JOINT BASE CHARLESTON, S.C. –
What does a car say about you? Well, that can depend on who you ask. If you ask a psychologist, they might say that several things can be derived about a person based on what type, color, condition and age of the vehicle they buy. Choosing a sports car, sport utility vehicle or minivan can speak of style or family situation. Get the picture?
When walking through a parking lot, whether on or off base, ever pay attention to the parked cars? Do you look at the makes and models that interest you? Do you ever read bumper stickers?
If you walk through the parking lot at the Base Exchange, pay attention to how many bumper stickers that say "Proud to Be Air Force," or "Air Force Wife," or something denoting that very basic connection with the military. Check out the number of "Iraqi Freedom Veteran" or other campaign themed decals you see. You can stroll around and see any number of "been there, done that, bought the bumper sticker" decals. And how about how many sports fans you see?
These are very general messages, but what about more specific identifiers? How many vehicles sport a rank insignia? How about stickers identifying a specific duty such as loadmaster or pilot? Do you see any personalized license plates that speak to a military item?
Servicemembers are proud to serve, proud of their accomplishments and have a natural desire to tell about places traveled and things accomplished. But, when looking at these things through a filter that takes into account Air Force Information Assurance and Operations Security, do the public masses at the mall and on roadways need to know these things? Having identifiers such as these on vehicles makes an individual a potential target for terrorist activity.
The Air Force decided to stop issuing base decals. What did just a base decal say about you? It said a person had access to the base, your status (enlisted, officer or civilian) and when your access expired. That is valuable information when combined with a rank sticker on the windshield and other decals that pinpoint who a person is and what they do. All of this helps an adversary pick his target and determine the amount of damage he can inflict.
Those who say we're safe in the good ole' U.S., might consider telling that to the individuals who were captured with bomb making materials near the Naval Weapons Station. Part of their operation depends on our complacency when we are based within the continental U.S.
Bottom line is, having individual pride is a part of military service, but consider your display of this pride. Not knowing who potential adversaries are or what they may do, what do you really want them to know about you based on your car?