Photo By Damien Salas | Col. Andrew M. Regan, commanding officer, Headquarters and Service Battalion,...... read more read more
WASHINGTON - Be alert. Stay vigilant. Have a plan.
That was the message Marines from Headquarters and Service Battalion, Headquarters Marine Corps Henderson Hall heard Sept. 3 during the 2015 Labor Day Weekend Safety Stand down held at the Pentagon auditorium.
“It’s a Marine Corps tradition,” battalion Commanding Officer Col. Andrew Regan said of the stand down in his opening remarks. “We’re heading into a long weekend. We want to take a break from what we’re doing, stop and think about the big picture.”
Speakers from the FBI, the Department of Homeland Security and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, discussed various active shooter events – including incidents at the Holocaust Museum, Pentagon, Family Research Council and Navy Yard – that have occurred in the National Capital Region during recent years.
“You as an individual have to remain vigilant,” said Vihn Cayton, Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall anti-terrorism officer. “You’ve got to make yourself a hard target.”
Cayton told the Marines that becoming a hard target is relatively simple. He urged them to vary the route they take to and from work; to be aware of their surroundings when out in public; and to report anything suspicious or out the norm they see.
The Marines also watched videos that detailed incidents of workplace violence and active shooting scenarios. Speakers urged them to remember the precepts run, hide, fight, if they are involved in such an incident in real life. And Cayton said the decision to run, hide or fight is a personal one and oftentimes can only be made based on the circumstances an individual encounters during the incident.
“Have a plan,” he said. “If something happens, take decisive action one way or another.”
Speakers also addressed how those who want to harm service members and their families go about the process of identifying them when they are outside the gates of a military installation.
“We see every day how unsafe it can be in today’s world,” said battalion Safety Officer George Stark.
Something as innocuous as bumper sticker on your vehicle that reads “Marines” or “Soldier” can tip off someone off that the vehicle belongs to a military member.
The Marines also learned about ways to protect their digital identities and personal information while online and heard presentations on behavioral health and substance abuse.
| Date Taken: | 09.03.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 09.11.2015 10:35 |
| Story ID: | 175712 |
| Location: | WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, US |
| Web Views: | 43 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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