US military heightens the security alert at European bases due to a combination of threats

WASHINGTON — The US military has tightened security measures at its bases across Europe, asking soldiers to be more vigilant and less conspicuous in the face of a combination of threats it sees in the region.

The US European Command said in a statement on Sunday that “a variety of factors play a role in the security of the US military community abroad.”

The raising of the threat level for ‘Charlie’ is the result of a combination of events occurring across Europe elections in France and the United Kingdom, the upcoming Olympic Games and other major sporting events, and the ongoing wars in Ukraine and Gazasaid two U.S. officials who spoke on condition of anonymity to provide additional details. But they said they were not aware of any specific threat.

Force Protection Charlie is the second highest level for military personnel and is initiated “when an incident occurs or intelligence is received indicating that some form of terrorist action or an attack on personnel or facilities is likely.”

Raising the threat level for Charlie means that additional security measures will be taken at U.S. military installations, but it is up to each commander’s discretion to determine what those measures are. It also means soldiers and their families living in each community need to be more aware of their surroundings and lower their profile, one of the officials said.