Comments for Military Family

Comment on Military Spouses Use Blogging to Connect and Cope by Kate

Kate — Tue, 15 May 2012 19:55:48 +0000

Thank you for sharing these blogs! I am a military spouse new to the blogging world and I really enjoying reading about all spouses adventures.

Comment on Appreciate the Military Spouse on May 11, 2012 by Kiona Strickland

Kiona Strickland — Fri, 11 May 2012 16:01:28 +0000

Congratulations and good luck to your son!

Comment on Standing up for Skype & Military Spouses by Karie Fugett

Karie Fugett — Wed, 09 May 2012 17:47:13 +0000

Safety first! That’s always a good motto to have in any situation!

Comment on Standing up for Skype & Military Spouses by Kiona Strickland

Kiona Strickland — Wed, 09 May 2012 17:32:08 +0000

That’s not embarrassing at all – it’s responsible! The Internet really isn’t secure, which is why both spouses and service members need to be really careful about the information they’re sharing. There were a multitude of little things that my husband couldn’t tell me while he was deployed, and most of them were things I would never have realized the enemy could use. That was a problem back in the days when there was no communication but snail mail, too; everyone just has to realize how important it is to be careful.

Comment on Standing up for Skype & Military Spouses by Karie Fugett

Karie Fugett — Wed, 09 May 2012 17:28:04 +0000

I can definitely agree with that. There is a time and a place for everything. I do hope that they take these new ways of communicating seriously because it is definitely not the most secure place to communicate. Th is is a personal issue, and slightly embarrassing, but when my husband was deployed I was always scared for him to say anything about where they were located because I felt like anyone could hack into my computer and read it. I’ve just never trusted the internet to be secure. I’m seriously an old fart.

Comment on Army Wife Witnesses Husband’s Death Via Skype – Should Social Media’s Role in War be Reconsidered? by Karie Fugett

Karie Fugett — Wed, 09 May 2012 17:17:56 +0000

I also know that this debate could go on for ages. And really, I see both sides clearly. I just tend to lean toward old fashioned ways of doing things, especially when it comes to things such as war. I am an old fart stuck in a 26 year old’s body. It’s not an easy life.

Comment on Army Wife Witnesses Husband’s Death Via Skype – Should Social Media’s Role in War be Reconsidered? by Karie Fugett

Karie Fugett — Wed, 09 May 2012 17:13:20 +0000

I think when writing this I wasn’t 100% clear on where I was coming from. This incident alone is not reason enough for me to come to the conclusion that social media has become too involved in war. When I said “is it safe as a whole:?” I should have been more clear in the fact that I was referring to OPSEC and other safety concerns besides incidents like this. I was also referring to all social media, and not only Skype. I believe the increase in social media’s use at war has created a new safety risk that we’ve never had to be concerned with in previous wars. I also believe (despite the emotional side of me that knows how horrid it is to not be able to see your love and how horrid it is for them) that the Military should consider regulating it or even creating their own system using these technologies that is more secure and that they have more control over to prevent hackers or other threats. Every day we are having to worry about bank information being stolen, identities being stolen, and all of our personal accounts being hacked into, so why wouldn’t this be looked at and be a concern as well? Reality is that this is war and their safety – everyone’s safety – should come first.

Comment on Standing up for Skype & Military Spouses by Kiona Strickland

Kiona Strickland — Wed, 09 May 2012 17:02:42 +0000

You’re right; service members’ security is a *huge* concern. I actually had a really interesting conversation about this with my husband last night, because information security is a big part of is job. Honestly, the technology itself isn’t the problem. There are restrictions on the use of things like live chat or IM on government computers, and there are restrictions about where you can use cameras (including webcams) on bases so that something sensitive doesn’t show up. The real issue is simply enforcing rules and guidelines about what should and shouldn’t be said through *any* media. That’s not a technology issue nearly as much as it is a training and discipline issue. Like a lot of things, it’s not about the tools, it’s about the people.

Comment on Standing up for Skype & Military Spouses by Karie Fugett

Karie Fugett — Wed, 09 May 2012 16:58:01 +0000

I believe social media has created serious security risks, even putting this incident aside. Streaming from war zones live to anywhere in the world doesn’t seem safe as far as OPSEC and their safety is concerned. However, social media has created a great way for people to keep in touch and there is something to be said about the emotions involved and their overall moral. It’s emotions against logic to me, both with very strong cases. With that considered, it would be interesting if the Military would form their own version of these technologies that is more safe and more easily controlled in case security risks do arise. Safe for everyone and the communication is not compromised.

Comment on Army Wife Witnesses Husband’s Death Via Skype – Should Social Media’s Role in War be Reconsidered? by Kiona Strickland

Kiona Strickland — Wed, 09 May 2012 15:38:51 +0000

It’s important to remember that this is the first incident of its kind in nearly a decade of war and in probably millions of hours of Skype chats. Yes, when you open a live video connection to a loved one in a war zone, you might see something horrible – but our spouses live with that reality every day. As military spouses, are we really willing to pass up the opportunity to maintain a connection with our deployed spouses and offer them all the support and comfort we can, just because there is a one-in-several-million chance that a bit of their reality might seep into our carefully insulated lives? Or are we mostly capable of being braver than that for the sake of our partners and our marriages? It’s ultimately a personal decision, but it’s not a decision that should be taken away from any of us. We’re adults, well-informed and tougher than most.