OSI: "Keep your Eagle Eyes open"

  • Published
  • By Special Agent Bobby Sutton
  • Air Force Office of Special Investigations Detachment 408
GOODFELLOW AIR FORCE BASE, Texas --  No matter how well trained and vigilant, law enforcement officials simply cannot be everywhere. Your eyes and ears and those of your friends and family can be of enormous help in preventing terrorism.

After all, you know best what activities do or do not belong in and around your base, neighborhood and community.

To enlist your help in preventing terrorism, the Air Force Office of Special Investigations created the Eagle Eyes program. Eagle Eyes puts you on the anti-terrorism team by providing the information you need to recognize and report suspicious behavior.

Your input which you can submit 24 hours a day are immediately shared with appropriate law enforcement agencies and military commanders for rapid assessment and investigation as necessary. You and your family are encouraged to learn the categories of suspicious behavior and stay attuned to your surroundings. Everyone is encouraged to stay alert whether at home, work or even while driving. Always keep an Eagle Eye out for suspicious behaviors such as:

Surveillance - The act of someone recording or monitoring activities using camera equipment, taking notes, drawing maps or using binoculars or any other vision enhancement devices.

Elicitation - Anyone or any organization attempting to gain information or in person about military operations or its personnel.

Test of Security - Any attempts to measure reaction times to security breaches or to penetrate physical security barriers.

Acquiring Supplies - Purchasing, or even stealing, weapons, explosives, uniforms, vehicle decals and even Department of Defense identification media.

Suspicious Persons out of Place - People who just don't seem to belong there. This could be the individual asking questions you know they do not have the need to know, or an individual sitting outside the base perimeter fence in their car watching personnel entering and exiting the base.

Dry Runs - Putting people in position and moving them about without actually committing the terrorist act.

Deploying Assets - This would be the final behavior before the terrorist act. People and supplies are put in place to commit the terrorist act. This would also be your last chance to alert authorities before terrorism occurs.

If you observe any suspicious activity, anytime during the day or night, make note of it and call the Goodfellow AFB Security Forces Law Enforcement Desk at 325-654-3504. Once this call is made, Security Forces will react and notify OSI and other agencies as needed.

For additional information or participation in the Eagle Eyes program contact OSI Detachment 408 at (325) 654-3750. However, any reporting of actual activity should go through the 17th Security Forces Squadron at 654-3504.

Interested in OSI?

AFOSI is seeking motivated personnel who would like to apply to become AFOSI special agents in one of today's premier investigative agencies.

AFOSI has been the Air Force's major investigative service since Aug. 1, 1948. The agency reports to the Inspector General, Office of the Secretary of the Air Force and provides professional investigative service to commanders of all Air Force activities. Its primary responsibilities are criminal investigations and counterintelligence services.

AFOSI has four priorities:
1. Detect and provide early warning of worldwide threats to the Air Force.
2. Identify and resolve crime impacting Air Force readiness or good order and discipline.
3. Combat threats to Air Force information systems and technologies.
4. Defeat and deter fraud in the acquisition of Air Force prioritized weapons systems.

Enlisted Air Force members may apply for Special Agent duty once they have first served in another career field. Those eligible are master sergeants, technical sergeants and staff sergeants with fewer than 12 years of military service. In addition, senior airmen with fewer than six years of service will be considered as well as first term Airmen within their retraining window. The grade restrictions may be waived in special or unusual circumstances.

More information about AFOSI can be found at http://www.osi.andrews.af.mil/. For information on recruitment contact your local AFOSI Office at 325-654-3750.