personnel qualification standard (pqs) - I Marine Expeditionary ...

110 Force Protection
Military commanders or DoD civilians exercising equivalent authority may
implement additional FPCON measures from higher FPCONs on their own
authority, develop additional measures specifically tailored for site-specific
security concerns, or declare a higher FPCON for their AOR/installation.
Subordinate military commanders or DoD civilians exercising equivalent
authority at any level may not lower a FPCON or implement measures that are
less rigorous than those appropriate for the declared FPCON.
It is essential for military commanders and DoD civilians exercising equivalent
authority to implement formal analytical processes that result in a set of AOR or
locality-specific terrorist threat indicators and warnings for use when transitioning
from lower to higher FPCONs. Threat credibility, and if known, duration,
operational environment (both H/N and DoD), asset criticality, mission impact
and measures in place that contribute to mitigating the current threat are but a few
of the important elements commanders should consider when calibrating FPCON
postures. Such processes and measures should be harmonized to the maximum
degree possible, taking fully into account differences in threat, vulnerability,
criticality, and risk of resources requiring protection.
Military commanders, DoD civilians exercising equivalent authority, and their
staffs shall examine the threat, physical security, terrorist attack consequences,
and mission vulnerabilities in the context of specific DoD activities and the
declared FPCON. When factors are combined and the collective terrorist threat
exceeds the ability of the current physical security system (barriers, surveillance
and detection systems, security forces, and dedicated response forces) to provide
the level of asset protection required, then implementation of higher FPCONs or
additional measures is appropriate. Implementation of FPCONs does not come
without adverse effects on day-to-day operations; the additional costs can be
measured and described both quantitatively and qualitatively. The DoD FPCON
system acknowledges cost as a significant factor bearing on the selection and
maintenance of FPCONs. FPCONs ALPHA and BRAVO include measures that
can be sustained for extended periods, consistent with the terrorist threat.
FORCE PROTECTION CONDITIONS (FPCONs)
There are five FPCONs and supporting measures for each condition.
Once a FPCON is declared, all listed security measures are implemented
immediately unless waived by competent authority. The declared FPCON should
also be supplemented by a system of Random Antiterrorism Measures (RAMs) in
order to complicate a terrorist group’s operational planning and targeting.
The circumstances that apply and the purposes of each protective posture are as
follows:
110-2