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Several U.S. military bases across Europe have been put on a heightened state of alert due to potential terrorist threats. The bases, including the U.S. Army garrison in Stuttgart, Germany, raised their alert level to Force Protection Condition “Charlie” on Sunday (June 30). This status is applied when an incident occurs, or intelligence is received indicating that a terrorist action or targeting against personnel or facilities is likely.
"We haven't seen this threat level in at least ten years," said one U.S. official stationed at a base in Europe, indicating that this usually means the military has received an "active-reliable threat."
The specific intelligence that triggered the heightened security is unclear. However, European authorities have warned of a potential terror threat on the continent, especially ahead of the Paris Olympics in July and during the current European football championships in Germany.
In response to these threats, the German government has brought in 580 international police officers to assist with security. France has also prepared for a potential terror threat to the Olympic Games, raising its national security alert system to the highest level since March.
U.S. European Command (USEUCOM) stated that it is "constantly assessing a variety of factors" on security and safety.
"For operational security reasons, we will not get into specific measures, but we remain vigilant," EUCOM wrote.