CRANE, Ind. - Crane Army Ammunition Activity remains ready and resilient against terrorist threats at all times. Crane Army’s people are its greatest asset and first priority, so implementing anti-terrorism measures into security plans play a vital role in the way it approaches threat assessments.
Throughout August, designated as Anti-Terrorism Awareness Month, Crane Army highlights the security initiatives it uses year-round to evaluate potential vulnerabilities. CAAA’s anti-terrorism officer and employee council, a group of workers who take on additional responsibilities around the command, are vital to that effort.
“The anti-terrorism program ensures that the command is aware of various potential threats and that protections are in place to mitigate those threats,” Crane Army Anti-Terrorism Officer Stephanie Harris said. “It’s an additional security protection put into place so people can feel safe at work.”
The council regularly meets to discuss potential safety and security measures for implementation and runs drills on how to communicate with others during a potential terrorist threat. In these drills employee council members role play scenarios ranging from confronting a suspicious person to conducting ID checks to develop their de-escalation techniques.
“The drills help everyone think on their feet so they can be prepared if a situation comes up where they need to take action,” Harris said. “Practicing allows us to come up with creative and approachable ways to address potentially threatening situations.”
Due to the nature of Crane Army’s mission of providing munitions readiness to the warfighter, an exploited vulnerability could have severe consequences. The anti-terrorism program keeps employees informed of the potential threats to secure Crane Army and its assets.
“Whenever employees know what kind of suspicious activity to report and how to do so, it strengthens our security because the employees are the ones out there who see everything and know what’s going on,” Harris said. “When everyone works together, we aren’t limited by the size of a security team.”
Harris said anti-terrorist measures are implemented best when the entire workforce remains vigilant and flexible. The Crane Army Employee Council aids in these efforts by taking on additional responsibilities like monitoring perimeter security and evaluating buildings for security threats.
“The existence of the employee council means there’s several extra sets of eyes out there,” Audrey Courson, an employee council member, said. “They’re out there seeing what needs to be fixed and finding ways to help prevent an accident. They do a lot.”
The Crane Army employee council’s anti-terrorist defenses are successful due to the evolving and thorough efforts of its dedicated workforce and the partnerships formed with employees.
“They are dedicated and approachable,” Dana Roach, the employee council president, said. “The working leaders know us. We know them. It helps to have that relationship so we can all get the work done.”
Teamwork amongst the workforce increases the number of personnel dedicating their time to anti-terrorism measures and strengthens Crane Army’s defenses. By developing themselves and one another through regular drills and meetings, the employee council grows its ability to aid supervisors in protecting CAAA’s people.
“It used to be the responsibility of supervisors to do anti-terrorism security checks on top of everything else supervisors already do,” Courson said. “With the employee council in place, there’s now a committed group of employees that take the time to get this work done and done right.”
The nature of anti-terrorist work means it never stops. A well placed anti-terrorism program is one that develops at the same rates as potential threats.
“The employees at Crane army are the greatest asset,” said Harris. “We can keep the command safe by monitoring and protecting ourselves because protecting ourselves means protecting the workforce.”
Crane Army Ammunition Activity produces and provides conventional munitions in support of U.S. Army and Joint Force readiness. It is part of the Joint Munitions Command and the U.S. Army Materiel Command, which include arsenals, depots, activities and ammunition plants. Established Oct. 1977, it is located on Naval Support Activity Crane.
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