'Eagle Eyes' help anti-terrorist vigilance

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Julius Delos Reyes
  • 95th Air Base Wing Public Affairs
EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  With terrorist threats still looming, the Edwards community can help provide an "eye" to continuously watch for suspicious activities through Eagle Eyes.

Eagle Eyes enables Air Force members and citizens to report terrorist planning activities they observe. The program provides a network of local, 24-hour phone numbers to call.

Eagle Eyes is an anti-terrorism program that features processes for rapid follow-up investigations and information sharing to other echelons of command and other law enforcement agencies as appropriate.

Air Force members, civilian workers, family members, contractors, off-base merchants, community organizations and neighborhoods are all involved in this program, said Special Agent Genevieve Kujat, Air Force Office of Special Investigations Detachment 111 here.

"Eagle Eyes is important because we need everyone's help to prevent attacks," Agent Kujat said. "The program is a global neighborhood watch and it is everyone's responsibility to report suspicious activities that could lead to terrorist attacks. It's the people who live here that know when something isn't right, when something is out of place."

Eagle Eyes officially started April 18, 2002, when former Air Force chief of staff Gen. John Jumper signed a memo endorsing the program. Weeks earlier, however, OSI detachments and security forces squadrons around the globe began establishing local reporting processes in anticipation of the program's launch.

"Eagle Eyes" encourages people to recognize the following activities as potentially suspicious and report them to authorities:
  • 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: People or organizations attempting to gain information about military operations, capabilities or people. Elicitation attempts may be made by mail, e-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, etc. Also includes acquiring military uniforms, decals, flight manuals, passes or badges (or 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. 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. This is a person's last chance to alert authorities before the terrorist act occurs.
"The base community should become familiar with the seven categories of suspicious activities that warrant reporting," Agent Kujat said. "They should report any and all activities that seem suspicious. Be vigilant, on and off the base, and practice good OPSEC [operation security]."

(Some information courtesy of www.af.mil)