OPSEC: Who wants to know? 3d ACR Operations Security Pamphlet
July 15, 2011
Flight Home Fever Soldiers and Families alike, we’re all excited about that coveted flight home. Remember, though, that the enemy can gain critical information from your email and phone conversations and Facebook posts. It’s important that you don’t pass along dates or times of flights so you help protect your Soldiers.
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What a Relief! The arrival of replacements to the unit’s area is always a welcome sight. Remember, though, that this, too, is critical information for the enemy. Please don’t discuss or post relief schedules or details about the replacement unit that the enemy can use to target Soldiers during this critical time.
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Help keep them safe There’s nothing more exciting than coming home after a long time away.
Did you hear about ___???? Something within us likes to be the first to share interesting news with friends and family. When it comes to enemy attacks against our Soldiers, just don’t go there. This can be a way for the enemy to monitor the effectiveness of his attacks against the good guys.
Brave Rifles! Veterans!!
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There is also nothing more important than protecting critical information about the details of this longawaited homecoming. When you’re talking with your spouse, friends, family, or posting to Facebook, please remember that the best thing we can do to protect our Soldiers is to keep quiet about flight details (times and dates), unit operations and enemy attacks. Just take an extra second and ask yourself if what you say could be useful to the enemy. If the answer may be “yes,” it’s best to keep it “close to the vest.” Continued on page 2
3d ACR OPSEC Pamphlet
July 15, 2011
Patton fools ‘em If you’ve seen the movie Patton, you’re familiar with the “slapping incident” of 1943, in which General Patton slapped a Soldier by the name of Charles Kuhl who was weeping in the infirmary. (For history buffs, it turned out that Kuhl had malaria at the time. Despite the incident, however, he later recounted Patton as a “Great General”). When the stateside public and press learned of the incident, President Eisenhower was pressured to send Patton home. However, Eisenhower and George Marshall came up with an alternate plan.
Even after his heroics as a battlefield general, George S. Patton was involved in a highly successful example of operations security that helped protect American Soldiers.
While divulging too much information over the phone or internet can be harmful to Soldiers and the operation, there have been many successful examples in our history of protecting critical information from the enemy. The following stories are two such examples, one of which involved the 28th Colonel of the Regiment, George S. Patton, and one of which involved the folks at Walt Disney Studios, of all places.
Patton was removed from any major command, but kept in theater. The German High Command was familiar with (and some say afraid of) Patton, so his location was closely watched for any sign of impending attack. As such, his extended stay in Sicily was seen as a clear indicator of an upcoming invasion through France. At a later time, his visit to Cairo caused additional resources to be misdirected towards repelling an attack from the Balkans. In the months before the 1944 Normandy Invasion, Allied forces launched “Operation Fortitude,” which was a major military disinformation campaign that involved controlled leaks of information, fake (even inflatable!) military equipment, message traffic and double agents. Perhaps most effective, however, was Patton’s public leadership of the (non-existent) First US Army Group (FUSAG). A culmination of this effort, and a memorable event for all involved, was when Patton shouted across a crowded reception hall to Eisenhower, “I’ll see you in Calais!”, which surely upset those that weren’t in on the ruse. The efforts were highly successful and turned the tide of the war. The German Army had everything that they needed, and the Allies appeared to be practicing very poor OPSEC. This story applies today. Remember that when something seems “too perfect” or “obvious”… It just might be intentional. 2
3d ACR OPSEC Pamphlet
July 15, 2011
…continued from lower left
M-I-C-K-E-WHY?
Because there are some things the enemy shouldn’t know. The raid on Pearl Harbor in December of 1941 effectively brought the US into what is now called World War II and naturally led to the increase of wartime production on the mainland. The Burbank, California, Lockheed Martin Aircraft Plant, however, had a significant concern. If enemy fighters could reach Hawaii, they very well may be able to reach the U.S. mainland, which would leave a military production facility on the West Coast vulnerable to potential attack or aerial observation. Fortunately, The Lockheed Martin plant had a neighbor that was well-versed in making magic – Walt Disney Studios. (continued at top right) The next time you think about sharing sensitive information like flight times or deployed unit operations, remember the elaborate ways our nation has protected this type of information in the past and ask yourself . . . “What would Mickey do?”
A team of 700 soldiers, and countless Disney techs, descended on the plant with the goal of making 550 acres of the plant disappear. Canvas-covered chicken wire was stretched over 17 hangars and 28 other critical buildings, to include the Burbank airport terminal, parking lots and manufacturing facilities. The camouflage was hand-painted to resemble a subdivision and agricultural community, complete with roads, fields of flowers and grain, orchards and farmland. Trees were carefully simulated, and workers were drafted to simulate daily life, including moving parked cars and hanging morning wash in “back yards.” No detail was spared in order to make the facility appear authentic, down to the air ducts disguised as fire hydrants. In fact, the ruse was reportedly never detected by axis forces. Meanwhile, below the appearance of a serene and harmless countryside, the facility continued their brisk production schedule. The subterfuge was so successful that Boeing duplicated it in their Seattle plant with a burlap and chicken wire lawn scene over the rooftops. While modern technology would negate such a scheme today, deception will continue to play a role in warfare, business and even home safety. Conventional wisdom will always remind us – things aren’t always what they appear. OPSEC examples provided by www.opsecprofessionals.org 3
3d ACR OPSEC Pamphlet
July 15, 2011
3d ACR Soldiers stop for some fun and games with children from the Al Shomali school in Babil Province.
Our brave Soldiers and the Families that support them are our greatest assets. Please do what you can to ensure the safety of our Brave Rifles Team by remembering operations security when you talk to others by phone, internet or in person. You never know who may be listening.
They’re coming home!! Protect them until they get there.
[Recipient] Address Line 1 Address Line 2 Address Line 3 Address Line 4
Regimental OPSEC Officer: Regimental Public Affairs Officer:
Maj. Dion Edwards, dion.edwards1@us.army.mil Maj. J. Billington, jason.billington@us.army.mil