Mixing marketing with Memorial Day, the Lifetime network is promoting Season 3 of its popular series Army Wives with a web site dedicated to real life Army wives in a feature called "Homecoming." The "Real Army Wives" site has videos of the experiences of Army couples as they reunite following deployment, as well as a message board for spouses to give their own feedback.
There is plenty of good information here and many spouses seeking connection and community. One real problem with the site is the information often included in these posts. Military spouses of all branches, both active duty and reserve, do need to be aware that posting information about specific units and locations, along with information about when they are leaving and coming home may not be wise
This is not just the military dictating our lives, but the military trying to safeguard the lives of our own spouses. Feeling rather like I was part of an AFN commercial, I contacted the Lifetime network and communicated my concerns. They responded very positively and said they would pass the information along and encourage bloggers to use sensitivity about the information they share.
Enjoy the connection you find at these sites, but be careful about what you tell the virtual world -- it's connected to the real one.
Over Share
Thank you for this post. I am hoping that many spouses read it! I would also appreciate a similar encouragement in the email that requests you to introduce yourself after registering for Military Moms.
After registering myself for the Military Moms section of Stars and Stripes, I read through the introductions that other registered members have submitted, before submitting my own. I was quite surprised to find how many users told their service member's first and last name, rank and/or place of station! Maybe since my husband's MOS requires a certain level of privacy I am more sensitive to this information than others? I hope that users will be encouraged to not post so much identifying information. You can still be a proud parent or spouse and not tell the world exactly who you are proud of!
Life according to OPSEC
Thanks for the reminder, RJM. Living overseas, we are constantly reminded by American Forces Network to be aware of operational security, familiarly called OPSEC. Sometimes we do laugh at the commercials (sorry, AFN) because we've seen them so many times we can recite them.
However, these reminders are important, and it is necessary to be careful of what information one posts in public places.
This is not cloak and dagger stuff. As members of the military community, we should be aware that we don't have to share all that we know. Please, military spouse bloggers, here and anywhere, never post information about troop movements, including location, time, date, place or specific unit. This means no specific information about when your loved one is leaving or returning.
Some may see this as one more way the military controls our lives, but it is one way we can contribute to the safety of those we love and respect.
What they say about "loose lips" ...
It's an old saying, but still in effect. My nephew recently joined the Navy, and his mom has discovered the Navy for Moms website. I was reading it also, and found this thorough discussion of OPSEC. Click here to read it.