August: Antiterrorism Awareness Month

Photo By James Brooks | August is Antiterrorism Awareness Month.  

ITALY

08.24.2018

Courtesy Story

U.S. Army Garrison Italy

VICENZA, Italy -- Last year, in a message published for Antiterrorism Awareness Month, it was noted that if one typed the word “terrorism” into Google, there would be approximately 151 million results displayed, including websites, articles, pictures and other content related to that particular word.

Terrorism has become so present in our lives as a result of constant news coverage of world events that people could treat it as an afterthought until news of another event surfaces. This indicates the necessity of increasing antiterrorism awareness and a continuing evolution of our awareness initiatives.

August is the annual U.S. Army Antiterrorism Awareness Month, an ongoing campaign aimed at promoting tips, tools and strategies for recognizing indicators of terrorism. There are posters, leaflets, websites and manuals dedicated to training and promoting of the AT awareness program.

The trouble with routine awareness initiatives is the same trouble businesses have with commercial advertisements. Once advertisements have been around for a while, they become overlooked and are eventually replaced by new advertisements designed to grab the attention of the consumer. AT awareness training initiatives are similar, so we must think a bit more practically in how we approach awareness and discussions of how we may protect ourselves stateside or abroad.

In addition to the proven methods of protecting ourselves, such as being aware of our surroundings, avoiding large gatherings, eliminating patterns in our behavior, and disabling the geo-tagging features on our social media accounts, other measures that add to personal security exist. We should realize that persons with bad intentions may use any and all methods to gather information on a potential target and we must do our best to reduce the possibility of being targeted.

In our workplaces, homes and overseas communities, we may choose to alter our routes of travel, lock our doors and windows, stop “checking in” on social media, or we may even avoid being alone in vulnerable locations. These are all good practices, but do we consider these things while vacationing? Taking a vacation or a holiday from work or normal routines is a good thing, however, it should not mean taking a vacation or holiday from security awareness.

Considering our location in northern Italy, there are many places within Italy — and within Europe — which are amazing holiday or vacation locations. There are quite a lot of historical locations and natural wonders to be found within a short distance from our homes, and we should take advantage of the opportunity we have by living in the Vicenza and Darby communities. This time of year, as are able to enjoy time with family and friends vacationing and exploring, we should also ensure we maintain an increased level of security vigilance. Over the past several years, right here in Europe, there have been a number of catastrophic events that affected many tourists.

If we recall the events from Nice, Barcelona, London and Paris, we will also notice that civilian leisure locations and activities were targeted. When these events occurred, there was a great deal of confusion in the initial moments and hours following the incident. Travelers should be aware of what resources are available to assist U.S. citizens while traveling abroad.

The U.S. State Department Safe Traveler Enrollment Program, better known as STEP, is an effective method of notifying U.S. embassies and/or consulates of your intended locations of travel. Registering intended travels in STEP allows the U.S. embassy consular offices the ability to know where you are, how to contact you, and to better assist you in the event of any emergency in the country or location you are visiting.

Another important thing you may consider before travel is to contact your local authorities to gather information relative to the safety and security situation in your travel destination. Foreign travel briefings are provided by many agencies within the local military community and tourist information can be obtained as well through media outlets. The travel section of the U.S. State Department provides updated travel alerts and warnings. This is a great resource when planning your travels.

Safety and security are paramount to the success of every mission, whether it’s military or a mission to relax on vacation. Keeping in mind some principles of antiterrorism and the agencies available to help can reduce your potential of being targeted. It can also reduce the feelings of isolation and confusion that may arise in the event that there is an emergency situation. It is imperative that each person takes charge of their own individual protection by recognizing, reporting and maintaining safe practices and have a plan to respond to emergencies whether at home or while traveling.

AT professionals encourage community members to get out, enjoy the remainder of summer and take family vacations. Maintaining an increased level of security awareness in the planning and execution of your holidays is important and will help to identify potential locations to avoid.

The U.S. State Department travel advisories can be found at:
https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/traveladvisories.html

The U.S. State Department STEP can be found at:
https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/international-travel/before-you-go/step.html

Resources for reporting can be found at the following locations for USAG Vicenza
https://www.inscom.army.mil/isalute/
DSN 314-537-2176/ [phone] 2176 (24 hour hotline for reporting suspicious activity)

USAG Italy Provost Marshal Office: 0444-71-7115
USAG Italy Counterintelligence Duty Agent: 331-172-2142

• Date Taken: 08.24.2018
• Date Posted: 08.24.2018 06:41
• Story ID: 290125
• Location: IT