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Abstract:
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is of vital importance to accommodate the need for security in site plans and designs on all military installations . Terrorism prevention , referred to as force protection by the United States Department of Defense , is accomplished through a combination of landscape and facility design standards . To minimize the likelihood of mass casualties from terrorist attacks against military personnel in the facilities in which they work and live , the Department of Defense has established design standards that shape the site design process . (Unified Facilities Criteria ) 4 -010 -01 )This research examines each stage of the implementation process of anti -terrorism site design guidelines for possible weaknesses and inconsistencies , then makes recommendations for improvements to the process . The research uses qualitative methods to evaluate the standard anti -terrorism site design guidelines and how they are implemented on selected U .S . military installations . The study is focused on Fort Hood , Fort Sam Houston , Fort Bliss , and Fort Polk .Initially , primary military documents that contain anti -terrorism /force protection guidelines were studied for content , and compared to non -military literature on crime prevention through site design . Analysis of the literature resulted in a list of site design concepts for planning secure military installations . This list of design concepts were compared to the installation design guides of the selected military installations . Then interviews were conducted with three groups of key informants : U .S . Army Corps of Engineers Military Planning Staff , U .S . Army Installation Anti -terrorism Specialists , and U .S . Army Installation Planning Staff . Using the data triangulation method , the three groups' responses were compared , to search for themes or inconsistencies . (Taylor 1998 ) The comments from the interviews revealed how well site -related anti -terrorism /force protection (AT /FP ) standards are carried from one document to the next and ultimately to built military projects . The results indicate that there are some consistencies and inconsistencies in the perceptions of military personnel on the implementation of anti -terrorism site design standards .Landscape Architects , engineers , and planners working for the U .S . Department of Defense are required to follow anti -terrorism /force protection guidelines , which affect the overall development of United States military installations . This study is valuable in ensuring that the U .S . Army Corps of Engineers is designing secure environments in which American soldiers work and live . Additionally , this research contributes to the profession of landscape architecture by educating practitioners on the role that site design plays in preventing terrorism . |