Confronting Today’s Travel Security Challenges

By Mickey Nelson

Mickey Nelson is a Senior Advisor at Command Consulting Group and a 28-year veteran of the United States Secret Service (USSS).  Most recently, Nelson served as Assistant Director of the Secret Service in the Office of Protective Operations, where he was responsible for the oversight of the Presidential, Vice Presidential, and Dignitary Protective Divisions. In 2009, Nelson was chosen by the Secretary of Homeland Security to serve as the lead federal official for coordinating incident management, overseeing resource allocation, and ensuring the seamless integration of federal support for the historic 2009 Presidential Inauguration and pre-Inauguration events. 

Following this week’s devastating terror attacks against an airport and metro station in Belgium, the U.S. Embassy in Brussels issued a security message for U.S. citizens informing them of the terrorism activity and increased police presence. Their message was clear and concise. They urged citizens to be aware of local events, follow the instructions of local authorities, monitor local media developments, contact family and friends to update them on their safety, and, most importantly, take the appropriate steps to bolster personal security.

While this warning was specifically aimed at Americans in Belgium in the wake of these major attacks, its message has universal applicability. In today’s security environment, travelers must not only seek to maintain an appropriate level of security awareness but also proactively prepare to respond to potential incidents. These same principles of advance planning are used by the U.S. Secret Service and apply to both work related and personal travel. Additionally, preparedness should not be limited to terror attacks or other acts of targeted violence—such as the fatal stabbing of an American graduate student in Israel earlier this month— but also fire and medical emergencies, petty theft, and street crime.

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