PREPARATION FOR THREATS AND INTELLIGENCE 2On October 4, 1957, Russia launched a rocket called Sputnik (etsu faculty, 2001). The United States (US) was caught by surprise. Sputnik had the ability to orbit the Earth in just 96 minutes and broadcast a frequency that was easily audible on a ham radio (Figure 1). If the Russians had managed to launch a satellite under our noses without our knowledge and had the ability to send a signal into our homes in 1957, it was clear that the United States was unprepared and had underestimated the ability of its adversaries. We clearly needed a new way of doing business, a new way of defending our country and our families. President Dwight D. Eisenhower had now received a wake-up call, it was time to act. Our enemy could now be thousands of miles away and still be able to enter our homes. The enemy could come to our families without even setting foot in our homes. The world as we knew it would never be the same again. With the launch of Sputnik in 1957 the United States became aware of the growing threat to national security and intelligence. In February 1958, by order of President Dwight D. Eisenhower, the Advanced Research Project Agency (ARPA), a division of the Department of Defense (DoD), was established. Then, on February 7, 1958, DoD Directive 5105.15 was signed (Darpa website, 2014). Its main purpose was to maintain US technological superiority over potential adversaries and develop new technologies for the US military (Mallia, 2013). With ARPA's increased responsibilities and a fast-paced environment, the agency needs a better way to stay connected and share "packets" of information. The agency has begun experimenting with inter-office connections. By the end of 1969 those efforts paid off and the first “Advanced Research Projects” were published…… middle of paper…… and more than just a photo of a loved one, these photos could reveal photos of classified locations that could be harmful to the success of the mission (Pentagon, 2012). OPSEC should be at the forefront of everything we do and should not be limited to just our soldiers. We as leaders have the responsibility to educate our families too. OPSEC has developed a process located in AR 530-1 Appendix B, B-1 (AR-530-1, 2007) (Appendix A) that could and should be applied to any situation you may encounter in your personal or professional life. If your Unit has or is considering initiating a review of the AR 530-1 social media page, ensure that all Unit personnel are updated on OPSEC training requirements and the potential risk associated with disclosing classified information (Table 1 ). It is up to us as leaders to ensure that the next attack or invisible event does not happen before our eyes.