German Plates Part of Anti-Terrorism Effort
 |
Sam Monroe, a Defense Logistics Agency supply specialist,
affixes a new German license plate to the rear of his vehicle
March 1 in Heidelberg, Germany.
Photo
by Matthis
Chiroux /
U.S. Army Photo |
HEIDELBERG,
Germany (ANS) — U.S. Army Europe’s vehicle registration division
is working to lower the profile of American vehicles by replacing
U.S. forces license plates with standard German plates.
Americans
in Europe seem to stand out — in dress, in speech, and in
the
vehicles they drive — said officials who added that "standout" factor
can make Americans easy targets for terrorists to spot.
Changing license
plates is just the first step in some cases, experts point out.
"The
desired reduced profile will be enhanced if items such as bumper
stickers, (Department of Defense) vehicle decals from previous
assignments, dealership stickers, unit or association affiliation
stickers or anything else that would tend to identify the automobile
as obviously belonging to an American are removed from the vehicle,"
said Don Grosz, deputy chief of USAREUR’s G-3 antiterrorism
division.
While recent
events could increase anti-American sentiments among the extremist
population in USAREUR host-nation countries, they do not represent
a specific threat to DoD personnel, said Grosz. However. But he
said it is still important to maintain vigilance and situational
awareness at all times and practice individual security awareness.
Vehicle registration
began issuing the new plates in December and will continue phasing
them in during the next two years.
“The
feedback we have gotten has been positive,” said Tom Lorenzini,
the USAREUR vehicle registrar. “In some communities we have
waiting lists of people who want to get the German license plates.”
One Heidelberg
community member said he and most of his friends have wanted German
plates for their vehicles for quite some time.
“I’m
very happy to finally have these. It’s good to be able to
blend in,” said Sam Monroe, a Defense Logistics Agency supply
specialist, while affixing a German plate to the front of his
vehicle. “Having that big ‘USA’ on my car always
made me a bit uncomfortable, especially after the events of the
last couple of years.”
To obtain
the new plates, USAREUR personnel must visit their local vehicle
registration office and re-register their vehicle. They will be
required to turn in their current U.S. forces plates.
(Additional
Source: USAREUR)