Vigilance can hinder terrorist attacks

  • Published
  • By Col. Bryan Benson
  • 71st Flying Training Wing
Vance Air Force Base, Okla. --  Last week, Team Vance and the rest of the world witnessed the horrific images of the devastation caused by terrorists' bombings in London. Those attacks emphasized the war on terrorism is indeed a global war. Although America doesn't present the only choice of target, we are still at risk from terrorist activities.
In a USA Today editorial, former New York City mayor Rudolph Guiliani said the recent attacks sent a message that we must remain vigilant in opposing an enemy who intentionally targets innocent civilians.
Mayor Guiliani, who was visiting London and was near the scene of one of the explosions when it detonated said, "Ultimately the only real defense from terrorist attacks is being able to find out about them in advance. Police and ordinary citizens must be alert and encouraged to convey information."
Indeed we, as individuals, must be alert to anything out of the ordinary. Every person is a sensor that should respond to suspicious activities, individuals or objects. How well Team Vance responds will be evaluated during an upcoming force protection exercise and again during the operational readiness inspection.
For an effective total force protection program, everyone needs to be aware of, and report any and all suspicious activity to the proper authorities. All members of the chain of command are responsible for force protection. Total force protection starts with the individual -- you -- and ends with the enforcement agency, such as the security forces.
In addition to our individual responsibilities for force protection, we also have the requirements of our work sections outlined in the Vance Air Force Base supplement to Air Force Instruction 10-245, Air Force Antiterrorism Standards. Real world activities, more than the impending exercise and ORI, make awareness of your roles in the total force protection program a significant priority.
Many of the unrecognized individuals you may have seen around the base are part of our summer's influx of newcomers. Two of those newcomers are the new command chief and the new comptroller squadron commander.
Monday, we had an icebreaker for Chief Master Sgt. Jim Suttles and Thursday at our eighth change of command of the summer we welcomed Maj. Dennis Hunt to our team. With all these changes I'm already beginning to feel like an old-timer on base. Please join me in making these newcomers feel welcome.
Have a safe and enjoyable weekend and don't forget to watch your wingman. Thanks for all you do for America, Team Vance.