Eagle Eyes, it takes a village

  • Published
  • By Special Agent Kyle McArthur
  • Arnold Office of Special Investigations
ARNOLD AIR FORCE BASE, TENN. --  Though many might assume the security of Arnold Air Force Base rests solely with the contracted Arnold Protective Services, every member of the Arnold Engineering Development Complex and its community neighbors can contribute to safeguarding the Arnold AFB mission and its airmen and families.

One way to do so is through the Air Force's Eagle Eyes program.

At every Air Force installation, the Air Force Office of Special Investigations manages the Eagle Eyes program, which provides a 24-hour point of contact for reporting suspicious activity.

According to the Chief of Security Forces, Rick Trull, members of Arnold and the surrounding communities can significantly enhance the base's antiterrorism efforts through the program.

"The Eagle Eyes program gives us a chance to prevent potential acts of terror aimed at the people or resources at Arnold," Trull said. "Our security team does an outstanding job of keeping Arnold secure, but they can't be everywhere at once, especially outside of the base's gates. This program can be very helpful to both the Air Force and our local law enforcement, giving us more eyes and ears on base and in the surrounding communities."

Suspicious activities reported through the Eagle Eyes program are immediately assessed and shared with local law enforcement agencies, counterterrorism personnel at the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force and military commanders for rapid assessment and investigation.

"It is important to know every terrorist act is preceded by observable planning activities," said Special Agent Greg Pfeiffer, the AFOSI Detachment 106 special agent in charge. "Early detection and reporting of these activities is absolutely critical as we work to keep Arnold AFB and the local community safe. No piece of information is insignificant and your information may be the key to preventing an attack. If it looks suspicious or causes you even a second thought, we ask you to report it so the appropriate officials can investigate."

Members of Arnold and those in the surrounding communities are urged to be on the lookout for suspicious activities and to report it immediately to the AEDC Base Defense Operations Center at 931-454-EYES (3937).

You can learn more about the Air Force's Eagle Eyes program at www.osi.af.mil/eagleeyes/.

-AEDC-