| Military and civilian members of the Fort McCoy work force deploying or
traveling for official or nonofficial reasons outside the United States (which includes
the states of Hawaii and Alaska), its territories and possessions are required by the
federal government to get an official travel briefing before leaving the United States. At
Fort McCoy, the briefings are presented by the Directorate of Training and Mobilization
(DTM), said Jennifer Gauthier of the DTM Security Division. Briefings are held at 9 a.m.
Wednesdays in building 102. The briefings are presented in accordance with Army Regulation
525-13 Antiterroism Force Protection: Security of Personnel, Information and Critical
Resources. Supervisors must be notified if personnel are traveling outside the United
States.
Family members of installation work force members also are required to attend the
briefings if they are traveling on official government orders, Gauthier said. Attendance
is optional for family members traveling outside the country in a nonofficial government
status. They are encouraged to attend.
Personnel required to attend the briefings must do so within six months of departing on
a trip. Gauthier said people planning to be out of the country more than once in a
six-month period can schedule it so they only need to have one briefing. The briefings are
necessary for trips across the border to Mexico or Canada, she said.
"There are many benefits to getting the briefings before leaving the
country," Gauthier said. "We can tell you if there are travelers' advisories in
the country you are traveling to, what the current political climate is like and how to
protect yourself against terrorists."
Each briefing lasts about two-and-one-half hours, Gauthier said. A current movie about
traveling precautions to be taken outside of the United States lasts about 83 minutes.
Written material also is presented, and questions are answered. Gauthier said the
information includes tips such as which inoculations are required, entry requirements for
a country, information about the legal system and how to protect yourself in different
situations.
People who travel to another country must be familiar with the laws of that country,
Gauthier said. In Mexico, for example, the State Department warns U.S. citizens against
taking firearms or ammunition into the country without prior authorization from the
Mexican government. U.S. citizens arrested with unauthorized firearms or ammunition can
face up to five years in jail even if they brought the items in unintentionally.
Much information is available via the Internet to help plan trips. Gauthier said travel
information can be accessed from the State Department Web site at http://travel.state.gov.
Foreign travelers also can keep themselves safe by using common sense, Gauthier said.
Government travelers shouldn't carry their government ID cards or other government
identification on themselves because it might make them more of a target for terrorists.
Instead, Gauthier said, travelers should carry U.S. passports and other identification,
such as driver's licenses, and pack the government ID in their luggage.
Many tips about securing hotel rooms, such as leaving bathroom or other inside doors in
a hotel room open, also are good tips to ensure security at hotels in the United States as
well. Leaving doors open makes it more difficult for people to hide behind them, Gauthier
said.
"Americans have become very complacent when traveling and think 'terrorism is
something that can't happen to them,'" Gauthier said. "The terrorist incidents
at the World Trade Center and the bombing at Oklahoma City show it can happen to
Americans. We need to educate and prepare ourselves."
For more information about scheduling travel briefings, call Gauthier at (608)
388-2823. |