Imagine walking down a quiet neighborhood street with your children, enjoying the day, when a group of unfamiliar men approaches you.  In a foreign accent, they inform you in a threatening manner that your spouse is in the military, then they get in their car and abruptly leave.

An actual even occurred similar to this recently in Wyoming, according to reports from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).  DHS reported Wyoming and Colorado as states where military families have reported being harassed by potential terror suspects.

In fact, the FBI has issued an alert to local law enforcement regarding threats to the family of military, even though these incidents have gone largely unreported by mainstream media.

According to president of AMI Global Security and international security consultant Anthony Mele, this is just another tactic used by jihadists engaging soft targets:

I've been warning that terrorists will hit soft targets, and they most likely will not go for the big events with a lot of security.  They will attack where they are not suspected.  This is not just a war of inflicting mass casualties; it's a religious war.  They are engaging in psychological warfare to force their enemy into submission of their ideology.  They are just testing the waters right now in America; we haven't seen anything yet.  This is something counter-terrorism professionals have been warning against for some time.

Psychological warfare is the use of propaganda, threats, and other psychological techniques to mislead, intimidate, demoralize, and otherwise influence the thinking or behavior of an opponent.  It has been used through the ages as an effective tool against the enemy, and Mele says America is not prepared for it.

While much of the Western world is beginning to see firsthand what these people are capable of, America appears to still be the ostrich with its head in the sand.  We carry on business as usual, as if the world is not at war.  The American people in general are not prepared in any way for what is foreseen among the intelligence community.

He continues, "Think about it: if you are deployed and you know your family is home alone, and you get word that these fanatics are targeting your family and threatening to kill, kidnap, and rape them, is your head going to be in the game?  Are you going to be thinking about where you are or where your family is?"

Mele says there are basic steps citizens can take to protect themselves and their families.  He believes that the most important thing every citizen should do is exercise his Second Amendment right to arm himself.  Each state has its own laws on who can carry and where.  Several states have strict gun control laws that don't allow citizens basic rights to protect themselves with concealed weapons or open carrying of guns.  Mele says there are ways even in these states to lessen the chances of being attacked and harassed.

He firmly suggests strong neighborhood, family, and friend networks:

We have lost a sense of community and looking out for one another.  We don't know our neighbors anymore.  This is instrumental in maintaining a safe neighborhood and minimizing crimes.  There is strength in numbers.  We can't look to our governments to protect us from immediate threats.  Even local enforcement can only do so much with response times.  Those who believe their local, state or federal government is going to save them, are endangering themselves and could risk their lives with that kind of thinking.

Mele says to have a neighborhood and family network made up of trusting people and have an action plan in case of emergencies.  This could be criminal, natural disaster, etc. – just make sure there are plans in place and look out for one another.  Get to know what is happening on a regular basis in your area so it will be easier and more noticeable when there is suspicious activity.

Other options for defense are home security and self-defense classes.  Many Americans feel these are extra expenses they cannot afford, especially on an already strained budget, but Mele says, "Make it work."

Many Americans have their extras they cannot live without like fast food, eating out at restaurants, four-dollar coffee, a new car instead of a reliable used one.  Or, instead of going to Disney, cut the budget and go somewhere closer to home.  Most people don't think twice about car, health insurance, or homeowner's insurance.  But none of that matters if you're not alive to enjoy it.

How many people could fathom a day where there are multiple rapes and sexual assaults on the streets of a westernized society like Germany?  Who would have thought just twenty years ago that individual military family members would be targeted for kidnapping or worse?

Businesses that survive over generations do so not because they keep the same "business as usual" model.  They change and adapt with the times and trends.  It's time for American citizens to do the same.  What worked in previous decades for security and safety no longer works for citizens in this new era of terror.

Military families or not, average everyday Americans are targets of terrorists and violent extremists and can no longer afford to keep their heads in the sand.  Learn to proactively protect yourself and your family.