Base anti-terrorism measures examined during conference

Published April 20, 2007
By Senior Airman J. Paul Croxon
319th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs

GRAND FORKS AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. -- The Department of Defense is committed to protecting its people and facilities by denying terrorists exploitable vulnerabilities. The intent of the anti-terrorism/force protection program is to reduce the likelihood of attack and to mitigate the effects if one should occur through assessment and substantive feedback to installation commanders. But how does an installation assess and identify vulnerabilities? Who does the wing turn to for training and assistance?

Those questions were answered April 16-20 during an anti-terrorism vulnerability assessment mobile training team, conducted by the Defense Threat Reduction Agency.

The conference of 93 students from the ranks of E-5 to 0-5 and GS-9 to GS-14 included engineers, security forces personnel, AT officers, emergency managers and both state and federal Homeland Security personnel.

"It instructs students on the DTRA assessment methodology and benchmarks developed by the Joint Staff for application by higher headquarters and local assessors," said Mr. Jeff Overholt, 319th Air Refueling Wing anti-terrorism officer. "The course serves as a foundation for methodology on vulnerability assessments and provides students the ability to develop, inspect and maintain an executable anti-terrorism program."

Much of that foundational training was conducted through five break-out sessions covering terrorist options, security operations, structural engineering and security engineering, infrastructure engineering and emergency management.

Each base is different, said Mr. Marion Andrews, DTRA instructor. He said that due to Grand Forks AFB's remote location and with little or no encroachment issues, it will need a very different AT plan than urban bases like Lackland AFB, Texas, or Andrews AFB, Md.

When reviewing a particular installation's AT plan, the DTRA team looks at those assets that are most readily associated with AT measures like the gates, perimeter fences and flightline. But the team also looks at highly important facilities needing AT plans that may not be so obvious, such as housing and the schools.

"Everything inside the fence including the schools needs to have plans in place," Mr. Andrews said. "They are part of the installation and are included in the planning process. Teachers and students need to be aware of the installation AT measures, like the force protection conditions and security measures."

The schools are so important that the team visited them to train the faculty in the same way they train the AT officers and military personnel.
The conference was more than just five days of intensive training. It also afforded wing personnel the rare opportunity to speak to the experts.

"U.S. Northern Command asked for hosts for the event, and we volunteered," said Mr. Overholt. "It was really fortunate for us to have the team visit the base."

"It's a great opportunity for all personnel from the different services and agencies involved in threat reduction to network with each other, establish contacts and share information and practices," added Mr. Andrews.