Vigilance is everyone's job

  • Published
  • By Tech. Sgt. Gloria Wilson
  • 354th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
EIELSON AIR FORCE BASE, Alaska --  Some people equate war and military operations to a frontline. They picture a desert or jungle location in the middle of nowhere with weapons, convoys and military personnel wearing camouflage paint. 

The reality is in the state the world is currently in, the protection of assets, life and property happens at many levels with everyone having a part in securing what they can through knowledge, vigilance and proper reporting of suspicious incidents. 

To be an asset and not a liability in that current reality there are things to you should KNOW, DO and NOT DO. 

Here are some of things to know: 

-Know that reporting something suspicious or out of place is everyone's job 

"Security Forces are tasked with installation security, but they can't be everywhere, all the time," said Maj. Gerald Mulhollen, 354th Security Forces commander. "It is imperative that all Icemen, to include family, maintain vigilance and assist SFS through awareness, detecting the abnormal or unusual, and then sounding the alarm through reporting."

-Know that the base has a 100 percent shred policy for a reason 

"Eighty-Five percent of data collected by adversaries in an attempt to gain a military advantage is pieced together through open-sourced items and items carelessly disposed of," said Staff Sgt. Darrell Ramey, 354th Fighter Wing operations security manager. "Not shredding items like work schedules and documents containing personal information can lead to a number of consequences that can range from identity theft to mission compromise." 

-Know that it's your job to report things out of the ordinary 

"Post action analysis in events such as the Sept 11th attack and other recent large scale terrorist actions revealed many people, after the fact, detected indicators that were unreported and in retrospect said things to the effect of 'Now that I think about it, that struck me as odd,'" said Skip Payton, 354th FW Anti-Terrorism Officer.

"Don't be one of those people," said Mr. Payton. "The rapid detection and reporting of the "odd" or "unusual" by an alert citizen can potentially save the day."


-Know that not every situation will stand out and that people can seek information anywhere, anytime 

"Whether you're having a drink at an off-base establishment and someone starts chatting it up with you, or you receive a phone call asking how many people work in your shop for a survey--learn to ask yourself whether or not it could be an attempt to elicit information," said Sergeant Ramey. 

-Know who to report things to

Eagle Eyes, is a program that has been facilitated to gather all key indications at one central point. A series of unusual events can be placed together to create a picture of a potential plan against us. If you see or hear something suspicious, call SF at 377-5130 or Eielson's Office of Special Investigations at 377-1852.

Here are some of the things to do: 

-Do pass on the information to your family on some of the things that should be considered out of place 

"All Icemen - civilian workers, contractors and family members, are potential targets for elicitation by adversaries seeking information or the means to do harm to Eielson," said Robert 'Combat Bob' Cologie, 354th FW Plans and Programs Chief. "We say every Airman is a sensor, but that truly includes all members of the Eielson Community. Their awareness plays a vital role in contributing to the security posture of the installation and the sucess of the Iceman Team."

-Do question people you don't recognize hanging around your work area or other areas where they seem out of place 

-Do remove your Common Access Card whenever you leave your computer

-Do realize that your inaction can cause loss of life or property in extreme conditions

Here are some of the things not to do: 

-Do not photograph the flightline or restricted areas without proper authorization
 
-Do not try to talk around classified information

"Things are classified for a reason and someone trained in collecting information can figure it out," said Sergeant Ramey. "People who collect intelligence do so from multiple avenues." 

"Don't give them a piece that can contribute to an overall picture," said the wing OPSEC manager. 

-Do not post photos of military operations, exercises, or possibly sensitive work or work areas to public sites, i.e. Myspace, Facebook, Blogspot, without approval from Public Affairs

-Do not take on the attitude of it's not my job or someone else will take care of it 

Complacency can be deadly and tends to occur when people take for granted that someone else will say something or when people fall into the trap of, "it's not my job."