Garrison employee’s face with message innovation goes theater-wide

KAISERSLAUTERN, Germany — In the coming days, you may notice some familiar faces standing around your installation at highly trafficked areas such as exchanges, fitness centers and dining facilities. The two-dimensional smiles may catch your attention initially, but what you should be looking at is the messages the flat doppelgangers are displaying.

At least that’s what Daniel Lopez, an antiterrorism officer with U.S. Army Garrison Rheinland-Pfalz’s Directorate of Plans, Training, Mobilization and Security, had in mind when he designed his protection awareness program.

“These standees will stand out. As soon as you walk into one of these areas where one of these standees are located, your attention will be focused on this standee and its message that’s displayed,” Lopez said.

Lopez said it’s tough to visually miss a larger-than-life-like person standing there, unlike the onslaught of various technology communication platforms competing for audiences.

Antiterrorism leaders at U.S. Army Europe and Africa agreed.

USAREUR-AF Force Protection Security Specialist Steve Watts said its antiterrorism branch funded 100 of the standees. Watts anticipates the investment into the seemingly simple, eye-catching product will be seen by every Soldier, civilian, and family member within garrison communities.

“Each standee is delivered with 10 separate message boards that not only support Antiterrorism Awareness but other functions which include operations security; cyber security; criminal investigation; reporting unmanned aircraft systems; insider threat awareness; emergency preparedness; and, fire and emergency safety,” Watts said.

Lopez said these standees came just in time for August’s Antiterrorism Awareness Month and envisioned these being used by other garrison programs to raise awareness to their missions.

The Standees

Each standee, made from the same material as common lawn signs, come equipped to support an interchangeable sign declaring a force-protection message.

According to Danny Vaughn Jr., Installation Management Command – Europe’s chief of Visual Information Services-Europe, chief his summer hire workforce oversaw the printing and building of the laser-cut standees and signs.

Signs include messages such as “Look Up” informing people how to report unmanned aircraft systems, or where one can “say something” when one “sees something.” Some signs include QR codes where viewers can access online resources to report suspicious activity on the spot.

The standees feature current garrison employees, active-duty service members, an employee from the Defense Commissary Agency. Also, already one of the favorites? A military working dog and its handler.

Robert Taylor, USAG Rheinland-Pfalz emergency management specialist, said he agreed to model for his standee because it was unique and had a place to grow.

“This was one of the first times that I had seen a sign concept that aimed at being reusable and program inclusive,” said Taylor. “Lopez’s desire to get models from different organizations and backgrounds as a means of conveying a wide range of messages stood out to me as a program that had the opportunity of continually growing and developing.”

Lopez said inspiration struck when he was working as an antiterrorism officer in Camp Carroll, South Korea. He said he was out running when he found a damaged, life-size figure of a Soldier made of wood with message that read “don’t break curfew.” He said he picked it up and took it to the woodshop for repairs. He then put an antiterrorism message on it and placed it in his building.

“I got a lot of compliments on it,” said Lopez. “I got permission to move it to the shoppette and then to the commissary. I received positive feedback from it but couldn’t get any buy-in.”

That is until Lopez brought his idea to USAG RP. And there are many familiar faces theater wide.