non-melting candy and trail mix in packaging that isn’t easily crushed. Drink mixes in single-serving packets are also a good addition.
Homemade foods: The most popular items are cookies and “cake in a jar,” which is a cake baked in a canning jar. Again, the key is sturdy packaging to prevent crushing.
Games, such as playing cards/poker chips, crosswords or puzzle books.
Stationery is a must if you want to receive any letters from your service member. Send paper, envelopes, address labels and pens, but skip the stamps. They won't need them.
Photos and notes that show your support and affection. Maybe get a daily tear-off calendar and write an encouraging note on each page.
Once you know what you want to send, follow these tips to make sure your military care package arrives in good condition:
Seal everything: Individually seal items in plastic bags with zip locks, if possible, to protect items from the elements or to keep them from leaking out.
Use sturdy packaging: The best packaging is a free Military Care Kit from the U.S. Postal Service, which includes priority mail boxes, tape, custom forms and address labels. The packaging is free, but the postage is not.
Provide accurate shipping information: Include your service member’s unit, last and first name, title, DPO/FPO/APO and full ZIP code.
Take advantage of reduced postage for military mail: You only have to provide standard domestic postage on mail going to an APO or FPO address. For example, if you pay $5 to mail a package in the continental United States, it costs the same to mail it overseas as long as you have an APO / FPO / DPO address and associated ZIP code.
Complete the customs forms: You need to fill out customs forms for any shipping outside the United States. Customs forms are included with Military Care Kits or can be found on the USPS website.
Consider shipping time: Most care packages can make it to the Middle East in about two weeks, but some take longer. For holidays, allow about five weeks for delivery.
Be careful what you send: Check the post office’s prohibited items list to keep items from being rejected. Remember that sometimes packages from home get opened by someone before your service member, so don’t send anything you don’t want strangers to see. Also, don’t send things that are valuable or can’t be replaced – sometimes packages get lost.
Care packages are always good, but sometimes a service member may need a bit more, whether it’s help with taxes as Tax Day approaches or talking with someone who can listen. Do you know that active-duty, National Guard and reserve service members have access to a wide range of individualized consultations, coaching and a range of other services? This includes relationship and peer-to-peer counseling to tax preparation and financial services to wellness coaches and more. It’s all free and available 24/7 through Military OneSource.
YOUR SOLDIER, YOUR ARMY: A FAMILY GUIDE ~ by Vicki Cody
If you are reading this book, you probably have a loved one serving in the Army. This is the new and revised edition of my original book, Your Soldier, Your Army—A Parents’ Guide, published in 2005. A lot has changed since then and I, along with the Association of the United States Army’s Institute of Land Warfare, decided it was time to update the original book.
Download SR-2017-Your-Soldier-Your-Army-A-Family-Guide.pdf (8.55 MB)
Copies of this publication are available free of charge. To order, please e-mail ILWResources@ausa.org and include your name, a shipping address and how many you'd like to order.