More U.S. service personnel have died at the hands of terrorists than in all missions since Vietnam. In any assessment of the problem, Fort Bragg stands out as a prime target. The forces stationed there, airborne and special operations, are the front line of any U.S. contingency mobilization. Yet these forces live on a post that is among the most open in the country. Miles of pine-woods training areas are largely unpatrolled.
Major highways run into and through the post with nary a guard station.
The post long ago even gave up trying to register the thousands of vehicles that soldiers own, much less those of regular commuters who might use its thoroughfares. If it happens, the need for understanding and responsible cooperation between military and civilian sides would be even more vital than any effort aimed at trash and bikers.