FORT BENNING, Ga., (Aug. 3, 2013) -- August marks the Army's fourth annual observance of Antiterrorism Awareness Month. We have worked hard to confront the ever-present threat of terrorist attacks against our nation and our Army. Since we began observing Antiterrorism Awareness Month, we have greatly improved community awareness and understanding of the seriousness of the terrorist threat. Over the past year alone we've improved threat information sharing, revised our Antiterrorism Strategic Plan, integrated antiterrorism into the Army Protection Program, and identified new focus areas, such as cyber threats. All of these actions have helped us heighten awareness of the persistent threat posed by terrorists and encouraged our vigilance to prevent acts of terrorism.
As we continue to improve our efforts each year to keep our Army Family safe, we have learned that every member of the Army community must play a role in this important mission. Effective antiterrorism measures require a combination of great leadership, a professional police force and active community involvement. We must all be vigilant, continuously watchful for threats and hazards, and prepared to report them when we see them. We must also remain aware of our situation and our surroundings, noticing when something or someone seems out of place. Maintaining vigilance and encouraging situational awareness are guiding principles that will help ensure the safety and security of our Soldiers, Civilians, Families, infrastructure and information.
Leaders at all levels should provide support to the two important focus areas of this year's observance: encouraging the reporting of suspicious activity and improving use of social media for community outreach.
We encourage all commands to sponsor events and promote steps that embrace a community approach to safeguarding our Army. The strength of our defense is our ability to work as a team to protect our people and our installations. Army Strong!
John M. McHugh
Secretary of the Army
Gen. Raymond T. Odierno
Army chief of staff
Sgt. Maj. of the Army Raymond F. Chandler
Sergeant Major of the Army
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