Base implements 100% shred policy

Published April 10, 2012
By Staff Sgt. Jacob Barreiro
19th Airlift Wing Public Affairs

LITTLE ROCK AIR FORCE BASE, Ark. -- Thinking about crumpling up that printed out copy of an old policy letter? Have some old recall rosters needing to be tossed, and got the urge to throw them in the trash can? Well don't, especially at Little Rock Air Force Base, Ark., which has implemented a 100 percent shred policy on base.

The new policy is intended to place emphasis on operations security and the benefits of safeguarding information.

Greg Call, 19th Airlift Wing OPSEC manager, said the 100 percent shred policy means precisely what it says, and that discarded papers of old emails or anything else shouldn't turn up in trash cans, recycling bins or base dumpsters anymore.

"If it's not required to be filed, if it's not locked up safely, it needs to be destroyed," he said. "Even everyday emails can have vulnerable information on them. They can show our mission, show what we're doing in detail, or can be pieced together to build the deployment plan."

While the policy emphasizes OPSEC and information protection, it also comes with the added benefit of encouraging recycling on base.

"The Air Force is still trying to encourage recycling," said Call. "The recycling center on base has a commercial shredder available for anyone on base to use."

In addition to shredding at the recycling center, there are several other options for base personnel, including shredders in the office, but the bottom line is, no matter how, all papers not safely or properly stored need to be shredded or destroyed.

"Paper shouldn't be lying around or in a cardboard box under your desk," said Call. "Learning good OPSEC practices at home station extends to deployed locations in my opinion."

Call said Col. Brian Robinson, 19th Airlift Wing commander, has put an emphasis on proactive information security measures and OPSEC awareness because protecting information is not something that can be done placidly or half-heartedly, it takes commitment.

"The intent is to instill OPSEC in our everyday culture," he said. "Protecting vulnerable information takes a comprehensive effort, and implementing a 100 percent shred policy encourages diligence and accountability in the safeguarding of our information from enemy threats."

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