My time as a terrorist...

 

 

"Right in middle of God's Country, was a base designed to keep us safe from evil..."

In my active duty life, I was stationed at the Naval Security Group Activity (NSGA), Winter Harbor, Maine. It was a great tour after just after coming home from Okinawa. I was discharged from there in January 1973 and then returned to civilian life. It was there that a young, very attractive, very funny and smart young lady, who stole my heart. We were married the following year in June. I have been with her, and loved her dearly, ever since.

After a couple years of married life and graduating from the University, I decided to go back into the Navy. I enlisted in the Naval Reserve and shortly thereafter was commissioned as a "boot" Ensign. Instead of the long tours I was used to, as a reservist my training was mostly done at the reserve center with at least one yearly two week training at an active duty command.

Towards the end of my tenure as a Lieutenant, I returned to Winter Harbor for a two week tour. Once I arrived, the Commanding Officer called me into his office. He was getting ready to undergo a physical security audit. He was nervous about the outcome. He asked me to do something I had never done before. He wanted me to put my civilian clothes on and act like a terrorist. Find the vulnerabilities of the station, and see what I could do to exploit them, and take the station "off air".

When I got back to the BOQ (Bachelor Officers Quarters) I had to sit down and think for a while. This really was not my cup of tea. My area of expertise was much different than this. In fact, I knew nothing about it. I was a "good guy", not a "bad guy". However after thinking about it, I took it as a challenge. I had no expectations of how this would turn out. In fact, I thought it might even be fun.

I had the chance to work with the Maine State Patrol, the local town police, the local sheriff, and base security. I came up with a plan, and then a plan "B". It did not take me long to assess the vulnerabilities of the base. My basic plan involved the shortest and easiest path to take the base down. I figured out how to cripple operations - not just for a short time, but a very long time.

At the end of the tour, I presented my report to the CO and his staff. To say the results were jaw dropping was an understatement. As someone who had never done this before, I came up with ways to neutralize this very important station. It was not hard - in fact, it was as easy as pie.

The "take away" is as simple as this. If I as a "good guy" with no experience, can take down a base this size in slightly over a week, imagine what real terrorists could do to our grid, our nuke plants, or soft targets. If the enemy is now at our gates, we need to be prepared. If the enemy is within our gates, we need to be ready to fight. Keeping our heads in the sand will only lead to bad outcomes.