Lee Porterfield

FORT LEONARD WOOD, Mo. (July 30, 2020) — Heightened awareness and vigilance can prevent and protect Army critical resources from acts of terrorism, and we should pay attention each and every day.

The approach we take in recognizing and acknowledging the wide spectrum of threats to our Fort Leonard Wood community is relevant to the success of our force protection program.

Those threats include everything from the weather and criminal activity to disgruntled employees and potential terrorist targeting. As risks and vulnerabilities are identified, mitigation measures are developed and put in place. These are exercised routinely, monitored for effectiveness and ultimately result in a solid foundation for a safe community and an acceptable level of risk.

A key element to our success is community involvement. Individuals across the installation bring diverse perspectives on risks and issues – we also rely heavily on each of you. Your personal situational awareness not only improves the safety of you and your family but can impact the entire community. If something is out of place and doesn’t look right, report it, and let the professionals take it from there.

Report suspicious activities, such as:

— People drawing or measuring important buildings.

— Strangers asking questions about security forces or security procedures.

— A briefcase, suitcase, backpack or package left unattended.

— Cars or trucks left in no-parking zones in front of important buildings.

— Intruders found in secure areas.

— A person wearing clothes that are too big and bulky and/or too hot for the weather.

— Chemical smells or fumes that worry you.

— Questions about sensitive information such as building blueprints, security plans or VIP travel schedules without a right or need to know.

— Purchasing supplies or equipment that can be used to make bombs or weapons or purchasing uniforms without having the proper credentials.

 

Report information such as:

— Date and time the activity occurred.

— Where the activity occurred.

— Physical descriptions of the people involved.

— Description of the vehicle(s) involved.

— Describe what you saw or heard.

— Provide pictures if possible.

Report suspicious activity immediately by calling the Fort Leonard Wood Department of Emergency Services at 573.596.6141 or online at http://www.wood.army.mil/LEC/iWatch/iWatch.htm.

(Editor’s note: Porterfield is an Antiterrorism/Force Protection operations specialist.)

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About Fort Leonard Wood

Fort Leonard Wood is a thriving and prosperous installation that has evolved from a small basic training post more than 75 years ago to a premier Army Center of Excellence that trains more than 80,000 military and civilians each year.

Fort Leonard Wood is home to the U.S Army Maneuver Support Center of Excellence and three U.S. Army schools: the U.S. Army Engineer School; U.S. Army Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear School; and the U.S. Army Military Police School. In addition to training engineer, CBRN and military police specialties for the Army, Fort Leonard Wood also provides gender-integrated in-processing and Basic Combat Training for new Soldiers.

Fort Leonard Wood also hosts and trains with the largest Marine Corps Detachment and Air Force Squadron on any Army installation as well as a large Navy construction detachment.

More information about Fort Leonard Wood is at: https://home.army.mil/wood/index.php/about/mission