Overseas Travel Safety

NAPLES, ITALY

08.05.2020

Story by Lt. Jamie Moroney 

U.S. Naval Support Activity Naples

As the world continues to shift during the COVID-19 global crisis, many countries are beginning to rise to a “new normal” and transition back to being open for travel. For U.S. Navy Sailors, civilians and their families stationed overseas in Europe, the travel benefit is also becoming available once more. Though usually Europe is flooded with tourists, at this time citizens of certain countries are not permitted to enter others due to their COVID-19 infection rate, the United States currently included. This creates a situation that makes Americans overseas, specifically members of the military, a greater potential target to ill-intentioned actors. To assist our service members and our families as they begin once more to tour abroad, Master-at-Arms Chief Matthew Thurston, assigned to NCIS Security Training Assistance and Assessment Team detachment Naples, answered questions and provided insight on how to be less of a target.

What are some easy things to do to keep yourselves and information safe when traveling?
Aside from the Antiterrorism Threat Level I online training, there are a few simple things you can do while traveling to increase your personal safety and security. First is the manner of dress. Inevitably, you will have to speak and your accent will give things away. However, if you dress conservatively while traveling and avoid wearing clothing that represents U.S. sport teams, colleges or individual states, you will dramatically reduce your chances of sticking out amongst a crowd. Second, always carry your passport in some type of protective cover or sleeve, and keep your Common Access Card or other U.S. government IDs hidden in order to reduce the risk of someone nearby spotting them. Third, if traveling with U.S. currency, keep it tucked away in a bag or in the back of your wallet. Fourth, keep conversations as innocent as possible with fellow travelers or tourists as to not disclose your profession or level of knowledge of U.S. operations or dealings in Europe and Africa.

What should you do if you are in a foreign country and you think someone is following you?
First, stay in a well populated area but away from crowd congestion in order to remain visible to people nearby. This is a multi-purpose action, allowing you to remain out of a vulnerable area, like being trapped down a dead end, and keeping you in sight of witnesses to a possible crime. It also enables you to think of a more long-term solution. If you are walking down an outdoor shopping market or similar venue, make a subtle turn back in the other direction. After walking a little ways, stop and look at a storefront to observe if the suspected follower has mimicked your movement. If you still feel you are being followed, immediately find the nearest law enforcement or public safety official.

What are some things to look out for?
Common things to look out for while traveling include apparent attempts to attract mass amounts of Americans to a singular location, foreign personnel who know far too much about U.S. operations or organizations, and conversations that begin innocently and quickly turn to a probe for information or a method of gauging your knowledge of U.S. operations.

If someone approaches you for information, what are some of the best things to do to extricate yourself from a situation?
Keep the conversation as innocent as possible, but do not assume everyone is a hostile actor because other tourists or travelers may legitimately have questions. If the conversation turns to U.S. interests and you begin to feel the questions become probing in nature, use a distraction or intervention from whomever you are traveling with as a subtle and effective way to leave the conversation. Gather as much mental information as possible about the identity of the questioner (height, weight, physical characteristics, accent, business card and name, if applicable) in case the incident rises to the level of reportable to your chain of command or law enforcement.

What about selecting locations to stay while traveling?
Price is often a reason to stay in certain hotels. You should, however, attempt to stay in reputable hotels or suites to decrease the chances of staying in an area riddled with crime or ill-intentioned actors.

NSA Naples is an operational ashore base that enables U.S., allied, and partner nation forces to be where they are needed, when they are needed, to ensure security and stability in Europe, Africa, and Southwest Asia.
For more news about NSA Naples and the Sailors who serve onboard the installation, please follow us on Instagram @NSANaples and Facebook at facebook.com/NSANaples.

• Date Taken: 08.05.2020
• Date Posted: 08.05.2020 05:47
• Story ID: 375296
• Location: NAPLES, IT