TOP STORY > >Call protects Airmen, families

By Airman 1st Class Rochelle R. Clace
19th Airlift Wing Public Affairs

More than 8 million people a year have their personal identities taken from them. This needs to be taken into consideration with regards to the Air Force mission. The same way people protect their own personal identity is the same way we need to protect the mission.

Mr. Gregory Call, 19th Plans and Programs chief of inspections and wing Operations Security program manager, protects the identity of military personnel everyday he steps into his office.

Part of his job is to prepare the wing for higher headquarter inspections, such as Operational Readiness Inspections, Unit Compliance Inspections and the Logistics Standardization and Evaluations visit from Air Mobility and Command.

“As chief of wing inspections, I work with all the AMC squadrons to ensure the semiannual inspections are completed, as well as providing lessons learned from previous [inspections] and exercises from other AMC bases,” he said. “I work with a network of squadron self-inspection managers to ensure processes, people and resources are ready. Additionally, our office has the primary communication with visiting inspection teams, working with Team Little Rock to provide billeting, vehicles, work center and reception.”

Also, being the Operations Security program manager for the wing, he trains and educates Little Rock Air Force Base personnel through squadron visits, email and briefings at Commander Calls.

“I maintain a very detailed list of OPSEC professionals with every squadron. Weekly, I provide OPSEC tips, awareness and education. In turn, these key OPSEC leaders within the squadrons provide real-time data to their personnel. In addition, once a week I randomly visit different squadrons to see first hand how OPSEC is being integrated on a day-to-day basis,” said Mr. Call.

Operations Security is an analytical process used to deny an adversary critical information about the militaries planning process and operations. The OPSEC process is to identify critical information, analyze the threat, analyze vulnerability, assess the risk and apply countermeasures.

One way Mr. Call assesses the riskis by going around the base acting as an adversary who wants to exploit or take advantage of certain situations.

“I do surveys, kind of like dumpster diving around the base, seeing what I can find out, what type of information that our military members or civilians are putting out into the trash that myself or an adversary could happen to come upon,” he said.

Mr. Call explained that OPSEC is mainly about awareness. It’s not only something to consider on duty but also something to keep in mind off duty. Base personnel and their families should always consider what information they are releasing and what normal profiles they create at home and work that an adversary could track.

Mr. Call was recognized for his accomplishments within his career by being presented the AMC OPSEC Officer of the Year Award in December 2008. Shortly after earning the award, he was informed that he had also won the Air Force OPSEC Officer of the Year Award.

As the national authority for OPSEC, the Interagency OPSEC Support Staff administers the National OPSEC Program and understands the importance of acknowledging exemplary accomplishments made by Government employees within the field.

The Interagency Operational Security Support Staff hopes to encourage the development of new and exciting OPSEC programs and awareness products and share proven OPSEC expertise with others by providing annual awards to government organizations and employees who have excelled. The criteria considered include, but are not limited to evidence of individual ability to identify and solve significant OPSEC problems, threats or vulnerabilities; demonstration of outstanding leadership and knowledge in the application of OPSEC; innovative and creative use of resources to successfully accomplish OPSEC-related goals and missions.

The program starts at the group level, wing, major command, Air Force then IOSS for the nation. The national level awards will be announced at the OPSEC conference this spring, which Mr. Call will also be competing for.

“[Having earned these awards] makes me feel proud to be a part of Team Little Rock. I am very fortunate to have a great team of OPSEC Professionals in each squadron. These honors are for the base and how every person is aware that OPSEC is personal.

Little Rock has been leading the command in protecting our critical information and using email encryption,” he said.

“This award is well deserved. Mr. Call is a very motivated individual who always goes above and beyond what is required of him. He works very hard and produces only the highest quality of work,” said Lt. Col. Philip Clinton, 19th Airlfit Wing Plans Office Chief.

“It reflects extreme honors on the 19th Airlfit Wing Plans office and Little Rock AFB. It shows that we at LRAFB take OPSEC seriously and our programs and Mr. Call's efforts prevent vital information from falling into the wrong hands. This information is extremely important in protecting our troops and not giving the enemy any advantages in the Global War on Terrorism,” he said.