Past Articles - Personal Security

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All by Myself

by SSgt. Jeffery W. Heyman
Detachment 9, Space & Missile Systems Center
Vandenberg AFB, CA

As you all know, we are in THREATCON ALPHA!

There have been several instances on Vandenberg AFB where individuals have left their briefcase, purse, box or package unattended and without identification clearly displayed, or none at all.

When this happens an evacuation is conducted and EOD (the bomb squad) is called out. Once retrieved by EOD's robot, the item in question is blasted to pieces with a high power water round -- resulting in total destruction of everything inside.

Please DO NOT leave these items around in common areas and, at a minimum, have the following information on the item's ID tag.

Name
Address
Phone Number (Work & Home)
Military Unit or Company Name

Additionally, beware of where you park and leave rental equipment. Fort MacArthur, in San Pedro, CA, had a good scare with this very issue recently. A rental truck was left in an odd place just across from some of the housing area. If you are going to park rental equipment or trucks near facilities or common areas, leave the same ID information attached to it or visible in the windshield.
[Webmaster's note: This article was originally written in October 1998 for the VSAC News. While military installations are not in a heightened state of alert as of the date of this page, suspicious packages get the same treatment.]