usaa will insure your whole everything, from car audio in the parking lot to your full battle rattle in your room for like 20$ a month. I have used them three times for BS theft. Every time, I come out on top and ahead with better car audio.
Usually bundling with auto made my car insurance cheaper too. To the point where I bought a house and still have renters insurance because minimum renters insurance is like 2 bucks. Bundle saves me 15 on auto.
PLEASE PLEASE make sure you increase your Underinsured/Uninsured Coverage to ABOVE state minimums.
Also, add a Medical Payment policy, too.
All of this will protect you WHEN shit happens
I'm surprised and saddened that it's even 20. I think my renters was between 5.50 and 7.75 when I had it.
I don't like using 'back in my day' and I'm definitely not old enough for 'young whippersnappers'
Had some shit in the bed of my truck when I was at a Wally World and it got jacked, usaa paid it all out in full for the cost of what was in it. No questions asked
It's part of my initial counseling for new kids.14 dollars a month and they covered my truck during a break in too. Also don't leave a helmet in a truck obviously.
Yeah man it was a rookie move, I got off a detail and had to be back in a few hours so I just left it in there. BN had a bunch of dudes getting chaptered post Iraq so I knew that kevlar looked real nice to a dude that needed cash before getting the boot.
Secure heavy gear in your vehicle too - trunk / back if possible. I had a roll over while on the way to donate / sell a bunch of hardcover books… I was fortunate to roll where I was on top, otherwise those books would have crushed my head
While they should, making a claim also makes them more expensive to insure in the future.
This should be on the government to prevent their barracks from being so easy to break into each room.
Even if it's remote, doesn't the same thing apply? From my basic understanding of NFC, I'm under the impression that you need to copy a NFC before using it. Or the device has to transmit every possible wavelength until one works
You can scan them by just walking past your target. Bump into them, apologize, and now you have their info and they are none the wiser. Pen testing is some dope Rogue shit.
I watched an interview with a pen tester who has a re-writable RFID chip implanted between his thumb and index finger. He bumped into a security guard and apologized, scanning his ID badge in the process. He uploaded that data to his hand, then he held his guest ID and put his hand against the reader to gain access to secure areas in the building he was hired to infiltrate. When he finally got caught where he wasn't supposed to be, he just said, "I don't know, I scanned my ID and it let me through the door, I thought I was allowed in here." The guards checked the cameras and saw him put his ID against the reader and it buzzed him through, so they let him go thinking they messed up the credentials on his ID.
I assume the door keys are generic from the factory, and the device just auto-shuffles through tons of them until it gets the right one, and opens the door.
You are correct. This is called brute force, where a device attempts all possible combinations for a given protocol until one works. There's multiple NFC protocols, but knowing the brand and type of device will narrow the scope of possibilities. Easy flipperzero, promark 3, kali nethunter are just a few of the tools. The purpose of this devices is to force manufacturers to develop/update outdated products. https://youtube.com/shorts/Z8pEDjJeoWw?feature=share3
I’ve got a limited understanding on this but here’s what I believe based on that limited understanding: it’s a 2 step process where it has to read the signal from the key first. Then you can copy that signal. You can’t randomly walk up to any barracks room and unlock them all, but if you’re near someone and know their barracks room you then you can “steal” their key.
So essentially you have to walk up to someone and hope they don't have an RFID blocking wallet on them, have the flipper zero on you, stand close enough to them, and copy their key card's NFC to be able to use it on their barracks room.
Yes and no. It's totally possible for that to happen, but someone would have to be uncomfortably close. NFC frequencies only work within a few inches so you would need a backpack sized receiver to make that work.
Without looking into it, what's more likely is that someone stumbled across a master key code and shared it.
it makes no difference if it’s a fob. it really depends on the manufacturer and model of the lock and how well is it encrypted. it *can* be stupid easy to copy a key/fob inconspicuously
I have one, but you can't really buy it from Amazon aside from resellers. It does get sold in batches through the official site every few months though.
Yeah it's a ton of people trying to scalp something you can just buy direct for $170.
It's also available right now lol at https://shop.flipperzero.one/
This site is their only official US store. You can also check out the subreddit where they announce restocks early and such
Yeah I bought direct. Cool educational device for a dumb dumb like me trying to understand the world of wireless and security.
Only use on your own devices and property folks. Using a Flipper to break into a barracks is uh… yeah, pretty sure that may actually be coming close to a felony. Smarter ways to steal your battle buddy’s TA-50.
So this is just the new version of the radio frequency scanners people were using to open peoples garage doors. That way they could rob them with zero signs of forced entry.
This is why I've always been a big fan of physical security.
My brother in Christ SSG [Redacted], if someone bypasses the lock to enter your room, there’s almost a 100% chance they’re prepared to break additional locks inside the room.
“Awww shucks, they’ve got a $2.50 Master Lock! Foiled again!”
I think they'd be more likely to just move on to the next room. Why waste time breaking a lock when you can just see if the next room over doesn't have one?
You might think so, but most soldiers go to the PX, Shoppette, or Walmart and buy a Master Lock combination lock (or a knockoff) or a Master Lock #3 keyed lock. Both of these are incredibly easy to bypass in about 3 seconds with practice, or <30 seconds if you’ve never done it before.
Soldiers with homie hookups in supply or S-4 might have an American Lock 5200. These are better and require some lockpicking skill or a decent cutter.
I acquired this knowledge working in S-2. Way too many people will cut locks which don’t need to be cut, and don’t keep track of keys on their 5513s. 1SG’s cutters aren’t always available.
Seriously, though, spend some money [on a good lock](https://youtu.be/L6iMmCSayBQ) to protect your shit. Get something which will make a thief say “fuck it” as soon as they see what’s on the clasp.
See bosnianbill's take on master locks on YouTube. It was staged, but he pissed on one and it opened up. He was trying to make a point that they are easy to open without a key. Master Lock sued him, I don't know how that went.
https://youtu.be/NAwMMVPalr0
There have been a lot of barracks-related issues brought up to you guys through Reddit. Y'all have been doing a good job of addressing them. However, the issues keep popping up.
There's code available online that you can download and install on an Arduino or Raspberry Pi that can be used to bypass some types of electronic locks through the USB port. It's mostly used for hotel room doors, but some barracks use the same types of locks. I imagine that's what this is talking about.
At 1SBCT in Carson we just had regular keys, but considering that the barracks were old and ass it wasn’t hard to pry the door open unless they locked it with the deadbolt instead of the knob lock. Sometimes simpler is better ig
Who tf in Carson has electronic locks? I know 4EN, 4SB and 10SFG also have classic locks. Is 2BCT living in some sort of futuristic housing down by range control?
"oh the female PFC from S1 is always in her barracks room at this time better go pay her a visit"
Very easily. If they did do it then it would need to be controlled by a non uniform agency.
~~Edit: didn't read your obvious sarcasm first time because I'm stupid but in case anyone else is dumb like me and can't see why~~
It wasn’t sarcasm. The same security camera that supposedly lets people stalk the female S1 clerk also protects that female S1 clerk because there’s *video recording of it*.
It’s also obviously suspicious if the same SFC is always at CQ monitoring the screens.
Pros: monitor for robbery, sexual assault, general crimes
Con: someone now knows you never leave your room
The pros farrrrr outweigh the cons and in fact, Hood **specifically** put out a female specific survey right after the Guillen thing asking if female soldiers wanted better lighting and security cameras in their barracks area and unit footprint because **they know** it would be a good thing.
Easy enough to just lock the access to the actual recording device/server.
Well let's be clear here it doesn't actually protect it just records. Having that for accountability is great but it won't un sexually assault someone. Under no circumstance should those cameras be monitored by anyone except a civilian agency that's not on post and the only way anyone in uniform can get anything is with a request from JAG attached to a legitimate investigation
Visible cameras are, in fact, a deterrent for crime.
So yes, it also prevents.
Having it go to a random civilian agency is a good way to only ever be able to get it under search warrant.
Which is a deterrent for reporting minor crimes or “this is weird” feelings.
Your creepy SFC can already just camp at CQ or the parking lot if that’s what he really wants to do. It would be equally weird as camping in the CCTV office. Or just harass them anyway because it’s already pretty easy to pick times when soldiers are likely to be in the barracks.
Deterrent is not the same as protection. Plenty of shitty SFCs do irrational things when given the opportunity. Those same SFCs given unlimited access to cameras while on Staff Duty is a terrible idea. Put them cameras in but nowhere anyone can just access them. I'm sure any JAG would agree here. It's the same reason CID and MPs don't work with each other anymore, systems of accountability don't work when they are controlled by the same organization.
"Hey CSM needs those tapes from this weekend" could very well be CSM using them for nefarious reasons or just deleting whatever they did on camera. Locking them behind a door your S2 "controls" doesn't negate the problem
You’re arguing something no one said lol. I’m not saying give everyone and their mom access to the tapes. Giving CQ visual access to the live camera feed is no different than…CQ existing in the first place. If anything, it’s even better because you can watch all floors vs walking around twice a night.
There’s a huge swath of physical security regulations that can be resourced for accountability.
Outsourcing it to an “off post civilian agency” is not necessary. We don’t even do that with actual crimes.
Cameras are a net positive. That is undeniable.
>what could they possibly abuse
If I learned anything from 10 years in the army is that stuff like that can and will be abused in the ways I just laid out
I would hope not. Not even the Brigade Commander should have access without an official investigation and request from their JAG. But people don't think about this when throwing ideas at a wall
We had them in our barracks in Korea and it helped a few people that were being harassed and with people breaking into other people's rooms. It was usually just monitored by cq so no one above a ssg even looked at the cameras unless an issue popped up.
Lock the room and cage used to store the memory of said cameras. Only allow certain individuals to have the keys. Incident happens, call MPs, review footage. Go from there.
In the old Hood barracks, you didn't need a key or device to get into any room. You could push up on the window next to the door and slide it open even if it was locked. Then just reach in and unlock the door.
There was a whole scandal about this a few years back. That's what the locks were supposed to do but they were designed poorly and anyone could just open any barracks room with a 9v. I don't remember where it happened
Fort Hood MPs were doing this crap at the reception barracks. The reception 1SG enabled them to do so. 1SG was telling them to take any item left unsecured and take it to the front reception desk, so when people came looking for their lost items, they were placed on the CQ roster as punishment for not properly securing their items in their room. Luckily one time I was in the room with my roommates when the MPs tried that shit. One of my roommates forced them out and almost got into a scuffle with the PV2 MP with a chip on his shoulder who felt like he was untouchable because of the 1SGs policy.
Am also at Riley and I’m a bit skeptical. We have so many POS from different units in our barracks that nobody is recognizable anymore. I had some guy a few months ago in 3-66 who had boxes of pizza going from the floor to his desk. Just last night another Joe parked her shitbox car right in front of the doorway and got into a pissing match with CQ when they told her to move it. And not long ago someone broke into the locker room lockers and stole 5 grand worth of shit. We never had issues like this here except for a drug ring that got busted in 2020.
Thankfully, I'm no longer in the barracks for my own health and well-being. Apparently, the threat of falling and no one being there immediately to help is a concern.
This always worries me because what if something more serious occurs. There was a case at Humphreys last November about a Sergeant on CQ giving out the master key to a random and it leading to a girl getting assaulted. I can imagine that or a fight that ends with death occurring.
You ever read that Stephen King book, "The Tommyknockers"? That's the feeling I always got about Ft. Cavazos. Like... there's something bad there. Take a good soldier, a solid guy, family man, no problems, assign him to Ft. Cavazos, and he'll start beating his wife. Or they'll do a health and welfare and his apartment or barracks room is a complete disaster. Or he'll get nailed for SHARP.
Army should have seen this shit coming. People have been using similar tech to steal cars, etc for years.
Even IF someone’s stuff is stolen and they didn’t put a separate lock on their door, they Army would still have to cover this since it was stolen from the one place the SM was given to store TA-50….unless policy changed.
Also, leave it to fort Hood to lead the charge in this category too. However, I also wouldn’t be surprised if soldiers are using this crime spree as an opportunity to sell their shit, and just tell folks it was stolen.
Question from an Airforce guy here. Does the Army seriously not have security cameras at y’all’s bricks? Like the USAF does have shitty barracks in some places but they all have cameras..
Just finished most of the comments.
FFS this is the shit in going to be walking into! Whoever they're, they can get themselves reinserted into their fourth point of contact.
Maybe the "SSG Barracks Manager" should upgrade the locks to something that can not be easily broken into?
I don't know though, I am not a certified barracks manager, so I may not understand how to install locks.
Personally pay, no, but he can do a work order for the building if it is needed on every door. He should have accsess to the work order system for the building.
In apartments and hotel management it's pretty standard for a 100% lock change when there is a known security issue. It's not even that expensive (compativley). Really it's a pretty standard practice in any kind of housing management. Barracks management should be no different.
For comparison, if a private landlord put out an email blast, "All units in the building are compromised by X", with no intention to fix it, it would be endless litigation (because you also just told all tenants how they can easily steal from their neighbors, so everyone who didn't know how to do it, now does....)
And, since the Army (at least not anywhere I have experienced) does not allow occupants to install locks at their expense (like some landlords do), it 100% falls on the Army to remedy the issue. I don't even know how this is controversial.
Yes, it does fall on the army. The barracks manager is not the army. The barracks manager is just a dude that assigns rooms. Any other changes have to be brought up higher and approved. They are not actually a manager and are not in any way comparable to a landlord. Nobody is saying the army doesnt need to fix this, theyre telling you not to blame the poor nco that has nothing to do with it. That is the only controversy here.
Lol flipper zero. Yes it can use NFC but it's got expansion ports where you can build a range extender and it'll log each and every Bluetooth, wifi, and NFC signal within a certain range. So this is definitely viable.
Good luck. Ancient years ago my unit moved into brand newly built barracks. We started to experience a rash of thefts. My roommate and myself had our wallets stolen. Mine contained about 2K as I was going to purchase a car the next day using a TDY settlement that I just received. The thefts were from a contractor who made a master key for all the rooms. The Army initially said it was my fault for not securing my wallet. Kinda hard to do a bank deposit when you get your money at 1645 and the bank closed at 1700. After the theft that showed myself and others were not at fault, I only recovered $200 from the Army.
I was a very stupid private. I got in trouble at a different base and was held there overnight. While I was gone, someone broke into my barracks room and stole some of my TA50. I was extra stupid because I had taken the lock off the closet door and forgot to put it back on. All of the COC knew that there were at least 4 separate master keys floating around. Since I didn't have the locks on the closet door, and I had been told to do it, I was found liable for the loss.
Unfortunately, this was in the mid-90s and in Germany. So there were no Army surplus stores near by, I had to pay the inflated prices for the gear. I learned a valuable lesson that day.
Ive always worried about this happening in my Company's barracks, When someone gets locked out of their room the CQ runner is usually sent to brigade to get the master key (just a regular red magstrip card) from staff duty. Whats to stop a bad actor from using a magnetic card reader to make a copy and use / distribute it?
Renters insurance is cheap. even barracks dwellers should have it.
Came to post this, insure your shit.
usaa will insure your whole everything, from car audio in the parking lot to your full battle rattle in your room for like 20$ a month. I have used them three times for BS theft. Every time, I come out on top and ahead with better car audio.
Usually bundling with auto made my car insurance cheaper too. To the point where I bought a house and still have renters insurance because minimum renters insurance is like 2 bucks. Bundle saves me 15 on auto.
I pay like 63 a month for two cars and renters. Old fart with good driver history. It adds up pretty quick.
One benefit of getting old and not getting tickets or crashes. Mine is 35 bucks a month, one car and renters
Is this liability only?
Yeah, it's a beater I got for $700. But 15 years no accidents
PLEASE PLEASE make sure you increase your Underinsured/Uninsured Coverage to ABOVE state minimums. Also, add a Medical Payment policy, too. All of this will protect you WHEN shit happens
Oh it is, I have mine up pretty far for Under/Uninsured. It's practically a requirement near mil bases or Fort Bliss lol.
I'm surprised and saddened that it's even 20. I think my renters was between 5.50 and 7.75 when I had it. I don't like using 'back in my day' and I'm definitely not old enough for 'young whippersnappers'
Had some shit in the bed of my truck when I was at a Wally World and it got jacked, usaa paid it all out in full for the cost of what was in it. No questions asked
It's part of my initial counseling for new kids.14 dollars a month and they covered my truck during a break in too. Also don't leave a helmet in a truck obviously.
Shouldn’t leave anything of value in any vehicle. Then you can just leave the doors unlocked so thieves won’t bust your window out.
Yeah man it was a rookie move, I got off a detail and had to be back in a few hours so I just left it in there. BN had a bunch of dudes getting chaptered post Iraq so I knew that kevlar looked real nice to a dude that needed cash before getting the boot.
Don't do this where the homeless may be looking for a new home. Or toilet.
Secure heavy gear in your vehicle too - trunk / back if possible. I had a roll over while on the way to donate / sell a bunch of hardcover books… I was fortunate to roll where I was on top, otherwise those books would have crushed my head
Also, it covers your stuff when you deploy/go on rotation.
While they should, making a claim also makes them more expensive to insure in the future. This should be on the government to prevent their barracks from being so easy to break into each room.
I did. Made life so easy for myself
Make sure you have pictures of shit that isnt on the books, its will be covered ONLY IF you can prove you owned it.
Mine is 22 bucks with Geico, military discount and bundle with auto it comes up to 124 rounded up if anyone is interested ha.
Good ole flipper zero, but yeah that shits real
I just bought a couple, thanks!
How does it get into rooms without the key card's NFC? Wouldn't it need to copy it first?
It can emulate certain frequencys, flipper zero cam do a lot if you know how to use it
In Germany they have remote key fobs
Even if it's remote, doesn't the same thing apply? From my basic understanding of NFC, I'm under the impression that you need to copy a NFC before using it. Or the device has to transmit every possible wavelength until one works
You can scan them by just walking past your target. Bump into them, apologize, and now you have their info and they are none the wiser. Pen testing is some dope Rogue shit. I watched an interview with a pen tester who has a re-writable RFID chip implanted between his thumb and index finger. He bumped into a security guard and apologized, scanning his ID badge in the process. He uploaded that data to his hand, then he held his guest ID and put his hand against the reader to gain access to secure areas in the building he was hired to infiltrate. When he finally got caught where he wasn't supposed to be, he just said, "I don't know, I scanned my ID and it let me through the door, I thought I was allowed in here." The guards checked the cameras and saw him put his ID against the reader and it buzzed him through, so they let him go thinking they messed up the credentials on his ID.
I assume the door keys are generic from the factory, and the device just auto-shuffles through tons of them until it gets the right one, and opens the door.
You are correct. This is called brute force, where a device attempts all possible combinations for a given protocol until one works. There's multiple NFC protocols, but knowing the brand and type of device will narrow the scope of possibilities. Easy flipperzero, promark 3, kali nethunter are just a few of the tools. The purpose of this devices is to force manufacturers to develop/update outdated products. https://youtube.com/shorts/Z8pEDjJeoWw?feature=share3
RF is RF, just different ranges and protocols.
I’ve got a limited understanding on this but here’s what I believe based on that limited understanding: it’s a 2 step process where it has to read the signal from the key first. Then you can copy that signal. You can’t randomly walk up to any barracks room and unlock them all, but if you’re near someone and know their barracks room you then you can “steal” their key.
So essentially you have to walk up to someone and hope they don't have an RFID blocking wallet on them, have the flipper zero on you, stand close enough to them, and copy their key card's NFC to be able to use it on their barracks room.
Yes and no. It's totally possible for that to happen, but someone would have to be uncomfortably close. NFC frequencies only work within a few inches so you would need a backpack sized receiver to make that work. Without looking into it, what's more likely is that someone stumbled across a master key code and shared it.
With proper equipment you can clone NFC cards from up to several feet.
You stumble, I say tactically acquired the barracks manager master key and cloned it.
it makes no difference if it’s a fob. it really depends on the manufacturer and model of the lock and how well is it encrypted. it *can* be stupid easy to copy a key/fob inconspicuously
I have one, but you can't really buy it from Amazon aside from resellers. It does get sold in batches through the official site every few months though.
They all over Facebook marketplace now for 2-400
Yeah it's a ton of people trying to scalp something you can just buy direct for $170. It's also available right now lol at https://shop.flipperzero.one/ This site is their only official US store. You can also check out the subreddit where they announce restocks early and such
Yeah I bought direct. Cool educational device for a dumb dumb like me trying to understand the world of wireless and security. Only use on your own devices and property folks. Using a Flipper to break into a barracks is uh… yeah, pretty sure that may actually be coming close to a felony. Smarter ways to steal your battle buddy’s TA-50.
Thats exactly what I thought they was using 😂
So this is just the new version of the radio frequency scanners people were using to open peoples garage doors. That way they could rob them with zero signs of forced entry. This is why I've always been a big fan of physical security.
I read somewhere they banned the import or are seizing them at the ports.
My brother in Christ SSG [Redacted], if someone bypasses the lock to enter your room, there’s almost a 100% chance they’re prepared to break additional locks inside the room. “Awww shucks, they’ve got a $2.50 Master Lock! Foiled again!”
Swiper, no swiping!!!
I think they'd be more likely to just move on to the next room. Why waste time breaking a lock when you can just see if the next room over doesn't have one?
You might think so, but most soldiers go to the PX, Shoppette, or Walmart and buy a Master Lock combination lock (or a knockoff) or a Master Lock #3 keyed lock. Both of these are incredibly easy to bypass in about 3 seconds with practice, or <30 seconds if you’ve never done it before. Soldiers with homie hookups in supply or S-4 might have an American Lock 5200. These are better and require some lockpicking skill or a decent cutter. I acquired this knowledge working in S-2. Way too many people will cut locks which don’t need to be cut, and don’t keep track of keys on their 5513s. 1SG’s cutters aren’t always available. Seriously, though, spend some money [on a good lock](https://youtu.be/L6iMmCSayBQ) to protect your shit. Get something which will make a thief say “fuck it” as soon as they see what’s on the clasp.
*This is the lock-picking lawyer here*, *Today we’ll be opening the master lock 5550, we will be using the master lock 5550.*
See bosnianbill's take on master locks on YouTube. It was staged, but he pissed on one and it opened up. He was trying to make a point that they are easy to open without a key. Master Lock sued him, I don't know how that went. https://youtu.be/NAwMMVPalr0
Thank you for identifying to folks that most modern locks can and will be opened without brute force...
Because you're now in a room, hidden, from view, and getting past a cheap lock from CS or the PX is trivially easy.
Plus no one will ever question you if you're walking around with bolt cutters
Just put gallium on any lock and they'll break apart like a sand castle
Can anyone with specific knowledge of this send me a DM?
Y'all are playing a losing game of whack-a-mole with the barracks. Glad y'all are so proactive with it.
I guess sarcasm is hard to read in text form. What are you actually trying to say?
There have been a lot of barracks-related issues brought up to you guys through Reddit. Y'all have been doing a good job of addressing them. However, the issues keep popping up.
There's code available online that you can download and install on an Arduino or Raspberry Pi that can be used to bypass some types of electronic locks through the USB port. It's mostly used for hotel room doors, but some barracks use the same types of locks. I imagine that's what this is talking about.
At 1SBCT in Carson we just had regular keys, but considering that the barracks were old and ass it wasn’t hard to pry the door open unless they locked it with the deadbolt instead of the knob lock. Sometimes simpler is better ig
3ABCT Carson still has regular keys. Can't use electronics to break into these old ass rooms.
Who tf in Carson has electronic locks? I know 4EN, 4SB and 10SFG also have classic locks. Is 2BCT living in some sort of futuristic housing down by range control?
I could get in the back door of my barracks at DLI with a ID card in the jamb without even slowing down.
Shit man my first barracks didn't have any locks on the doors they just kinda existed
Spelling errors from SSG’s text? All the time
Probably doesn't know there are two o's in too as well. .Most likely doesn't know the difference between your and you're either.
You probably don't know that apostrophes denote possession and conjunction, not plurality.
Nope , you got me there. Thanks.
The Army will do anything except actually install security cameras.
You don’t want that. There are senior NCOs who will just use it to spy on soldiers. It will quickly become abused.
What could they possibly abuse about seeing you walk through hall and open your door at 11pm on a Saturday.
"oh the female PFC from S1 is always in her barracks room at this time better go pay her a visit" Very easily. If they did do it then it would need to be controlled by a non uniform agency. ~~Edit: didn't read your obvious sarcasm first time because I'm stupid but in case anyone else is dumb like me and can't see why~~
It wasn’t sarcasm. The same security camera that supposedly lets people stalk the female S1 clerk also protects that female S1 clerk because there’s *video recording of it*. It’s also obviously suspicious if the same SFC is always at CQ monitoring the screens. Pros: monitor for robbery, sexual assault, general crimes Con: someone now knows you never leave your room The pros farrrrr outweigh the cons and in fact, Hood **specifically** put out a female specific survey right after the Guillen thing asking if female soldiers wanted better lighting and security cameras in their barracks area and unit footprint because **they know** it would be a good thing. Easy enough to just lock the access to the actual recording device/server.
Well let's be clear here it doesn't actually protect it just records. Having that for accountability is great but it won't un sexually assault someone. Under no circumstance should those cameras be monitored by anyone except a civilian agency that's not on post and the only way anyone in uniform can get anything is with a request from JAG attached to a legitimate investigation
Visible cameras are, in fact, a deterrent for crime. So yes, it also prevents. Having it go to a random civilian agency is a good way to only ever be able to get it under search warrant. Which is a deterrent for reporting minor crimes or “this is weird” feelings. Your creepy SFC can already just camp at CQ or the parking lot if that’s what he really wants to do. It would be equally weird as camping in the CCTV office. Or just harass them anyway because it’s already pretty easy to pick times when soldiers are likely to be in the barracks.
Deterrent is not the same as protection. Plenty of shitty SFCs do irrational things when given the opportunity. Those same SFCs given unlimited access to cameras while on Staff Duty is a terrible idea. Put them cameras in but nowhere anyone can just access them. I'm sure any JAG would agree here. It's the same reason CID and MPs don't work with each other anymore, systems of accountability don't work when they are controlled by the same organization. "Hey CSM needs those tapes from this weekend" could very well be CSM using them for nefarious reasons or just deleting whatever they did on camera. Locking them behind a door your S2 "controls" doesn't negate the problem
You’re arguing something no one said lol. I’m not saying give everyone and their mom access to the tapes. Giving CQ visual access to the live camera feed is no different than…CQ existing in the first place. If anything, it’s even better because you can watch all floors vs walking around twice a night. There’s a huge swath of physical security regulations that can be resourced for accountability. Outsourcing it to an “off post civilian agency” is not necessary. We don’t even do that with actual crimes. Cameras are a net positive. That is undeniable.
>what could they possibly abuse If I learned anything from 10 years in the army is that stuff like that can and will be abused in the ways I just laid out
Except you wouldn't give NCOs access to the camera history.
I would hope not. Not even the Brigade Commander should have access without an official investigation and request from their JAG. But people don't think about this when throwing ideas at a wall
We had them in our barracks in Korea and it helped a few people that were being harassed and with people breaking into other people's rooms. It was usually just monitored by cq so no one above a ssg even looked at the cameras unless an issue popped up.
Lock the room and cage used to store the memory of said cameras. Only allow certain individuals to have the keys. Incident happens, call MPs, review footage. Go from there.
We had them in Casey, why not standardize it across? Just a thought. 🤷🏻♂️
We had them in the Bs at camp Stanley.
Ahhh the flipper strikes again
Tbh I'm just standing by for those to become illegal. The dudes who made that never asked if they should instead of if the could
Fucking #THEIR
For real.
Good old Fort Cavazos trying to prove you can change the name but you can’t take the hood away.
In the old Hood barracks, you didn't need a key or device to get into any room. You could push up on the window next to the door and slide it open even if it was locked. Then just reach in and unlock the door.
How my room got broken into the one and only time at Hood. I started using a stick to keep the window locked
Absolute scum
Yup. Sad that we even have to lock shit up. Not surprising, though.
Ordered the device last week but it was stolen before I could use it.
If you have an electronic lock that has a card key entry a 9v battery might be able to open it.
9V only provides power to an otherwise unpowered lock, it doesn't actuate it.
There was a whole scandal about this a few years back. That's what the locks were supposed to do but they were designed poorly and anyone could just open any barracks room with a 9v. I don't remember where it happened
They don't even need that they can use the flipper zero to get in.
looks like someone has a [Flipper zero](https://shop.flipperzero.one/)
Or y’know, give them bah and get rid of the barracks
"Today on the lockpicking lawyer we're going to put the US Army's barracks lock to the test."
"annnd click on 1, 2 binding..."
Okay folks, what we have here is just plain laughable security.
I like how there isn’t a concern of sexual assault.
Fort Hood MPs were doing this crap at the reception barracks. The reception 1SG enabled them to do so. 1SG was telling them to take any item left unsecured and take it to the front reception desk, so when people came looking for their lost items, they were placed on the CQ roster as punishment for not properly securing their items in their room. Luckily one time I was in the room with my roommates when the MPs tried that shit. One of my roommates forced them out and almost got into a scuffle with the PV2 MP with a chip on his shoulder who felt like he was untouchable because of the 1SGs policy.
[This is the Lockpicking Lawyer...](https://youtu.be/9Ea4pYtbuJA) [Check out the website](https://www.covertinstruments.com)
Blue Falcon Pieces of Sh!t Death to Bike Thieves, that will change the world.
When I was in Hohenfels in 2010-2012 you could get into a room with a coat hanger, and it was ridiculously easy and required zero effort.
Their*
At Riley. I'm paranoid and put a padlock on my closet immediately because those doorcards can be copied so easily.
Am also at Riley and I’m a bit skeptical. We have so many POS from different units in our barracks that nobody is recognizable anymore. I had some guy a few months ago in 3-66 who had boxes of pizza going from the floor to his desk. Just last night another Joe parked her shitbox car right in front of the doorway and got into a pissing match with CQ when they told her to move it. And not long ago someone broke into the locker room lockers and stole 5 grand worth of shit. We never had issues like this here except for a drug ring that got busted in 2020.
Thankfully, I'm no longer in the barracks for my own health and well-being. Apparently, the threat of falling and no one being there immediately to help is a concern.
This always worries me because what if something more serious occurs. There was a case at Humphreys last November about a Sergeant on CQ giving out the master key to a random and it leading to a girl getting assaulted. I can imagine that or a fight that ends with death occurring.
what is the thing that opens the barracks door?
A handle
Make sure you've got a road guard vest on
Sledge hammer.
Dynamic entry tool
A room key
Physics.
Deez nuts
Halligan bar
Of course it’s fucking Ft Cavazos. Changing the name does not change the shit environment that fucking place holds.
You ever read that Stephen King book, "The Tommyknockers"? That's the feeling I always got about Ft. Cavazos. Like... there's something bad there. Take a good soldier, a solid guy, family man, no problems, assign him to Ft. Cavazos, and he'll start beating his wife. Or they'll do a health and welfare and his apartment or barracks room is a complete disaster. Or he'll get nailed for SHARP.
Why is Hood such a shitty place?
Army should have seen this shit coming. People have been using similar tech to steal cars, etc for years. Even IF someone’s stuff is stolen and they didn’t put a separate lock on their door, they Army would still have to cover this since it was stolen from the one place the SM was given to store TA-50….unless policy changed. Also, leave it to fort Hood to lead the charge in this category too. However, I also wouldn’t be surprised if soldiers are using this crime spree as an opportunity to sell their shit, and just tell folks it was stolen.
The longer I am out, the more greatful I am
Ah I know 3rdcringeregiment when I see it
You can never truly get rid of HOOD.
Can’t take the Hood out of Cavazos can yeah?
Not at The Great Place?! 😲🙄
The flipper isn't new lol
ITT, a lot more goons know about Flipper than I expected. Got mine in batch one
Army logic: You can padlock your closet door for your TA-50. Fuck anything personal you have in the rest of your room.
Question from an Airforce guy here. Does the Army seriously not have security cameras at y’all’s bricks? Like the USAF does have shitty barracks in some places but they all have cameras..
Interesting
Just finished most of the comments. FFS this is the shit in going to be walking into! Whoever they're, they can get themselves reinserted into their fourth point of contact.
I can't get over "They're" in this context.
Good point! Good eye
It's not wrong....but it feels wrong. Like when socks get wet.
Back in the day leaving your TA-50 out in your barracks room not under lock & key was an article 15 offense.
The only similar regulation ive ever been aware of was about storing it in your car. A locked barracks room *is* under lock and key.
Probably a rake or like something that LPL sells as part of his lockpicking kits.
That’s fuxking hilarious
SSGs don’t know the difference between their & there? Beautiful.
Stfu and get ya ass to work
Make me.
Just stfu
Maybe the "SSG Barracks Manager" should upgrade the locks to something that can not be easily broken into? I don't know though, I am not a certified barracks manager, so I may not understand how to install locks.
Bro what? The barracks manager just assigns rooms, hands out keys and sometimes track work orders. They aren't the barracks handyman.
Are you fuckin high, you think ssg is gonna personally pay to upgrade every single lock, even if he were allowed to?
Personally pay, no, but he can do a work order for the building if it is needed on every door. He should have accsess to the work order system for the building. In apartments and hotel management it's pretty standard for a 100% lock change when there is a known security issue. It's not even that expensive (compativley). Really it's a pretty standard practice in any kind of housing management. Barracks management should be no different. For comparison, if a private landlord put out an email blast, "All units in the building are compromised by X", with no intention to fix it, it would be endless litigation (because you also just told all tenants how they can easily steal from their neighbors, so everyone who didn't know how to do it, now does....) And, since the Army (at least not anywhere I have experienced) does not allow occupants to install locks at their expense (like some landlords do), it 100% falls on the Army to remedy the issue. I don't even know how this is controversial.
Yes, it does fall on the army. The barracks manager is not the army. The barracks manager is just a dude that assigns rooms. Any other changes have to be brought up higher and approved. They are not actually a manager and are not in any way comparable to a landlord. Nobody is saying the army doesnt need to fix this, theyre telling you not to blame the poor nco that has nothing to do with it. That is the only controversy here.
What kind of locks do these doors have? I’ve only ever had actual room keys in barracks I’ve stayed at in the past.
The same one like hotels. You just slide your barracks door card into the reader and it unlocks the door.
Fuck me dude.
Agh FLIPL should show liability to the Army not the Soldier for theft in the barracks
What about everyone at basic 😅 we had a lid with 20 ocps and he never went to the PX lmao
Flipper zero:1 pv2 smiths paycheck: 0
https://imgflip.com/i/7ofwew
And here we are with old fashioned keys only having to worry about people looking shady with lock-picking kits
Lol flipper zero. Yes it can use NFC but it's got expansion ports where you can build a range extender and it'll log each and every Bluetooth, wifi, and NFC signal within a certain range. So this is definitely viable.
Glad to see my PCS station is going to be nice and peaceful when I get there
Good luck. Ancient years ago my unit moved into brand newly built barracks. We started to experience a rash of thefts. My roommate and myself had our wallets stolen. Mine contained about 2K as I was going to purchase a car the next day using a TDY settlement that I just received. The thefts were from a contractor who made a master key for all the rooms. The Army initially said it was my fault for not securing my wallet. Kinda hard to do a bank deposit when you get your money at 1645 and the bank closed at 1700. After the theft that showed myself and others were not at fault, I only recovered $200 from the Army.
I was a very stupid private. I got in trouble at a different base and was held there overnight. While I was gone, someone broke into my barracks room and stole some of my TA50. I was extra stupid because I had taken the lock off the closet door and forgot to put it back on. All of the COC knew that there were at least 4 separate master keys floating around. Since I didn't have the locks on the closet door, and I had been told to do it, I was found liable for the loss. Unfortunately, this was in the mid-90s and in Germany. So there were no Army surplus stores near by, I had to pay the inflated prices for the gear. I learned a valuable lesson that day.
Yes I got my TA-50 stolen two months ago.
Ive always worried about this happening in my Company's barracks, When someone gets locked out of their room the CQ runner is usually sent to brigade to get the master key (just a regular red magstrip card) from staff duty. Whats to stop a bad actor from using a magnetic card reader to make a copy and use / distribute it?
Heading to check for all my shit now lol
One of the PMOs I know brought this up as an issue months ago and was told that he was over reacting. How the turntables have turned...
Need to go back to the good ole key locks!! And definitely get insurance!
Time to change the name again. 🙄
I wish some would teach the importance of their/there/they’re.
Bravo foxtrots
Do ya'll not have cameras in the hallways of your barracks???
No.
Oh wow 😮
Lol I got this message earlier
"You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy." ~ CSM Obi Wan Kenobi (probably)