Welcome to Military.com Adopt-A-Servicemember forum. Please read, heed, relax and enjoy. As you read through this you will see a few things repeat themselves. That is because they are very important to remember!

Remember we're currently in a War, so PERSEC and OPSEC must be observed.(PERSEC is personal security-OPSEC is operational security.) Do not give names, units, troop movements or locations of self or others in the sandbox. Keep your personal info to a minimum, DO NOT post email addresses or home addresses. Other members can contact you through your profile.

This forum is a courtesy to our men and women in the service. It is NOT a dating service. Posts from minors will be removed as a safety precaution.

This is a public message board. That means anyone, at anytime, from anywhere can access information on these boards. As a safety precaution we ask you not to post information regarding specifics about your loved one that is serving at home or abroad. This includes full name, rank, unit, division, location, homeport or station, troop/ship movements, etc.

When posting pictures please edit the picture so as not to show name, rank, ribbons or any thing in the background/foreground that would define where they are.

The Moderators monitor the boards frequently but can not be on here 24/7. When other members see something that should not have been posted, they will let you know. It is NOT to be rude but rather to protect you, your family and our loved ones that are serving.

Enjoy your time here and happy posting!

Welcome Aboard. This post was created with the purpose of giving you some advice and guidance before you jump into the world of Adopt-A-Servicemember here at Military.com. This is a pretty long post, but be patient and read it through - it will help you avoid embarrassment and give you some very helpful background information.

STARTING OUT

- READ the Terms of Service (TOS). Let me say that again: READ THE TOS. When you are reading a thread, you will find a number of blue, underlined phrases at the bottom. The Terms of Service is at bottom right. Go there - it will list for you all the violations that can and will get you kicked off this forum. Read it, heed it. Especially Paragraphs 6 and 14.


- Introduce Yourself - Tell us a little about yourself. You don’t have to put anything out that you don’t want, just give us some background. Do NOT give out physical attributes.

- Your Profile - it’s not mandatory that you put personal information in your profile, but anonymous posters tend to be less trusted than those who are honest in their profile.


Learn how to post. At the top of the thread screen are five rectangular buttons:

GO: Selects your profile settings or find different forums

NEW: Starts discussions, polls or private threads. Recommended you stay away from the "Poll" button until you "get your feet wet"

FIND: Allows you to find topics within any forum. If you plug in "depleted uranium" you'll find where to go for that subject

NOTIFY: Used to deliver 'New" topics and/or replies to your email. Good for some of the less trafficked forums.

TOOLS: (Help or Panic Button)Shows how to do the things we just outlined.

-At the bottom of the current post is a rectangle saying "REPLY" with two buttons. Either will allow you to reply on that thread. Try not to panic, check out the "Tools" help how-to's and get the feel of the place.

FIRST POST: In the title of your first post enter the name of the service you are wanting to pen pal with. If it does not matter then put “ALL SERVICES” in the title.

HOW TO BEHAVE - Do’s and Don’ts

- Do not put personal stats, interests etc in your post as if it is a singles website. The post will be edited and removed.

- This forum supports the Military. That doesn’t mean that non-military aren’t welcome, but it DOES mean that certain beliefs and traditions are held in higher regard. Among these are:

- Sensitive information. Don’t come here trying to find the location of a lost friend, a service member overseas, or wanting to discuss classified topics. Certain information, while not strictly confidential, is still not appropriate for discussion on a forum that is open to a world-wide audience. If in doubt, don’t talk about it, do email a Moderator.

- Respect the Moderators. The Moderators are those individuals who monitor the forums, assist the members, and ensure that the TOS is adhered to. On this site, the Mods are the all-knowing, all-powerful gods of your little universe. If they give you a warning, HEED IT - the next warning will be your suspension or worse.

MISCELLANEOUS

Bumping: Sometimes you may see a post that says, simply, “Bump”. Bumping is done to keep a topic near the top of the list, either because the “bumper” feels it is important or because they are waiting for a response. Be judicious in your bumping.

Checking profiles: Look at a member’s profile before you get into it with them. Simply click on their screen name and you can find out more about the poster. This is very useful, and will keep you from making any number of mistakes. It also lets you find out more about the membership.

Contacting Members: To send a message to a member

1) Go to their screen name on the left side of the post and click on it
2) Click on "View "insert member's name" public profile
3) On the left side of the screen, first yellow box will say "Send a Message", click on it
4) Type out your message, if you wish only here are you able to include your email address.
5) click send and there you go


OPSEC/PERSEC Concerns
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Because of the current situation surrounding our military in Harms' Way, it is highly advised that everyone posting on this site please refrain from giving the following:

Serviceman’s/Woman’s Name; Rank; Unit ID/Name and address, and area(s) of assignment.
This is especially in where the servicemember is in a hostile environment and in constant danger.
Please take this advisory and heed it.
Thank You.
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OPSEC means Operational Security
PERSEC means Personnel Security

Do not put our troops at risk.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: catherine0830,