Keep an Eagle Eye open

  • Published
  • By Agent Kevin Schweiger
  • Office of Investigations, Detachment 523
IZMIR AIR STATION, Turkey --  No matter how well-trained and vigilant, law enforcement officials simply cannot be everywhere. When it comes to preventing terrorism and protecting lives, your eyes and ears, and those of your friends and family, can be of enormous help. After all, you know best which activities do, or do not, belong in and around your workplace, neighborhood and community.

To enlist your help in preventing terrorism, the Air Force Office of Investigations utilizes a program called Eagle Eyes. The program is designed to include you on the anti-terrorism team by providing base members the information they need to help recognize and report suspicious, possibly terrorism-related behavior.

Your inputs, which can be submitted 24 hours a day, seven days a week, are immediately shared with the appropriate authorities for rapid assessment and investigation, as necessary.

You, your family members and your friends are encouraged to stay alert to your surroundings, whether at work, at home or anywhere else. The key to Eagle Eyes is the fact that every terrorist act is preceded by observable planning activities. These activities include:

Surveillance - Someone recording or monitoring activities 

Elicitation - Attempts to gain potentially sensitive information through seemingly innocent questioning 

Tests of Security - Any attempts to measure reaction times to security breeches, or attempts to penetrate physical security barriers or procedures in order to assess strengths or identify vulnerabilities 

Acquiring Supplies - Purchasing or stealing explosives, weapons, ammunition, uniforms, vehicles, license plates, passes, passports, ID cards or badges 

Suspicious Persons or Activities - People who don't seem to belong, or activities that seem out of place in a particular area 

Dry Run - Putting people and resources into position according to a plan without actually committing a terrorist act (in other words, practicing) 

Deploying Assets - People and resources getting into position to commit an act of terrorism

The timely reporting of any suspicious activity is the key to helping prevent and deter terrorist activities. We strongly encourage all members of the U.S. military community in Izmir and at Incirlik to take an active role in combating terrorism by reporting suspicious activities as soon as possible.

Suspicious activity reports can be called into both the Izmir and Incirlik Law Enforcement Desks at 675-3332, or by cell phone at 0532-791-9512, and 676-3200 respectively.

Ankara can be contacted by DSN 314-672-2121 or commercial by calling 011-90-312-9957.

If your work center would like to receive an Eagle Eyes briefing or if you have any questions, call Detachment 523 at 675-3333.