CHARLESTON AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. –
Base leadership has recently placed an increased emphasis on the role of Charleston Airmen, civilians and family members in protecting the base from possible terrorist activity.
While the Air Force has organizations that deal strictly with anti-terrorism, leaders urge all members of Team Charleston to remain vigilant and understand the threats they face.
The Eagle Eyes program is an anti-terrorism initiative that enlists the eyes and ears of Air Force members and citizens in the war on terror. The program seeks to educate people about the typical activities terrorists engage in when planning their attacks. Armed with this information, people will be able to recognize elements of potential terrorist planning when they see it. The program also provides a network of local 24-hour phone numbers to call if suspicious activity is observed.
Team Charleston members are encouraged to learn the categories of suspicious behavior and stay attuned to surroundings. If you observe something suspicious, call the Air Force Office of Special Investigations, Detachment 310, at 963-3248, the 437th Security Forces Squadron at 963-3600, or 9-1-1 in emergency cases.
The following are categories of suspicious behavior and activities to be aware of:
· Surveillance -- close observation of people and/or activities through monitoring and recording. Suspicious surveillance of base activities may include the use of cameras (either still or video), note taking, drawing diagrams, annotating on maps or the use of binoculars, or other vision-enhancing devices.
· Elicitation -- people or organizations attempting to gain information about military operations, capabilities or people. Elicitation attempts may be made by mail, fax, telephone, or in person. Be cautious of those who approach you in public locations (malls, airports, libraries, etc.) to ask questions regarding base activities. Also, be aware of faxes, e-mails or telephone calls asking for various information, such as troop strength numbers, the number of airplanes on base, deployment procedures, how a trash collection truck gets on base, the location of the headquarters building, how many people live in a certain dorm, where the commander lives, how many people hang out at the officers or enlisted club at night, which nightclubs or restaurants off base are highly frequented by military people or the workings of the base's network firewall.
· Tests of security -- any attempts to measure reaction times to security breaches or to penetrate physical security barriers or procedures in order to assess strengths and weaknesses. Examples include a person shaking the base fence to see how long it takes for police to respond, a "lost" driver lacking identification approaching the gate in an attempt to learn the procedures of gate entry and how far into the gate he can get before being turned around, or a person throwing a "smoke bomb" near or over the fence to observe police response time and its effects on front-gate operations.
· Acquiring supplies -- purchasing or stealing explosives, weapons, ammunition, detonators or timers. This also includes acquiring military uniforms, decals, flight manuals, passes or badges (or the equipment to manufacture such items), or any other controlled items.
· Suspicious persons out of place -- people who don't seem to belong in the workplace, neighborhood, business establishment or anywhere else. This category is hard to define, but the point is people generally know what looks right and what doesn't look right in their neighborhoods, office spaces or commutes. If a person doesn't seem like he or she belongs, there's probably a reason.
· Dry run -- a trial exercise of putting people into position and moving them around according to a planned terrorist act. An element of a dry run activity may include mapping out routes and determining the timing of traffic lights and flow. Take note of people moving around from place to place without any apparent purpose and perhaps doing it repetitively. A key example is the events of Sept. 11. We know now that the hijackers had flown on the exact flights several times before the attack of the twin towers. Their purpose was to practice getting people into position, working out arrival times, parking, ticketing, going through security and boarding. Taking note of everything around them was a test of security and surveillance, but was also a dry run of the actual activity.
· Deploying assets -- the actual positioning of people and supplies to commit the act. This is the last chance to alert authorities before the terrorist act occurs. Take notice of people loading up vehicles with weaponry, explosives and supplies or parking that vehicle in an irregular place. Also, pay attention to people in military uniforms (who look suspicious) approaching an installation, getting into a vehicle, or people who seem out of place standing at a certain location as if waiting for something to happen. A good example of this is the attack on the Khobar Towers in Saudi Arabia. The explosives-laden truck pulled up to the fence line (which was the "deploying assets" step) and the driver jumped out and ran away. This was seen by a spotter on the roof of the dormitory who recognized this as a suspicious activity. The spotter then sprinted downstairs and began pounding on doors, rousting people out of bed and getting them out of the building. Because of his awareness he saved many lives --all due to recognizing the "deploying assets" element.