Stay Alert, Stay Alive

By Capt. Michelle Baer

Wisconsin Army National Guard

Recent mass shootings at a movie theater in Colorado and Sikh Temple in Wisconsin may have you concerned about public safety and while all acts of violence aren’t necessary signs of terrorism, we in the military are taught to stay alert.

One such avenue is through annual Antiterrorism Awareness Training. But is it effective? For me, I would say “yes”. However, if you quizzed me on the eight signs of terrorism, I would fail.

The Army training model is repetition. Antiterrorism training is no different. Soldiers go through an hour of antiterrorism training every year. One of the goals is to ensure that Soldiers maintain situational awareness at all times. In a high-stress situation, you will always revert back to your training.

I have taken the antiterrorism training at least 10 times. Now when I sit in a restaurant, I naturally choose the seat facing the door. When I eat with my husband he also wants to face the door so I occasionally give him the better seat. However, we both want the seat for the same reason; in order to maintain situational awareness.

Situational awareness is knowing who and what are around you and having a plan to react in case of an emergency. I know that I stand out from the crowd when I wear the uniform and I understand that I could become a target. It is something I do not take lightly.

As I was leaving a busy Department of Motor Vehicle office, someone was walking about five paces behind me. Before I joined the Army, I would not have thought twice about someone walking behind me. However, after 10 years of antiterrorism training, I discreetly stepped into the grass adjusted my boot laces and waited for the person to pass.

Awareness is your first line of defense. Most people think of kicks to the groin and blocking punches when they hear the term “self-defense.” However, true self-defense begins long before any actual physical contact. The first, and probably most important, component in self-defense is awareness: awareness of yourself, your surroundings and your potential attacker’s likely strategies.

The criminal’s primary strategy is to use the advantage of surprise. Criminals are adept at choosing targets that appear to be unaware of what is going on around them. By being aware of your surroundings and by projecting a “force presence,” many altercations which are commonplace on the street can be avoided.

It is easy to discard antiterrorism training as a check-the-box requirement that we, as service members, need to do year-after-year. But for the sake of you and your loved ones, you should take it seriously and be aware because you never know when something tragic can happen.