FORT BUCHANAN, Puerto Rico — As the Army’s home in the Caribbean, the installation plays a vital role in supporting readiness, mobilizations, and regional operations across the Western Hemisphere and beyond. During January’s Operations Security (OPSEC) Awareness Month, installation leaders are reinforcing the importance of safeguarding sensitive information in an increasingly complex security environment.
Stephanie Acosta, the installation security specialist, leads the personnel security, information security, and OPSEC programs. Acosta began her career as a backup security specialist in 2021 and assumed her current role in July 2024.
“Operations security is a security and risk management process to prevent sensitive information from getting into the wrong hands. We live in a culture where even small pieces of information could be vital to our adversaries and compromise our mission,” Acosta said.
Acosta emphasized that the installation remains operationally relevant, particularly amid increased military activity in the region.
“We have recurring mobilizations that occur out of Puerto Rico, especially now. With the current climate and the uptick in military movement, we should not be sharing specific details about the increased military presence in the region,” she added.
Acosta noted that OPSEC is a shared responsibility across the workforce, service members, and families. What may appear to be minor details, when shared publicly, can be pieced together to reveal vulnerabilities.
“We need to limit information to a need-to-know basis. That especially applies to social media. Photos can unintentionally reveal locations, access points, or vulnerabilities that could be exploited,” said Acosta.
Families also play a critical role in protecting information, particularly during mobilizations.
“We don’t want to publicize the location where someone is mobilizing or deploying to. When we share that information online, we’re giving it away freely,” the security specialist stated.
Acosta encouraged the Fort Buchanan community to remain vigilant, practice situational awareness, and report suspicious activity.
“Be precautious. Be vigilant. Safeguard our service members and families, and always be mindful of the information you share, online, in conversation, and in your daily activities,” she added.
Acosta stressed the importance that as the Army’s home in the Caribbean, Fort Buchanan’s security depends on collective awareness and disciplined information sharing to protect missions, people, and partnerships throughout the region.
Fort Buchanan supports approximately 15,000 military personnel, including active-duty, Army Reserve, Puerto Rico National Guard, Marine Corps Reserve, and Navy Reserve members. The installation’s mission is to enable readiness and facilitate the deployment of forces anytime, anywhere.