OPSEC training saves lives

Family members are just as important as their active-duty spouses in protecting the nation’s security.

Sgt. 1st Class Nicolas Vazquez, U.S. Army Europe’s operations security program manager, constantly relays this sentiment while presenting OPSEC briefings for Soldiers and civilians.

Sergeant First Class Vazquez travels throughout Europe conducting OPSEC briefings to employees of USAREUR, U.S. Air Forces in Europe, U.S. Naval Forces Europe and U.S. African Command – a job he has done since 2004.

“Everyone – Soldiers, civilians and family members – has knowledge that is valuable to the enemy,” said Sergeant First Class Vazquez, a Department of Defense instructor, who teaches and certifies OPSEC program managers.

Lately, he has been running back and forth from Heidelberg to Kaiserslautern to help Soldiers and civilians meet the annual requirement to complete OPSEC Level I Training.

The U.S. Army Garrison Kaiserslautern’s Directorate of Plans, Transformation, Mobil-ization and Security personnel have scheduled OPSEC training back-to-back with the Subversion and Espionage Directed Against the U.S. Army Refresher Training.

Soldiers and civilians, as well as host nation employees, must complete the SAEDA Refresher Training by Feb. 1. There are several SAEDA briefings available in German.

 This requirement focuses on all personnel who received SAEDA training prior to Nov. 30.

“The main reason why we are doing this training is to emphasize and enhance current posture,” said Jim Otto, the garrison’s anti-terrorism officer.

The next garrison-sponsored OPSEC and SAEDA briefings – each about an hour – will be held back-to-back from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday at the Galaxy Theater, Bldg. 2062, on Vogelweh. A German-version SAEDA briefing will be 10:45 to 11:45 a.m. Jan. 26 at KMC Onstage, Bldg. 3232, on Kleber Kaserne.

Host nation employees are also encouraged, but not required, to attend OPSEC training, and family members are welcome to attend both training sessions.

“Any time that you can remind people to look, notice and report anything suspicious, it’s important for security because people reporting things is how we stop terrorist acts and save lives,” said Jeff Crisp, the garrison’s DPTMS director, on the importance of these training sessions.

For Kaiserslautern units, the garrison’s DPTMS personnel have scheduled back-to-back SAEDA and OPSEC trainings, including offering SAEDA briefings in German.

“We are offering as many trainings (as possible) and at varying times to make it easier for people to attend before Feb. 1,” said Dennis Mathis, a garrison DPTMS security assistant, who added that some units are conducting these trainings as well for their Soldiers and civilians.

Military intelligence personnel educate Soldiers, civilians and host nation employees on how to identify and stop intelligence and terrorist threats to the Army in SAEDA briefings.

Security program managers like Sergeant First Class Vazquez teach Soldiers and civilians OPSEC – how to identify, control and protect generally unclassified evidence of the planning and execution of sensitive activities, such as deployments and long hours at work.

Mr. Crisp’s advice: “Always be on the defense – detect, deter, disrupt.”

Disrupting, Mr. Crisp said, is reporting suspicious activities to military law enforcement officials and military intelligence agents.