SEPTEMBER 29, 2016, MALMSTROM AIR FORCE BASE, Mont. (AFNS) – With acts of terrorism always a possibility, it’s every Airman’s duty to remain vigilant and report suspicious activity when they see it. That’s where the Eagle Eyes program plays a vital role in protecting personnel and Defense Department assets.
The program, which is administered by the Office of Special Investigation, puts Airmen and their families as well as local authorities on the anti-terrorism team by being the eyes and ears of the community and knowing what to do in the event of witnessing any behavior that’s out of the ordinary.
“Basically, the program is the neighborhood watch of the Air Force,” said Justin Colwell, an OSI special agent. “We ask that when you see something suspicious, you say something. It focuses on the need to report on any suspicious activity. It goes with our mission objective, which is stopping any terrorist activity before it happens.”
According to OSI’s website, examples of suspicious activity include someone recording or monitoring activities; people or organizations attempting to gain information about military operations whether it’s through mail, fax, internet or in person; someone or an organization testing security by making attempts to measure reaction times to security breaches in order to assess strengths and weaknesses; suspicious persons out of place, could be people who don’t seem to belong in a certain workplace, neighborhood, business establishment or anywhere else; people acquiring supplies, such as purchasing or stealing explosives, weapons, ammunition, timers or detonators. Other examples of supplies include uniforms, badges, flight manuals, or any other controlled items. Other indicators of suspicious activity are witnessing people being put into position, mapping out routes and/or monitoring the timing of traffic lights, which would be sign of terrorists performing a dry run or in the process of deploying hostile assets.
Having mission essential facilities located throughout the world, OSI and the Air Force are in constant communication with local authorities and Colwell agreed that the partnership is key to keeping Airmen, the citizens and assets safe.
“With communication being constant, our relationship with the community remains strong and we want to keep it that way,” Colwell said.
In the event of witnessing any suspicious activities, Airmen, DOD personnel and their families are encouraged to report it. To see how to make a report, click here.