Personal Security

[glhs837]

Me, I dont think any of that is a bad thing, well, except maybe the Army, but I can overlook that I dont see any of those as things that would get you singled out. I dont think Bernie was talking about folks coming after you for things you say online, but real bad guys using stuff they see on your vehicle to target you.

Like they target girls going to school in Afghanistan, or anyone working for Americans in Iraq, that sort of thing.

 

[itsbob]

Oh, and under the US flag in my front yard on a 20 foot flag pole is the US Army flag too..

 

[toppick08]

Put whatever decals/stickers your heart desires on your vehicle and to Hell with the haters....

 

[TreeRat]

Well I'm with the OP.......

I have always had a "santized" rule for the vehicles. Hell I try and hide the DoD sticker as best I can. Yeah the pride thing......I get it. Navy retired here.
Believe me......it's tempting sometimes.

I think the Infidel with arabic scroll sticker I have sitting on my shop bench is the best ever.


TR

 

[SoccerMom2]

When I lived in southern California, there were articles in the newspapers telling women to not put their name on a custom license plate. It made them a target.
Also it was suggested not to use those stick figure family decals if you have young kids because of pedophiles. I got behind a lady a few days ago that had a stick figure of an adult woman and two girls; one in a yoga type pose and the other with pom poms. Single mom with 2 teens? I remember thinking she probably doesn't have a clue how much of a target that could make her.
I also thought she should have 3 dog stick figures, too!

A little off the subject but our vehicles do tell a lot about us and the lives we lead.

They can always get stickers made with them holding guns...lol! It will send the message that they like to hunt so they will shoot you.

 

[SoccerMom2]

I think having a steelers or cowboys sticker on your car it worse then having something about the military.


psst... Go Ravens!

 

[sockgirl77]

Well shoot.. I break all the rules.

I have a lot of pride in what I've done in my life, and I don't care what people think of me, and I don't hide behind some silly name on the internet.

If I piss you off and you want to see me face to face, I'm not hard to find, but I also don't say things to just piss people off, or if I do it's to make a point.

Name on my vanity plate?? Yep.. "ITSBOB"

My military background.. YEP.. ARMOR CAVALRY on the back window..

With that every college I've been/ graduated from except the current one. Clarion U (PA) JHU.. and now I need to find one for GWU..

Yep.. I'm proud of me, and I'm not too worried about someone confronting me about being me, or being pissed off at me for something I said or did in here.

No Forum Junkies bumper sticker?

 

[vince77]

don't see much difference between bumper stickers and and mandatory parking permits on your windshield identifying you as a DoD employee.....

Why do cops have FOP license plates?......certainly identifies you as a current/former LE member....certainly doesn't get you excused from getting pulled over, nor should it

 

[SoccerMom2]

No Forum Junkies bumper sticker?

Now that would be dangerous...lol!

 

[CRoyal]

I see where Bernie is coming from. And you should know that most places have done away with vehicle decals, sort a waste in this age of %100 ID checks. Basic military stuff, meh, I dont think its too big a risk. High rank identifiers, say Captain and above, or things that identify you as having access to stuff that might draw attention, say Presidential helo, those, I might minimize.

I'm not looking at it from a POV that you might be attacked in a suicide vest sort of way, but that you could be a target of being forced to allow someone access to a place where they could cause greater damage.

Exactly. The OP has a very valid point, and I agree with your specifics.

 

[idiganthro]

The sad fact if we don't know what will set off the wrong person and make us a target. Ted Bundy chose victims by hair style, Columbine shooters asked victims if they were Christians. I often wear a small silver cross, could that anger someone with a certain issue? What about our American flag out front?

There is only so much anyone can do to protect themselves. If someone really wants to do harm they are going to. Our military affiliation is a matter of pride and we choose to display that.

 

[glhs837]

Are you not understanding that bernie wasn't thinking of some random nutjob going off because a marine beat him up in a barfight? More along the lines a terrorist cell choosing a target for use by knowing they have affiliations they can exploit. A "Proud to be a Marine" sticker, no biggie. HMX-1, that's a thing someone might exploit.

 

[royhobie]

Baja28 is exactly correct. But yet, BernieP was attacked by several of these folks on the thread and then call themselves patriots and wave the flag. I work for the Navy as many of us do. I have taught a class about personal safety and realize what you mean. Our NCIS along with other intelligence groups, which I won't identify will understand the good intentions of BernieP. And for those that attacked his comment, I know they had good intentions as well, and didn't mean any harm my their comments.

 

[itsbob]

Are you not understanding that bernie wasn't thinking of some random nutjob going off because a marine beat him up in a barfight? More along the lines a terrorist cell choosing a target for use by knowing they have affiliations they can exploit. A "Proud to be a Marine" sticker, no biggie. HMX-1, that's a thing someone might exploit.

In that scenario I'd be more concerned with the use of base stickers, than
"FOrmer Marine" stickers.

Every person that works on a Navy base gets to advertise to the world.. HEY I have base access!! The Air FOrce seems to be the only service that actually thought of it as a security issue.. That and if they are going to be checking ID's at the gate, base stickers are redundant and just an extra expense we don't need

 

[4boys1princess]

With all due respect I have a question to the parents of or any party that is or has served in the armed forces of the US.

WHY do you put a decal, bumper sticker or license plate on your car that identifies you as such?

With so many people in the world out to make a point, don't you think this makes you a target or more of a target?

I'm not suggesting you should not be proud of your service and sacrifice, just quesitoning the wisdom of advertising in such a public manner with all the nsaties out there.

Carry on.


PS It's something that's been on my mind for a while and a question in another thread asking, "Are you military" just reminded me.

Be safe and have a great weekend

I believe this question is honest... has nothing to do with if their against or not the military. I'm a wife of a Marine, and sometimes I wonder the same thing. I do have the decals/stickers on my cars. I often wonder if I'm driving through a non-military town, is some idiot going to try to hurt us because they dislike the military... always a thought.
I am proud to be an American & proud of my husband, but this crazy world makes you think of this stuff....

 

[Roxie04]

Yes, actually I do. It was long recommended that they be done away with. The decal thing was started by the Air Force as a way of tracking vehicles on their bases because at that time there was no sharing of DMV records.
The recommendation to stop was made for the same reason I asked the question, it identifies the car (and the occupant as either military or DoD employees.

Thanks for not reading, I said there was no disrespect, just a question of security, personal security.
Yes, I understand pride, but you aren't as much of a target if your child or you went to Va Tech as you are a member of the military.
You all may not remember, but I do, the people who were gunned down sitting in their cars waiting to turn into CIA headquarters. They were killed because of where they worked.

anybody can be gunned down anywhere for any reason. drive by shootings......road rage incidents..........dc snipers

 

[BuddyLee]

If I were a terrorist I wouldn't attack a military establishment. I'm not big enough to make that much of an impact on one of this country's greatest strenghts. I'd go after the country financially. Hit the major financial institutions.

Nothing hits a country like this one more than taking away their money.

 

[glhs837]

anybody can be gunned down anywhere for any reason. drive by shootings......road rage incidents..........dc snipers

Yep, and if you were smart, when the snipers were active, you didnt go up into that area unless you had to, and if you had to, and you were smart, you did what you could to keep yourself out of potential fire lines, pick the pump deepest in the station, one of the middle ones, not one on the end, that sort of thing.

The point is that there could be folks looking for a way to get into a place only you could take them. Taking sensible precautions is not paranoia, just sensible.

BL, I agree, the odds of someone deciding to make a strike here is pretty slim. Only things that I think might draw them would be dependents or symbolic stuff like the Presidental Helo or maybe UAVs. And, as I said, I dont think that's very likely.

 

[idiganthro]

Bernie's comments certainly are thought provoking, and I'm not one of those people that need to insult or argue with everyone that doesn't agree with me.

If the DHS or DoD put out some sort of directive I would comply.

That being said, I feel that if I have to hide any expressions of military pride, after 21 years as a Navy wife, and now DoD wife, at home in my own little corner of the world, then the terrorists automatically win!

 

[letmetellyou]

Baja28 is exactly correct. But yet, BernieP was attacked by several of these folks on the thread and then call themselves patriots and wave the flag. I work for the Navy as many of us do. I have taught a class about personal safety and realize what you mean. Our NCIS along with other intelligence groups, which I won't identify will understand the good intentions of BernieP. And for those that attacked his comment, I know they had good intentions as well, and didn't mean any harm my their comments.

I'm not really sure what you mean by attacking. People expressed an opinion that if someone is afraid to show who they are, then that is chicken sh*** and that the terrorist then kind of win.

People who are displaying their former service or current service have every right to do so. If I have to hide who I am, or worry about displaying who I am because a terrorist or someone who doesn't like me may attack me, then they have won.

It isn't as if I am merely associated with let say, the Navy, or the Sheriff's Office. If I were merely associated, and then attempted to intervene in something and alluded to my credentials because lets say, I served on some advisory committe, then I would be a complete and utter douche bag. Then I would deserve to be attacked because I was trying to be something that I am not qualified to be. At that point, I'd have to know that everybody in that organization knows what a douche bag I am, and they laugh at me all the time.