Eagle Eyes...Watch, Report, Protect...

  • Published
  • AFOSI Det. 221
MOUNTAIN HOME AIR FORCE BASE, Idaho --  The Air Force neighborhood watch program, Eagle Eyes, was put into place to ensure Gunfighter team members remain aware of their surroundings, which is an important part of preventing terrorism.

The program isn't just for military members, it's also for spouses and civilians in the local area. Law enforcement officials can't be everywhere at once. Your eyes and ears - and those of your friends and family - can be of enormous help. You know best what activities do or do not belong in and around your base, neighborhood and community.

Eagle Eyes is predicated on the notion that terrorist attacks don't just happen -- rather, they are preceded by meticulous, observable planning steps. With that in mind, Eagle Eyes educates Airmen and citizens alike on the essence of those planning steps, thereby enlisting their eyes and ears to help foil terror in the planning stages.

Eagle Eyes can be thought of as an Air Force-focused, worldwide neighborhood watch. Since its inception in April 2002, when the Air Force Chief of Staff signed a memo of endorsement, Eagle Eyes programs have been put in place by office of special investigations units at all Air Force installations and wherever the Air Force has interests.

While the neighborhood watch analogy is a legitimate one, there is a key difference for Eagle Eyes pertaining to common knowledge. With a neighborhood watch program, you don't have to educate a citizen that someone snatching a purse or shooting a gun or climbing out a window with a DVD player would be cause to call the authorities.

On the other hand, the stages of terrorism planning are not common knowledge. That's why Eagle Eyes requires a vigorous, ongoing education campaign -- to make them common knowledge, thereby spurring recognition and reporting.

The first step in reporting suspicious activities is getting to know what to look for.

The following are some suspicious behaviors that should be reported:

Surveillance: Someone recording or monitoring activities. This may include the use of cameras (either still or video), note taking, drawing diagrams, annotating on maps or using binoculars or other vision-enhancing devices.

Elicitation: Anyone or any organizations attempting to gain information about military operations, capabilities or people. Elicitation attempts may be made by mail, fax, telephone or in person.

Tests of security: Any attempts to measure reaction times to security breaches or to penetrate physical security barriers or procedures in order to assess strengths and weaknesses.

Acquiring supplies: Purchasing or stealing explosives, weapons, ammunition, detonators, timers, etc. Also includes acquiring military uniforms, decals, flight manuals, passes or badges, the equipment to manufacture such items or any other controlled items.

Suspicious persons out of place: People who don't seem to belong in the workplace, neighborhood, business establishment or anywhere else. This includes suspicious border crossings and stowaways aboard ship or people jumping ship in port.

Dry run: Putting people into position and moving them around according to their plan without actually committing the terrorist act. This is especially true when planning a kidnapping, but it can also pertain to bombings. An element of this activity could also include mapping out routes and determining the timing of traffic lights and flow.

Deploying assets: People and supplies getting into position to commit the act they have planned. This is a person's last chance to alert authorities before the terrorist act occurs.

Gunfighters can also put themselves and others at risk by releasing classified or sensitive information over the phone and e-mail.

People can report suspicious behavior 24 hours a day by calling the 366th Security Forces Desk at 828-2256 or Air Force OSI Detachment 221 between 7:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. at 828-2297.