Always on the Record

No matter how much training is given or case studies are discussed, military members from all backgrounds frequently forget that they willingly relinquished their freedom of speech and expression when they took their oath to the Constitution. From the youngest private to the most seasoned colonel, people forget that they are always on the record. It’s true that protecting OPSEC is drilled into our brains as military members. We get the training ad nauseum on how not to show our hand to the enemy, both foreign and domestic. But training on other fundamentals related to our current way of conducting business and life are lacking.

Military leaders leverage official policies to enforce orders, but equally as powerful (and potentially detrimental) is text messages. Texts, right next to email, are shown to be just as potent, especially during inquiries and investigations. To some people, one’s ability to send a co-worker a hilarious meme making fun of a superior officer might seem innocuous. But in an instant, the meme can prompt conversations with untrue (or true) facts that could be subpoenaed a year later. A text conversation between you and a supervisor could be used to shape the professional career of another. Additionally, the use of emojis can further complicate matters. If you use an eggplant and peach in the same text as the name of a married NCO in a conversation you’re having with someone in another unit, you might have some explaining to do. Use your own devices at your risk.

What about official devices? Information is protected from scrutiny….right? Not so much. It is true that most communication and record keeping is generally protected, so long as properly labeled and classified. It’s the communication that is casually saved and volleyed across the network that could be recalled and inspected. Everyday citizens and private organizations have the right to request federal records in a couple instances. The word “congressional” sends chills up leaders’ backs. This is where a person, usually a military member or their family member, files a grievance with their Congress representative. When this happens, the accountable unit must respond and justify or clarify the issue at hand which requires “proof.” This proof is in the digital backlog of the devices used to conduct daily business. The second instance where official information could be on display for the public’s eyes is if a FOIA request is made and authorized. FOIA is the Freedom of Information Act. FOIA allows requestors to ask for memos, emails, internal documents, and other communications in the name of transparency and accountability. When a FOIA request comes through, that suddenly becomes the focus of everyone involved. Drop what you’re doing and start pulling records. Failure to produce, or if there is evidence of changing anything, does not bode well for anyone.

Interviews should seem to be an obvious method of record keeping, but when mics show up in front of military members’ faces, all bets are off. Military members are trained to get the job done and not always to serve as filters. The public yearns for verbal slip-ups from anybody with juicy, contrarian, or controversial thoughts that could be politicized. This drives intrigue, viewers, and clicks, all of which can help organizations trying to remain relevant in a sea of amateur reporters. When an interviewer asks what is being done to keep an event, base, or people safe, for example, that is not the time to show one’s actual cards. It’s difficult to give an honest answer while protecting the state of the unit and preserving its image. Sometimes it can feel like a debate where a candidate blatantly bypasses the facilitator’s question and just talks about what she wants to talk about. As trusted military members, every effort should be made to answer questions in a way that doesn’t degrade the image, readiness, or safety of the unit or its leaders. If able, ask interviewers for topics or general questions they wish to ask beforehand in order to mentally prepare.

Oh, and of course, social media. I think we all get the Coldplay concert message loud and clear. Don’t have your arms wrapped around anyone at a public event if both you and the other person are married to other people. Eager phones (or other documentary devices) are always watching, even at paid events. This doubles down as military members. The military is held to a high standard, and generally, in high regard and should be. It is unfortunate when one small, public slip up is documented for the world to see. Nothing is safe from question, comment, or inadvertent sharing in the digital age. Google never forgets!

It can be exhausting to remember the voluntary restrictions we placed upon ourselves when the rest of the world is freely partaking and enjoying the free speech fruits that we work so hard to nurture. This is our world. We swap the slow, archaic, and  secure communication method of letters and paper files for expeditious collaboration and transmission of information that is easily intercepted and open to the world. Every generation has its challenges to bear. As we navigate this time and readily reflect that we are always on the record, the next generation will face the challenge of deciphering between what is real and artificial as AI and other automated communications continue to progress, both within the ranks and with the enemy.