Photo By Cpl. Keegan Bailey | This graphic illustration features the Eagle Eyes program for Marine Corps Base...... read more read more
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MARINE CORPS BASE QUANTICO, Va. – “It won’t happen to me,” is an assumption every-day people have as they go about their business and hear things on the news, but what if it could?
Thousands of military and civilian personnel work and live on MCB Quantico, and it’s been cited in various other testimonies that people feel safe on the base; however safe it may be, it doesn’t prevent the intentions of bad actors.
“Our law enforcement officers can’t be everywhere at once,” said Maj. Nicholas Norville, an officer with Provost Marshall’s Office. “The reports of suspicious personnel and activities by alert, vigilant, and observant base personnel are a force multiplier.”
Quantico has a variety of security measures to prevent ill intentions or threats: gates equipped with guards and barriers, the PMO, military working dogs, and of course the base has thousands of Marines on the installation; however, every person has the capability to report what they see to help eliminate any cause for concern.
While other programs and tools exist to report suspicious activities, Eagle Eyes, the official suspicious activity reporting program of the Marine Corps, serves military installations world-wide.
Ashleigh McClellan, a sales associate at the Marine Corps Exchange on MCB Quantico, explained how important Eagle Eyes is to the residents as they feel safer with the program. She also mentioned that having the program in place can reassure people that they aren’t “calling wolf,” or pointing any unnecessary attention or risk to themselves.
“If it's a non-emergency, use Eagle Eyes,” she said. “You can tell when something wrong is going to happen.”
Eagle Eyes posters can be found scattered throughout the base with information on what people should look out for as well as where to report concerns in case of any suspicious activity being conducted.
“Everybody is part of our security team, not just the military police,” added Jacob Smith, an antiterrorism officer at base. "We need the community's support to continuously practice good operational security and report all suspicious activity.”
McClellan added that some people are afraid of calling out their suspicions because of fear that it may be an incorrect judgement, but according to Smith, giving MP’s more information can help bring the pieces of information together and solve or prevent a bigger threat.
“Eliminate the ‘It’s nothing’ mentality,” explained Smith. “No matter how minimal it may seem, report it. That information may be the missing piece to the puzzle.”
Some things Smith suggested people should look out for are:
- People recording or monitoring activities on or near base.
- Idling vehicles or vehicles in unusual locations.
- People who don't seem to belong in an area.
- Unusual or foreign objects on streets, sidewalks, or near buildings.
- Environmental conditions that can be a concern for base personnel, such as black smoke or fire.
Norville also shared that with the help of vigilant base personnel, PMO was able to apprehend unauthorized or suspicious people on multiple occasions, a testament to the additional level of protection thanks to those who report suspicious activities.
“You can tell when somebody doesn't look right,” said McClellan. “If it's a non-emergency, use Eagle Eyes on things you just have a little bit of a concern of and are not too sure about.”
For emergencies, contact 911. For suspicious activities, report them to Eagle Eyes at 703-432-3937, or www.USMCEagleEyes.org. Base personnel can also report those concerns to the PMO’s non-emergency line at 703-784-2251.
For additional awareness, you can register for the Quantico Mass Notification System at www.quantico.marines.mil/info/Quantico-Mass-Notification-System/. QMNS sends critical base information via text and email to those registered, to include road closures, gate operations, weather status, and emergencies. You can also register with the attached QR code.
| Date Taken: | 07.18.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 07.18.2024 08:20 |
| Story ID: | 476488 |
| Location: | MARINE CORPS BASE QUANTICO, VIRGINIA, US |
| Web Views: | 80 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Vigilant base personnel help keep Quantico safe, by LCpl Katherine Corado, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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