Communicating with Emails

Communicating with emails

Communicating in a virtual atmosphere is easily accomplished but difficult to show emphasis in an email. Emails provide the availability to communicate across the world within seconds and towards mass audiences. While deployed overseas, email seems to be a favorite amongst the military members of all ranks. Distinguishing how to read the email is difficult even if the receiver knows the sender. Many Soldiers use emailing as the primary method for communicating also with family back home when voice capabilities are not available. When an email is sent, the sender needs to tack precaution on realizing who the receiver is, what the message will say, what the environment is, and the overall purpose of the email.

In an email I wrote to an officer in charge of our communication network, I wanted to see if there was any opportunity to shutdown our service in preparation for closing down our check point. The executive officer at our location informed me that our location was going to shut down earlier than expected and if we have any opportunity to turn in equipment that we should to prevent traveling with excess equipment. As the senior communication officer at our checkpoint, I took the responsibility for inquiring how reliable this information was and started to ask higher ups on the probability. Every person I spoke to confirmed the new time frame and agreed that we should prepare for indexing. After I gathered up all of my data I decided to write an email to the commander of the signal shop at our battalion headquarters. Given the location at which we are at and the nature of the mission, I was prepared for any counter emails he would give. While deployed in a combat situation there is a contingency communication plan that we have to abide by and ensure that we adhere to the policies put in place. I knew that this was going to be his first question asked when he replied to me. On a secure Internet line I emailed him my communications plan for our site to show him that we would be within the guidelines. Most of the communication between us was email so that we could have proof of the conversation. When you communicate over the phone, there is no proof on who said what and if the conversation became heated and into an argument. Our locations are roughly an hour apart and when I visit his location I always make it in to visit with him to maintain our friendship. With the miles between the two of us and the extremely busy atmosphere I knew that the only means of communicating was through email. We have cell phone usage in the area, but with classified information pertaining to networks we can only use secret emails.

When I sent him the email, I did not expect that he would deny my request. Having the opportunity to manage fewer networks in a hectic virtual area seems simpler to me. I tried to reason with him on the opportunity to worry about two instead of three systems, but he did not want to understand my thinking. In the email he stated that the termination of a network was not probable because of redundancy.