YONGSAN GARRISON, South Korea -- August is the U.S. Army's sixth annual observance of Antiterrorism Awareness Month. U.S. Army Garrision Yongsan has actively worked with the tenant units' Antiterrorism Officers (ATOs) to provide them AT tools, brochures and pamphlets to distribute throughout their units.
To get the message out to the USAG-Yongsan Community, displays will be setup at the main post exchange and the commissary throughout the month. People will be able to receive information and brochures on Antiterrorism and how they can make a difference in mitigating the threat.
The highlights began Aug. 1 at the Yongsan PX where explosive ordinance disposal technicians had setup a display that allowed people to see the EOD equipment used to protect the community. The highlight was the bomb disposal robot that spectators were allowed to operate.
The next highlights are scheduled for Aug. 15 and 29 from 11 a.m to 1 p.m., at the Yongsan PX. The military police are planning to provide a display of a patrol car, a Special Reaction Team (SRT) and a K-9 unit.
"Everyone needs to be mindful that low threat does not mean no threat," said Phillip Edenfield, an antiterrorism officer with USAG - Yongsan. "Terrorist threats today are becoming more complex as terrorist groups use social media sites to terrorize personnel and to recruit individuals toward their causes."
The recent terrorist activities of homegrown violent extremists (HVE) continues to intensify the threat within the U.S., he said. It is extremely important for everyone to remain vigilant and be able to report unusual or suspicious behavior.
Service members should maintain a low profile when travelling off installation and be prepared for the unexpected by having emergency contact numbers readily available, said Edenfield. In addition, when traveling and sightseeing throughout Korea, always be cautious about giving out personal and employment information to strangers.
It is everyone's responsibility to enforce existing protective measures to protect critical information and personally identifiable information that adversaries can use for harmful means, Edenfield said. Simple procedures such as shredding documents and removing labels before placing items into trash canisters can help protect information.
"With the recent advances in cellular and network technology, it is also crucial we are cognizant of what type of information we are putting out on social media sites that could jeopardize our mission and put us in harm's way," said Edenfield. "Ensuring the Community is aware and knowledgeable on how to mitigate threats is the ultimate purpose of Antiterrorism Awareness Month."
Personnel can report suspicious activity by calling 1-800-CALL-SPY, DSN 723-3299, commercial 0503-323-3299, or report through iSALUTE at: https://www.us.army.mil/suite/page/633775.
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