JANUARY 5, 2026 – As we settle into 2026, many of us are working on personal resolutions. However, at Ebbing Air National Guard Base, one resolution stands out: strengthening Operational Security (OPSEC).
With missions ranging from MQ-9 operations, targeting, and Distributed Common Ground System (DCGS) to the growing F-35 Foreign Military Sales (FMS) training program, Ebbing is under a brighter spotlight than ever before.
Jarrett Martin, the 188th Wing Information Protection Chief, says the biggest challenge remains awareness.
“The lack of awareness that so many have of how small pieces of relatively innocent information can be combined to form a picture of operational tactics, techniques, and procedures,” Martin explains. “While a casual conversation or online post may feel harmless, our adversaries can, and do, use that information against us daily.”
That spotlight on Ebbing intensified with the FMS mission.
“The drastic increase of emphasis from the local to the national sphere of influence has created a spotlight on Ebbing ANGB that our adversaries see every day,” said Martin. “We need to be ever mindful of OPSEC and Information Security (INFOSEC) procedures to deny our adversaries any advantage.”
Maj. Kimberly Hunter, the 188th Communications Squadron commander, underscores the modern stakes with Artificial Intelligence (AI).
“Adversaries are utilizing AI as much as we are. They are analyzing data and using it to personalize social engineering attacks,” warns Hunter. “This means every piece of information, no matter how small, can be used by our adversary. OPSEC is no longer just focused on stopping data spills, but more about preventing the thousands of tiny leaks.”
Col. Paul Needham, the 188th Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Group commander, sees the same trend from the intelligence side.
“While we as leaders and Airmen want to express our pride and excitement in our missions, we have to be mindful of the adversary(ies) out there lurking in the shadows who are looking for vulnerabilities.”
Needham uses a simple metaphor: “When small bits of unrelated or seemingly harmless information are shared by several connected people or groups it paints a picture. Photos, flight schedules, aircraft numbers, or even mentions of partner countries can become pieces of that puzzle.”
Social media amplifies the risk.
“Social media is a great tool to explain and share, but caution should be observed when posting,” Needham cautions.
Story by Maj. Jennifer Gerhardt
188th Wing