'Complacency kills': JB MDL Antiterrorism office encourages situational awareness Published Oct. 20, 2009 By 2nd Lt. Carolyn Z. Glover Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst Public Affairs JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, N.J. -- The citizens of Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst should never forget the value of situational awareness. "Complacency kills," explained George Diorio, 87th Air Base Wing Antiterrorism advisor. Situational awareness is a term that people tend to throw around freely but do not really understand, said Mr. Diorio. It involves being aware of the actions and events of the surrounding environment - how information, events and actions will impact the safety and security of the workplace and home. The JB MDL Antiterrorism office encourages servicemembers to always pay close attention to surroundings both on and off base. Always be alert, whether it be walking to the car at night or looking out the window at work. "Lacking situational awareness has been identified as one of the primary factors in accidents attributed to human error," he said. Out -of- place vehicles, lurking pedestrians or tourists taking photographs on base are all potential threats to servicemembers and their families. a Watching out for these situations and reporting them is a proactive way of eliminating the risk of terrorist attacks on military bases and in local communities. A Joint Staff Integrated Vulnerability Assessment team from the Defense Threat Reduction Agency visited JB MDL in September. The JSIVA team sought to find all threats on the base and inform base leadership of installation vulnerabilities. Because of the recent unification of three separate installations into one joint base, the JSIVA team felt the need to assist JB MDL in establishing security measures specific to the new, larger and more challenging installation. Capt. Joseph Burns (USN), JSIVA team chief, challenged the Antiterrorism officers from McGuire, Dix, and Lakehurst to join efforts in creating a new joint base antiterrorism plan. This plan involves all base members, from top leadership to servicemembers and their families. As the plan develops, JB MDL citizens are to remain vigilant, continuing to play their role as the first line of defense against hostile activity. "Everyone thinks, 'It's not going to happen to me', but it very well can," Mr. Diorio said. Any suspicious activity should immediately be reported to the Joint Base Law Enforcement Desk at (609) 562-6001.