BREMERTON — If lines to enter Naval Base Kitsap (NBK) have seemed a little long than usual lately, there’s a reason.

On May 7, the Department of Defense raised the terrorism threat level to Force Protection Condition Level Bravo, the third level of a five tier scale. It’s defined as “An increased and predictable threat of terrorism.”

According to CNN, the change is not due to a specific threat, but because the military was concerned about several recent events, including a shooting at a Texas cartoon contest featuring drawings of the Prophet Mohammed.

NBK was mum as to the specifics of security changes, but did say gate security will be amped up a bit. The idea is to be unpredictable — making it harder for potential threats to plan an attack.

“This change was a prudent measure to establish a proactive, unpredictable frequency of actions to mitigate threats to an installation and protect personnel, assets, resources and infrastructure,” said Sheila Murray, Navy spokeswoman. “Allow plenty of time; please (be) patient.”

The threat level increase applies to all military installations North America, Murray said.

It’s unclear how long bases will remain at Bravo, but Murray asked that the Kitsap community stay alert.

“Members of the military, their families and the public in general are encouraged to remain vigilant and to report any suspicious activity to local law enforcement authorities,” Murray said. “If you see something, say something.”