This month marks the Army’s 15th annual observance of Antiterrorism Awareness Month, an effort aimed at refreshing and educating Soldiers and civilians on potential threats and the importance of vigilance and reporting suspicious behavior.
Every year, the U.S. Army Security Assistance Command’s security team leads its organization’s initiative to observe the month and ensure members are aware and up to date on training and other pertinent information.
All Army employees are required to complete a basic antiterrorism course online annually, but USASAC Security Specialist Ralph Saorrono said it’s important for members to always have their training and awareness at the forefront of their minds.
The course covers an array of topics to include fundamentals of surveillance, government facility security, insider threats, what to do during an active shooter situation, and security considerations for air and ground travel.
To supplement the mandatory training, Saorrono and the rest of the security team see ATAM as an opportunity to go the extra mile by setting up information booths full of antiterrorism handouts and booklets covering subjects such as what constitutes suspicious behavior, contact information for reporting, types of threats, tips for physical and information security at home and in the workplace, and safe social networking.
Throughout the month, USASAC personnel across all locations are encouraged to participate in events to test and refresh their knowledge on security procedures and potentially receive prizes.
“We plan to have antiterrorism knowledge-based games throughout the month and present winners of those games with some form of award,” said Saorrono. “We find that taking an engaging and rewarding approach to antiterrorism maximizes participation and significantly impacts the level of antiterrorism knowledge team USASAC possesses.”
One relatively new topic the USASAC security team wants to focus on is what to do in the event personnel see an unmanned aircraft system in an area it shouldn’t be. A simple way to remember what to do in the event of a suspicious UAS is to remember the acronym D.R.O.N.E. which stands for the following:
• Detect all available elements of the situation; attempt to locate and identify individual(s) operating the drone.
• Report incident to authorities.
• Observe the UAS and maintain visibility of the device; look for direction of travel.
• Notice features such as type of device, size, shape, color, and activity.
• Execute appropriate reporting actions.
Antiterrorism Awareness Month is just that—a month. But threats take no days off and come in many forms, which is why Saorrono and his colleagues preach against complacency.
“We can’t afford to fall victim to routine,” said Saorrono. “This is a great time to remind people about what we can do to protect our organization, Army and country, but awareness should be year-round. Make sure to stay vigilant, brush up on the contacts for your security and law enforcement personnel, and report suspicious behavior.”
For more information on best practices for antiterrorism, take the Level I Antiterrorism Awareness Training, and keep up to date with travel advisories here.
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