Family Guidons - Ep. 3 Their Duty in Today’s World

In this episode of Family Guidons, hosts Michelle Matheny, Charlotte Stilwell and Kathy Bridgers tackle one of the biggest challenges military families face today: staying connected online while also staying safe. In a world of fast news, viral posts, and constant access, they share practical tips for OPSEC, protecting your family’s privacy, setting healthy boundaries, and keeping your peace online—especially during deployments. Links: Email: [email protected] ready.gov Defining Daily Victories During a Military Deployment: Navigating the Holidays - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YH6GukafBcg Handling Travel During Deployment of Your Service Member - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=62jataTay1g 00:00 intro 03:10 Social media as a lifeline during deployments 04:30 How military connection used to look (before social media) 06:15 Staying connected across moves and duty stations 09:40 Personal story: deployment stress + quick updates bringing peace 14:10 How online visibility impacts family safety and peace 15:40 OPSEC basics: what not to post (dates, locations, identifiers) 19:10 Being careful with what you share verbally, too 20:30 Talking to family members about OPSEC boundaries 22:10 Social media safety tips: geotagging, privacy, followers 25:40 Teaching kids online safety and posting boundaries 27:10 Listener email: preparedness, awareness, and family protection 30:10 Handling nosy questions + setting boundaries with others 32:30 Protecting your emotional health and mental peace online 38:00 Closing thoughts: control what you can control South Carolina National Guard / https://www.scguard.ng.mil/ Youtube / scnationalguard Facebook / scguard Instagram / official_scguard Twitter / scnationalguard Flickr / https://www.flickr.com/photos/scguard/ DVIDS / https://www.dvidshub.net/unit/SCNG