US Military Bases in Europe Heighten Security Amid Terror Threat Concerns

Over the weekend, multiple US military bases throughout Europe escalated their security measures due to concerns about a terrorist attack targeting American US military personnel or facilities.

This included the US Army Garrison in Stuttgart, Germany, where the headquarters of the US European Command is located, officials reported.

According to CNN citing inside sources, they raised the alert level to Force Protection Condition “Charlie,” indicating that this status applies when “an incident occurs or intelligence is received indicating some form of terrorist action or targeting against personnel or facilities is likely.”

An American officer stationed at a European base informed CNN that they hadn’t seen this level of threat “in at least 10 years,” signifying a “active-reliable threat.”

When questioned about the change, US European Command spokesperson Cdr. Dan Day chose not to discuss the exact force protection level, but said that USEUCOM is “constantly assessing a variety of factors that play into the safety of US military community abroad.”

“As part of that effort, we often times take additional steps to ensure the safety of our service members,” he said.

While it remains unclear what specific intelligence prompted the heightened security, earlier in May European intelligence agencies have warned their governments that Russia is planning to conduct acts of sabotage throughout the continent, particularly ahead of the Olympic Games in Paris in July and this year’s European Football Championship in Germany. Since then, European countries, specifically those that supply military aid to Ukraine, have been targeted several times. Russia targeted locations such a hospitals, government websites, and carrying out widespread espionage operations.

France has also taken precautions against a potential terrorist threat during the upcoming Olympic Games, set to commence in less than a month. Since March, France has elevated its national security alert system to its highest level, as reported by the US embassy in France.

The 33rd Summer Olympic Games, the 2024 Olympics, will be held in Paris from July 26th to August 11th.