FORT MCPHERSON, Ga. -- Army senior leadership has approved the Army's adoption of the iWATCH Antiterrorism Awareness Program, a nationwide, modern version of the Neighborhood Watch program developed by the Los Angeles Police Department to encourage and enable members of the community to identify and report suspicious behavior that may be associated with terrorist activities.

The Army has also directed Army-wide implementation of iWATCH to run concurrently with the Army's Antiterrorism Awareness Month in August.

The purpose of iWATCH is to promote antiterrorism awareness and leverage every member of the Fort McPherson and Fort Gillem community to act as a sensor to help identify and prevent potential terrorist acts.

There are two elements to the initiative: "passive" and "active."

The passive element of iWATCH is individual situational awareness of your surroundings.

The active element requires individuals to take action and report suspicious behavior or activities to law enforcement for further investigation. An essential component of iWATCH is reporting suspicious activity.

IWATCH aspires to ensure everyone knows how to report suspicious activity. If you see something, say so - report suspicious activity to your garrison law enforcement desk immediately. The key to implementing iWATCH is education - on the initiative itself, on indicators of terrorist activity and on reporting suspicious activity.

Examples of suspicious activity include:

Aca,!AcPeople drawing or measuring important buildings

Aca,!AcStrangers asking questions about security procedures

Aca,!AcBriefcases, suitcases, backpacks or packages left unattended

Aca,!AcVehicles left in no parking zones in front of important buildings

Aca,!AcUnfamiliar people in secure areas

Aca,!AcPersons wearing clothes that are noticeably too big or too hot for the weather

Aca,!AcChemical smells or fumes that seem out of the ordinary for the specific location

Aca,!AcPeople who do not have a need to know asking questions about sensitive information, such as building blueprints, security plans or VIP travel schedules

Aca,!AcPeople purchasing supplies or equipment that can be used to make bombs or weapons, or purchasing uniforms without having the proper credentials Be alert at all times for suspicious activity.

Maintain individual situational awareness of your surroundings. Everyone can make a difference by recognizing what to report and reporting it to security forces or law enforcement personnel.

Law enforcement officials cannot be everywhere and need the eyes and ears of the entire installation community to help in quell terrorism. Remember; if you see something, say something!