Abstract
Social networking has become an increasing popular means of 21st century communication. With increases in deployment tempo and access to social media, military families have been more apt to utilizing social media for communication. There are potential security dangers to military personnel associated with this increased use of social media, leading the military services to implement processes to better inform the families of service members about these dangers. This Dissertation in Practice (DIP) utilized a qualitative study in an effort to analyze current Operations Security (OPSEC) awareness levels of Air Force Key Spouses. Findings could be used in an effort to develop an updated OPSEC program management model for military spouses. The qualitative study analyzed how OPSEC Program Managers can better train Air Force spouses on OPSEC awareness. Root causes of the professional practice problem included lack of training opportunities as well as lack of availability of published training materials. The study also found ways in which the professional practice problem could be addressed with effective leadership and program management. The study concluded that previous training and program management examples could be benchmarked in an effort to further the greater good of military family OPSEC training.|Keywords: OPSEC, Key Spouse, Department of Defense, Military, Air Force