Vigilant Airmen are harder targets Published Oct. 6, 2014 By Senior Airman Aja Heiden 482nd Fighter Wing Public Affairs Office HOMESTEAD AIR RESERVE BASE, Fla. -- In the wake of terrorist threats, members of Homestead ARB and the surrounding communities are urged to practice vigilance and report any suspicious activity to the proper authorities. Antiterrorism is a responsibility which must be thoroughly incorporated into everyday activities. Everyone should maintain awareness of potential terrorist threats, practice personal security measures, and report suspicious activity to help prevent incidents. "There's no specific threat at Homestead, so operations have not been affected, but now there's awareness so people should pay attention and make themselves hard targets," said James Mitchell, 482nd Fighter Wing Antiterrorism Officer. A hard target is a person or installation that has unpredictable daily patterns aimed at minimizing risk, and who take security precautions. "Being a hard target means making yourself a harder target to hit," said Michael Byrne, special agent, Office of Special Investigation. Practicing awareness, reporting suspicious activity and other personal security measures are all ways to make yourself a harder target. "Hard targets don't show their affiliation, they vary their travel routes and times, and check to see if they're being followed," said Mitchell. Alternatively, a soft target is someone who has poor situational awareness and is predictable. "A soft target broadcasts their military affiliation by walking around in military uniform, or having military decals on their vehicle, "said Mitchell. There are various ways to avoid being an opportune target. These include increased situational awareness and communicating the need for alertness and discretion with family and neighbors. Becoming a hard target is not a solitary goal. Family members and neighbors need to be educated on these protective practices as they play a vital role in being hard targets. "Make sure your family knows not to post details about your deployments on their Facebook accounts," said Mitchell. "We have dependents attend deployment briefings so they're educated on what they shouldn't post on social media." Another important aspect of being a hard target is knowing how to report potential threats. "Vigilance is key," said Mitchell. "If you see anything suspicious at home or in your neighborhood call 911 and then follow up with Office of Special Investigation on base." Due to recent violence and threats to the lives of Americans everyone is urged to be on guard of possible threats. If you notice suspicious activity call 911, Eagle Eyes at 786-415-7900, or antiterrorism at 786-415-7992.