U.S. military veterans residing in Florida who previously served in Iraq or Syria have received warnings about a credible terrorist threat specifically targeting retired senior military personnel, according to an alert issued Thursday by U.S. Army Special Operations Command (USASOC).
The “Duty to Warn” notification, obtained and initially reported by The New York Times, specifically advised retired Department of Defense officials who served in Iraq and Syria to “remain vigilant.” Signed by USASOC Provost Marshal Col. Mark A. Katz, the notice emphasizes the threat pertains exclusively to retired personnel and does not directly involve active-duty service members.
“We respectfully request that you share this information with any retired military personnel you know who are currently residing in Florida,” the memo stated, urging recipients to report any suspicious activity immediately to local law enforcement authorities.
📺: The United States Army Special Operations Command (USASOC) recently published a Duty to Warn Notification.
In the U.S. intelligence and military community, a “Duty to Warn” (DTW) is a formal protocol based on Intelligence Community Directive 191.
It requires agencies to… pic.twitter.com/RZY0jM3zLd
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Lt. Col. Allie Scott, a spokesperson for USASOC, confirmed the authenticity of the notification to Task & Purpose on Friday. She described it as a response to credible information about a potential terrorist threat but declined to provide additional details regarding the nature or origin of the intelligence.
“It’s a credible threat,” Scott told Task & Purpose. “We issued that warning, as we do with all credible threats. The security and safety of all our personnel is important.”
The notification did not clarify which terrorist group may be behind the threat, nor did it detail what form the threat might take. Authorities have, however, taken it seriously enough to disseminate widely, including across social media platforms. USASOC regularly issues similar warnings whenever intelligence indicates potential dangers to military personnel or veterans.
Florida is significant as the home of U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) and Central Command, both headquartered at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa. The state also houses U.S. Southern Command headquarters in Miami. Florida is known for its large community of retired military personnel, including many veterans of special operations units.
