JOINT BASE LANGLEY-EUSTIS, Va. —
While on temporary duty to a foreign country, on deployment or even standing in line at airport security, situational awareness is usually peaked and, “See Something, Say Something,” can become mantra.
However, it is easy to become complacent about security concerns in our daily lives.
It is the duty of all personnel to actively participate in base defense. This means staying vigilant even when the routine of daily life has encompassed one’s thoughts.
“Security at the gate is of the utmost importance for JBLE and will not be compromised,” said U.S. Air Force Col. Sean Tyler, 633rd Air Base Wing commander. “Our defenders are highly trained and ready at a moment’s notice.”
If a member of the base community witnesses a breach of installation security or a potential threat, it is important to report the incident to Security Forces or the Office of Special Investigations with as much detail as possible.
One way to ensure all the pertinent information has been reported is to use the acronym SALUTE:
S – Size; the number and type of threat (e.g. 2 civilians and 1 vehicle)
A – Activity; what the person or people were doing (e.g. speeding through the gate)
L – Location; where the incident took place (e.g. the vehicle was at the West Gate headed toward the hospital)
U – Uniform/Unit; uniform or clothing/affiliation of the threat if identifiable (e.g. wearing red shirt, a ball cap and blue jeans)
T – Time; time and date the incident occurred (e.g. 0645 HRS on 18 March)
E – Equipment; Equipment and weapons observed (e.g. the driver appeared to have a pistol)
At Joint Base Langley-Eustis threats to installation security are not limited to the gate.
The entire perimeter is critical to our base security, which includes waterborne threats via the Chesapeake Bay and James River as well as airborne attacks via light aircraft or drones.
In addition to the physical security of the base, personnel must report cyber threats to the Information Assurance Officer or Communications Focal Point.
“Security is a 24/7 job and it is everyone’s responsibility to ensure we remain vigilant to keep our installation and people safe,” Tyler said.