Written by Kylie Akins
Retired special agent Bruce Tully is experienced in international danger, having survived bullet wounds, a helicopter crash and a car accident. With more than 30 years of diplomatic security service, he has protected international leaders, including Nelson Mandela, Richard Nixon, George W. Bush, Colin Powell, Henry Kissinger and Prince Charles.Now working as an international security consultant/trainer and expert in counterterrorism, personal security and anti-crime operations, Tully was invited to Harding to speak Thursday, March 31, for the first time to a group of Harding students and faculty preparing to travel to Harding’s overseas campuses during the 2011-2012 school year.”I have attended overseas security advisory council sessions for several years, but I just realized that Mr. Tully could do a better job with this than I could ever do,” Dean of International Studies Dr. Jeff Hopper said. “It made sense to me for him to come here.”Tully offered tips to future travelers who may be unprepared for the dangers of traveling in a foreign country, pulling from his personal experiences with international crime and analyzing well-known case studies of abductions, carjacking and violence.”You are Americans, and that’s a terrific thing to be,”Tully said in his presentation. “But because you are Americans and when you go abroad you represent America — please remember this — there are people out there who don’t even know you who want to kill you.”Tully said he met with Harding’s security leaders, including Public Safety officers and Hopper,and advised on several safety issues, such as the itineraries of the international programs. He weighed in on several key decisions, such as the Harding University in Greece program allowing students to visit Egypt in the future and the Harding University in Australasia program forgoing its plans of visiting Japan due to the current nuclear instability.Freshman Claire Allensworth, fall 2011 Harding University in Florence participant, said she would benefit from Tully’s advice in domestic and international situations.”For me, the best thing was when he talked about situational awareness, because just being observant of what’s going on around you is such a key to being safe, even here in Searcy,” Allensworth said. “There’s always that chance. We may feel safe, but we’re not always safe. I’m definitely going to use this when I go overseas.”Stressing responsibility for one’s personal security, Tully addressed the need to “know before you go” and being aware of the health, criminal and environmental risks that await a traveler in a foreign country. He repeated his personal mantra throughout the presentation, stressing the strength of the human will to live with his words “Never give in.”His lecture was recorded and will be shown to future international program students until Tully visits again in the indefinite future.”We have a responsibility,” Tully said. “You’re going to be the future; we want to make sure you are safe and sound to do that. You entrust us when we send you somewhere. We’re going to make sure we give you the best possible protection. Really, it’s an honor and obligation for us to do that.”
