Photo By Tammy Muckenfuss | KAISERSLAUTERN, Germany – U.S. Air Force Capt. Ryan Miccio, an information...... read more read more
KAISERSLAUTERN, Germany – A team of operations security experts from U.S. Air Forces Europe-Africa and U.S. Army Garrison Rheinland-Pfalz came together in early January at Sembach Kaserne to deliver the first-of-its-kind joint OPSEC II and III training and certification course.
The Army’s Operations Security Support Element developed the course to train Army operations security officers and program managers to be able to successfully implement OPSEC measures at all levels of the Army.
The Army’s decentralized training approach was what drew U.S. Air Force Capt. Ryan Miccio, an information operations officer with the 603rd Air Operations Center at Ramstein Air Base, to get his OPSEC level III trainer certification and push for Air Force students to be able to attend the Army’s course.
“The Air Force has a great program for OPSEC instruction, but it is centralized in the U.S.,” Miccio said. “The OPSEC Level III certification allows me to get legitimate courseware to our Airmen, even from a sister service.”
Miccio was one of the lead instructors for the January course. He said that other than a few differences in naming conventions, the course’s focus on including OPSEC at all levels of the planning process benefits both Airmen and Soldiers.
“The joint course just makes the most sense,” Miccio said. “We work alongside each other every day. Hopefully this is just the start to how the KMC can align resources to enable different organizations who are accomplishing some of the same missions to learn from each other.
The course included another “first,” as USAG Rheinland-Pfalz’s Directorate of Information Management deployed a kiosk system that allowed the non-Army course participants to access to the Army-based course content, Miccio said.
In addition to certifying 28 Army and Air Force students in OPSEC level II, this course offered “train-the-trainer” certification in OPSEC level III for two Army civilian employees, increasing the garrison’s capacity to train and certify employees in OPSEC level II.
Tammy Muckenfuss, USAG Rheinland-Pfalz director of public affairs, is one of the students who received OPSEC level III certification.
Muckenfuss said the joint nature of the training presented an opportunity to discover the similarities and differences between the two services.
“Understanding the nuances helps us navigate our missions better as partners, especially in the KMC where the Air Force and Army are literally side-by-side,” Muckenfuss said.
She highlighted the benefit of expanding OPSEC level II training opportunities for the local Army garrison and Air Force workforces.
“This ultimately enhances the security of our shared communities!” she said.
Joey Gibbons, an operations officer with the USAG Rheinland-Pfalz Directorate of Plans, Training, Mobilization and Security, was one of the OPSEC level II students. He said his experience in the course will not only help him keep the garrison’s operations security program running smoothly but will help him protect himself in his personal life.
Gibbons added that while he had always completed his required annual OPSEC level I training, this course gave him a new breadth and depth of understanding for how OPSEC is integral to joint military operations.
“While some of the different products used by the Army and Air Force OPSEC programs are unique to each service, the end state is the same: OPSEC is everyone’s business!” Gibbons said.
Miccio underscored the importance of OPSEC for every member of the joint force.
“OPSEC is more than just posters and pamphlets,” he said. “It is a capability to protect the force and the mission. Protection is a big problem set, and joint problems require joint solutions.”
| Date Taken: | 01.22.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 01.22.2025 04:42 |
| Story ID: | 489445 |
| Location: | KAISERSLAUTERN, RHEINLAND-PFALZ, DE |
| Web Views: | 27 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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