USAREUR-AF stresses the importance for DoD personnel to apply prudent security measures and asks commanders to remind personnel to remain vigilant, increase their awareness of their security environment, report suspicious activity, and take proactive steps to improve individual and organizational security.

EUROPE: Ongoing activities in the Middle East tied to the Israel/Hamas conflict, tensions between Israel, Iran, and Lebanon, the continuing Russian and Ukrainian conflict, and turbulent political transitions place DoD personnel in Europe and Africa at collateral risk. Religious, cultural activities, places of worship, and as we have seen, large high population off-post events such as concerts and festivals may be considered targets of opportunity by terrorists and inspired sympathizers. Situations both within and outside of Europe influence the security environment, with the potential of hybrid warfare activity as Russia seeks to undermine NATO allies through sabotage and taking influence in the internal political affairs of Western countries. Increased vigilance is required throughout the AO, as well as ensuring we all understand the appropriate mechanisms for reporting suspicious activities in theater. Activities associated with terrorist organizations, their inspired sympathizers, hostile-nation intelligence services and other enduring threats place DOD-affiliated personnel at greater risk.

AFRICA: Threats posed by violent actors in Africa differ from those in Europe; however, just as when traveling in Europe, personnel should get updated threat information for specific areas prior to traveling to Africa. Travelers are encouraged to review the Department of State country page prior to travel, to include current travel advisories. Complex social, economic, and security problems on the African continent challenge governance, creating environments suitable for criminal and terrorist activities. Pockets of violent extremist organizations directly threaten U.S. and DoD personnel. Furthermore, irregular changes of power and uprisings against regimes present a collateral threat to DoD equities. Health risks while traveling in Africa include infectious disease, environmental hazards, and limited access to advanced medical care. A pre-travel consolation with a health provider is essential to prepare for the variety of health risks and obtain appropriate preventative measures.

DEMONSTRATIONS: Ongoing geopolitical events can result in scheduled and unscheduled demonstrations and protests. Demonstrations intended to be peaceful can turn hostile and possibly escalate into violence without warning, often by agitators placed within the demonstration, representing a collateral risk to DOD-affiliated personnel. Political issues, human rights, and other global and emerging issues are potential catalysts for driving public demonstrations and protests.

OPSEC: OPSEC is a mindset that all of us must develop to protect our mission, personnel, and resources.  Adversaries will attempt to acquire any information they can use to target or harm friendly personnel or operations. Criminal actors and intelligence entities collect publicly available information (PAI), in person and remotely, to inform and target DOD personnel and their Family members within our community. It is important to prevent adversaries from obtaining sensitive information that can be used maliciously. Identifying Critical Information and Indicators, known as CII, and implementing safeguards are integral to the safety of our community. Think twice about what you post on social media and discuss in public. Think about how the information could be used to indicate your or your organization’s vulnerabilities to those trying to find ways do us harm.

CHANGES TO FORCE PROTECTION CONDITION (FPCON): DoD personnel must be cognitive of changes to FPCON levels and apply appropriate measures to enhance their safety and well-being.  Commanders exercise FPCON elevations to ensure programs are ready to respond if threats are identified.  These exercises can have a considerable impact on our communities and service availability.  As noted, OPSEC is a critical component to our protection.  Do not discuss security information in public areas, hotels, airports, trains and rest stops or post to social media.

CYBER: To maintain good cybersecurity practices, it's important to be cautious when clicking on web links, install software updates regularly, make and test regular backups, avoid unknown USBs and public charging stations, use common sense in all cybersecurity practices, limit the amount of personal data you share or store online, and regularly clean up and delete unnecessary files and accounts. By following these general practices, you can help protect yourself from cyber threats and maintain the security of your devices and data. When using unsecured Wi-Fi networks, such as those found in public places, it's recommended to use a Virtual Private Network (VPN). This will encrypt your internet connection and protect your data from being accessed by unauthorized individuals.

UNIFORM WEAR: Although off-installation uniform wear is permitted to a limited extent, personnel must review local policies and gain an understanding of local restrictions and why they are in place. Commanders and Servicemembers must consider the security environment when deciding whether to wear uniforms off-post. USAREUR-AF commanders enact local restrictions out of an abundance of caution after considering multiple factors such as criminal, terrorism, or intelligence threats, and err on the side of caution when insufficient information is available to make an informed risk-based decision. Current policies are available on U.S. Army Garrison webpages or from unit Antiterrorism Officers.

INDIVIDUAL PROTECTION PLANS: Personnel must stay current with media coverage of local events, remain aware of their surroundings, and keep in regular contact with their unit, colleagues, family members, and friends while traveling. DOD personnel should monitor local news outlets, the Armed Forces Network (AFN), and the Alerts and Messages page of U.S. Embassy and Consulate websites in the countries where they live and travel to remain aware of changes in the security environment. USEUCOM requires enrollment in the U.S. State Department's Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP). This service allows personnel to enroll their presence with the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate and receive important information about security conditions at their duty or destination country. Step enrollment and local security information at https://step.state.gov/.

All personal are encouraged to refresh their Antiterrorism (AT) Level I training at https://jko.jten.mil/courses/AT-level1/launch.html.  Speak to your unit or garrison AT Officer for additional information, assistance, and other Antiterrorism tips.