The OSPA story starts with a young Army private, deployed to Iraq. PFC Chris Cox, like many OPSEC practitioners, was assigned the role as a secondary duty. After all, the unit commander reasoned, he’s the Information Management Officer. It’s close enough.
Understanding the importance of the role as it applied to the unit’s mission, Chris began collecting information. Briefings, posters, templates- anything he could find. Other began sharing information as well, collaborating to make better products and more informative awareness material. They all had the same goal: to make OPSEC accessible to everyone, regardless of their mission or role.
Understanding the importance of the role as it applied to the unit’s mission, Chris began collecting information. Briefings, posters, templates- anything he could find. Other began sharing information as well, collaborating to make better products and more informative awareness material. They all that the same goal: to make OPSEC accessible to everyone, regardless of their mission or role.
Today, OSPA is the only 501c3 OPSEC organization in the world. It’s multinational mission has allowed it to reach our allies around the globe, such as the Canadian Army, the Australian Government, and more. But we’ve never forgotten where we came from, and we’ve never lost sight of who we are. We’re a group of OPSEC practitioners dedicated to the craft and to making sure no one is ever harmed due to a lack of OPSEC.
We’ve never turned anyone away when they needed help, and we never will. Whether you’re a member of the organization, a young OPSEC practitioner serving overseas, in a role that makes you responsible for protecting others, or just need to know how OPSEC applies to you, we’re here for you.
OSPA: OPSEC from the Trenches
The OSPA Website in 2007
The OSPA booth floating away in the 2010 Nashville flooding