Be Ready and Alert, know your surroundings!

Commentary By:  Gordon King

Hello folks, I hope and pray that all are well!  It’s been quite a new year already, and it ain’t over yet.  Tensions around the world are heating up, and the Middle East is a powder keg just waiting to explode.

However, evil is on the rise throughout the world, and evil is coming closer and closer to home my friends!  We must all be vigilant in being aware of our surroundings and what is happening around us.  We must be alert, we must know what to look for, and we must know how to respond appropriately.

I received a comment the other day regarding this very thing, on how to be aware of our surroundings in the current climate of increased terror attacks.  I found this comment to be extremely helpful and wise.  Please take the time to read it and heed it!  I also would like to thank The Ezekiel Project for posting this comment and allowing me to re-post it here.   God bless and may the good Lord guide and protect you all!

The Ezekiel Project

It would seem the pace of the attacks is picking up. Allow me a moment to turn this into a teaching moment.

As a service member, I’m trained in Anti-Terrorism. This means we’ve been told what to look for. I’ll give the lesson by way of a true story.

Once upon a time, I worked as a member of the security team in a casino. My job was a combination of EMT and Security Guard.

One night, I was wandering the gaming floor when I noticed two middle eastern men walking the perimeter of the floor.

The first thing I noticed was that they were showing absolutely no interest in gambling. Second, I noticed that they were walking at a fast pace, arm-in-arm.

The final detail I noted was that one of them had his cell phone out, and was recording on his camera phone while he walked. I was long past suspicion at this point, and had gone right into alarm.

The first thing I did was go to my supervisor, who then contacted our surveillance people, and had them locate the guys based on my description.

Then he tried to make contact with them, but they got wise and left in an unhurried hurry, if y’all get my meaning. They left in a hurry, but tried to make it look as if they weren’t. They even stopped to pose for a few pictures on their way out.

The final step on our end was to report the incident to Homeland Security. That was it, nothing more.

Now, here is the primary takeaway from this. Pay attention to your surroundings. That’s the best thing you can do to either prevent an attack, or avoid it.

Also, it helps to know that all terror attacks follow a set pattern. As a Soldier, we don’t go into unknown situations if we can help it. It’s because of that we collect as much information as we can, before we even attempt to run a mission.

Terrorists are no different. What I saw was a classic scouting mission. They were gauging and mapping. They were looking for weaknesses and inconsistencies in our security.

That we chased them out made for good news for us. I don’t doubt our response convinced them that their attention is best focused elsewhere. At least, that’s my hope.

It’s important to pay attention to the people around you. What are they doing? Is there anything even the slightest bit off about their behavior?

I’d be more than willing to bet that each and every one of these terror attacks had tell-tales that everyone in the area either missed, or dismissed.

Here’s what to look for:
-One or two people taking pictures of a given area for no apparent reason.
-Every terror attack includes a dry run, so watch for people behaving oddly.

Just spotting those two indicators is enough to eliminate any number of terror attacks, if you take the required next step: say something.

In the wake of the San Bernardino shooting, one of the attacker’s neighbors mentioned that he’d seen some suspicious activity around their house, but chose to keep his mouth shut. Why? He was afraid of being labeled a racist. To out it bluntly, his cowardice very likely cost people their lives.

In conclusion, each and every one of those attacks could have been prevented if people were just paying attention. Let’s see if this information will do so here. Y’all have a blessed day, and keep your heads on a swivel.