FORT RUCKER, Ala. (August 12, 2015) -- As the seemingly endless string of violent events continues in the news, like the deadly shooting of four Marines in Chattanooga, Tennessee, it's quite apparent that people need to remain vigilant.
The Army and Fort Rucker want to make sure its Soldiers and citizens remain safe, so in observation of Antiterrorism Awareness Month, installation officials urge people to keep their eyes open for any suspicious activity and to promote family awareness, said Mike Whittaker, Fort Rucker antiterrorism officer.
"The purpose of Antiterrorism Awareness Month is to instill Army-wide heightened awareness and vigilance to protect the Army community from acts of terrorism," said Whittaker. "It's the Army's version of a neighborhood watch, and in this particular day and age, it's time the neighborhood wakes up.
"We're not all in a gated community like in Fort Rucker," he continued. "People who live on post have no idea how well they have it because there are so many layers of security on post. Those who live off the installation don't live with that level of security."
Between external terrorist threats, home-grown violent extremists, and people who have their own personal agendas against the military or government, Whittaker said it's time people close the gap on their own personal security, and Step 1 is vigilance.
"Terrorists don't wear identification badges or uniforms, and you can't pick them out by their appearance," said the antiterrorism officer. "By paying attention to your surroundings and taking note of any unusual or out-of-place behavior and reporting it, one may help frustrate an attack.
"I don't know your neighborhood like you do," he said. "If there's a car parked in your neighborhood and you don't know what it's doing there, get up and tell somebody. If there are people leaving packages or people you're unfamiliar with asking a lot of questions, don't just go home and tell mom or dad about it -- let the police know or let us know."
Whittaker said if it makes people uncomfortable, then it's probably not right, adding that people should go with their gut instincts. The first line of defense starts with the people in the community.
There are different programs within the antiterrorism spectrum, including iWatch, eGuardian and iSalute, which are all designed to help Soldiers, family members, citizens and anyone in the community report suspicious activity, said Cory Greenawalt, Fort Rucker Training and Doctrine Command antiterrorism officer.
Through iWatch, the program's main focus is to get people to be aware of their surroundings and remain vigilant to help stop terrorism, said the antiterrorism officer.
"Law enforcement can only do so much, so it's up to the installation's Soldiers, civilians and citizens to keep an eye out for suspicious activity," he said.
The eGuardian program is designed mainly for local law enforcement, and through this program they report on suspicious activity, which will go to the Fort Rucker antiterrorism office, said Greenawalt. With that information, antiterrorism officials go through the reports and look for credible reports and work with local law enforcement to see how far the potential threats go.
Booths will be set up at various locations through the installation, including the post exchange, the commissary and Bldg. 5700, where antiterrorism officials will be able to provide people with information regarding ways to stay safe, and people can even pick up some free antiterrorism promotional items.
Also, the post will be conducting its annual all-hazards exercise Aug. 18-20, where the installation's systems and response teams will be tested with a predetermined scenario.
"Don't make yourself a soft target," added Whittaker. "Sit and talk with your family and your children. Our best system of security is the people knowing and saying something, because we can't be everywhere at once. That gives us an exorbitant amount of assets to try to find a needle in a haystack. All we ask is that you be safe, be prudent and call."
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