Missouris agriculture key to national security

Alternate Title—The Effects of Cognitive Biases on Security Measures Against Agro-Terrorism: Business Case III for Physical Security Professionals

Is it your destiny to champion the fight against agro-terrorism? The late Frank Outlaw, president of the Bi-Lo Supermarket chain—now owned by Southeastern Grocers—is accredited with the saying, “Watch your thoughts, they become words; watch your words, they become actions; watch your actions, they become habits; watch your habits, they become character; watch your character, for it becomes your destiny” (Quoteinvestigator.com, 2013). An easily overlooked wordplay in his saying addresses the initials of the sentryic term of art 'watch', which is not only emblematic of words, actions, thoughts, character, and habits but befitting your watch on the cognitive biases affecting the planning of physical security measures against agro-terorrism.

Agro-Terrorism is sprouting up to be no small potato as new legislation tends to create entrepreneurial opportunities for physical security veterans (Smith & Ibrahim, 2013). However, when comparing security measures (e.g., close-circuit television, fences, gates, guards etc.) found in modern security watch settings to protect power plants, military installations, and other CIKR (Critical infrastructure and Key Resources), acts of agro-terrorism against a $1-trillion U.S. food and agriculture industry are soft targets that pose the easiest risks for terrorists (i-hls.com, 2015; Powell, 2016, 11:57).

Consequently, Representative David Young (R-IA-3) has reintroduced the 'Securing our Agriculture and Food Act' (Congress.gov, 2016; Politics and b's*th, 2016) to protect the U.S. from agro-terrorism threats, and other high-risk, bio-security events (Young, 2017). Knowing what cognitive biases (Delzo, 2017; Wireless Philosophy, 2015) feed agro-terrorism (Fatka, 2017; Olson, 2012) is the meat and potatoes for: 1) understanding how such attacks will be cooked up, 2) providing extremism context (Bruneau, 2016; Sinicki, 2017), and 3) anticipating trends that help veterans entrepreneurs compete for federal contracts that establish protection of global food supplies and livestock (Economicsandpeace.org, 2016).

In FY 2004-05 RallyPoint member Major John Bell (USMC-Retired) won a Federal contract to perform as the terrorism consultant for three rural Michigan counties. Contract deliverables included conducting a 1) critical infrastructure survey, 2) security assessment of potential targets, and then 3) exercising wargaming scenarios—that eventually identified advantages favoring terrorists.

Interested in logical fallacies and cognitive biases associated with security planning (MacVicar, 2016), I asked Major Bell, did DHS provide him with source documents to ensure [contractual] compliance, or did he contrive his own? He explained that the deliverables were "sort of" specified—or implied—in phases of the Request for Proposal (RFP). For example, phase one deliverables included a listing of CI (Critical Infrastructure) with a short description of "worst case" consequences/scenarios. Phase two identified a security vulnerability assessment of targets designated by the federal CO (Contracting Officer). Major Bell had to submit his own assessment methodology with the RFP using the same methodology as on his Marine Barracks tour and his Marine Security Guard Battalion tour.

Phase three was a tabletop exercise for each county (the three counties have a Mutual Aid Agreement (MAG) where he developed a scenario with miniatures on a 32'x64' terrain model of the target with 30-person staff that exercised everything from 911 calls to onlookers to state and federal assistance. Additionally, they exercised the initial response to scene stabilization (DHS-FBI, 2008; FEMA, 2000; US Army, 2007) for 12 hours, recovery operations a week later for 12 hours, and then 2 hours a week for 11 weeks they simulated the requests for state and federal aid.

List of References:

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Congress.gov. (2016, Sep. 27). H.R.5346 - Securing our Agriculture and Food Act. Retrieved from https://www.congress.gov/114/bills/hr5346/BILLS-114hr5346rfs.pdf

Delzo, J. (2017, Apr. 6). 20 Cognitive Biases That Affect Your Beliefs, Behavior, And Decision. Retrieved from http://www.medicaldaily.com/20-cognitive-biases-affect-your-beliefs-behavior-and-decisions-414985

Department of Homeland Security-Federal Bureau of Investigation (DHS-FBI). (2008, Apr. 23). (U) Potential Terrorist Attack Methods: Joint Special Assessment. Retrieved from http://nsarchive.gwu.edu/nukevault/ebb388/docs/EBB015.pdf

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Olson, D. (2012 Feb. 1). Agroterrorism Threats to America’s Economy and Food Supply. Retrieved from https://leb.fbi.gov/2012/february/agroterrorism-threats-to-americas-economy-and-food-supply

Politics and b's*th. (2016, Sep. 26). US House of Representatives - H.R.5346 Securing our Agriculture and Food Act - September 26 2016. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nEUk7MhwP64

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US Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC). (2007, Aug. 15). A Military Guide to Terrorism in the 21st Century. US Army TRADOC TRADOC G2 Handbook No. 1. Retrieved from http://www.au.af.mil/au/awc/awcgate/army/guidterr/guidterr.pdf

Wireless Philoshophy. (2015, Sep 16) CRITICAL THINKING - Cognitive Biases: Anchoring [HD]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NFiDdbquWJY

Young, D. (2017, May 4). Fight for Rural Iowa. Retrieved from http://www.clarindaherald.com/opinion/columns/fighting-for-rural-iowa/article_79aa0354-3039-11e7-ba0f-47becfaec504.html