Facebook can not only inform friends and family, but also scam artists and individuals working against ongoing U.S. military interests. It can put operations security at risk and endanger the lives of servicemembers. Here are some safety tips: (1) adjust privacy settings to "private" or "friends only"; (2) remove any personally identifiable information that gives away too much information about you or your family; (3) avoid sharing details about bases and capabilities by not posting photos of or details about formations, quarters, armored vehicles, and/or weapons; (4) disable the GPS feature on your mobile device or turn off tagging or tracking applications on your Facebook account that give your exact location; and (5) educate yourself, your friends and your family about what is and is not safe to share on Facebook or any other social networking platform. If you are not comfortable putting the same information on a sign in your yard, do not put it online.
To keep up with the military on social media, visit the Military.com Facebook page.
