American troops in Europe are now banned from travel to Brussels, and are getting advice on what to do if caught up in a terror attack that comes down to: "Run, hide and then fight if necessary,"
Military.com reports.
For troops assigned to NATO headquarters at Mons south of Brussels, the ban — instituted after Tuesday's terrorist bombings that killed dozens — comes on top of security that was already ramped up after ISIS attacks in Paris last November.
There are more than 60,000 U.S. military personnel in Europe, the news site reports.
In Tuesday's bombings, an Air Force lieutenant colonel and four members of his family were hurt; the officer was assigned to a NATO command in the Netherlands providing support to the Afghanistan mission.
"The recent attacks that we have seen in Brussels and Turkey really highlight that we are facing a significant and persistent threat throughout the theater," Robert Balcerzak, deputy chief for anti-terrorism for U.S. Army Europe, said in a statement, Military.com reports.
The response of troops caught in a terror attack "really depends on the situation," he adds.
"In the event of an active shooter, the [Department of Defense] stresses to run, hide and then fight if necessary," he said, Military.com reports. "Perhaps most important — if host nation or U.S. security is responding, be very cooperative with the law enforcement and careful you do not make yourself a suspect."
Periodic travel restrictions have become the norm for military personnel in Europe following incidents that include the death of two service members at the Frankfurt, Germany, airport in 2011, and last August's injury to an airman who, with two friends, subdued a would-be terrorist on a
train to Paris.
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