US military responds to threats at bases
The Associated Press reports that the Pentagon has increased threat awareness at military bases in the US;
The baseline level went from A to B, although most military installations — including the Pentagon — were already at a slightly higher level of protection than level A. There are four levels, A through D.
Army Col. Steve Warren says the increase was not triggered by a specific event. He says it was due to a generally heightened threat environment, which would include the recent terror threat and attempted attack surrounding a provocative cartoon contest in Texas.
So, their idea of increasing threat awareness seems to include more thorough bag and vehicle checks at base entrances. In other words, they’re just giving the impression that they’re more aware.I guess gate guards will be the answer, instead of allowing folks to arm themselves, at least long enough to get to work.
I hate to give anyone ideas, but if I were a terrorist leaning towards taking out a bunch of US soldiers, I’d lay in wait at a busy gate when all of those unarmed, unprotected people are lined up waiting to go through the vehicle checks.
Category: Military issues
Nobody ever thought of that before … \
/sarc
I am such an idiot with HTML … try this link
Richard, thinking of the CIA shooting by the Paki?
Times like this I’m glad I’m out. As a former USAF Security Forces member, all I see is a lot of people losing their days off for no other reason than a feel good. At the moment, people got scared, upped the FPcon level and in 3-4 weeks they will get complacent and drop it again because of the inconvenience of the checks or reduced manpower because they have to devote members to the READY program. If hadji uses his brain (and we don’t give them credit as some are pretty smart) he will just wait for us to go back to normal and hit us again.
The base I’m on, which of course I’m not going to name, just added 2 unarmed augmentees for the sole armed guard to talk to…lowering the attention payed IMO.
Yeah and Steve quoted above was clearly told NOT to mention what IS already known and public.
Damn, Frankie beat me to it.
There is a base near my house with some gaping security issues that the extra guards at the gate won’t fix.
There was a report I took for creditable about a staging or training area discovered across the border from El Paso that indicated Fort Bliss or maybe White Sands with their miles of adjourning land that would be targeted. I can understand ramping up security at all gates because any terrorist is certainly going to drive up to the gate guard and announce themselves.
Had a suspicious package outside of PSNS yesterday. Turned out to be a package of fireworks.
http://www.kirotv.com/news/news/highway-304-shut-down-both-directions-police-inves/nmCWT/
Just before coming to this web site, I saw a headline (at YAHOO?) stating a lockdown had been lifted after somebody climbed over the gate (or perimeter fence?) at Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi.
Since I only glanced at the headline, I don’t know anything more than that, figuring you guys would know all about it, and would already be discussing it.
I saw the same thing just a few minutes ago trending on Facebook. Can’t find it on the MSM sites. Wonder what the real story is.
Of course they are not going to be racially profiling, they will be looking for us right wing terrorists and not the mooslummers.
After all, we are the most dangerous people in the US these days.
We cause all the riots, we cause all the racial tension, all the poverty and of course all the economic issues are caused by us white male right wing gun nut types!
What? Singling out males of Middle Eastern descent? HOW MANY like that have been involved in terror plots & plans? Singling them out for scrutiny would be *GASP*, *whisper* – racial profiling, PERISH THE THOUGHT! /sarc
On the other hand, Security Policies for El Al, the Israeli Airline, call for just that, and to this day the number of El Al flights hijacked is ZERO.
A few years ago we had a heightened security alert. Instructions from DC required they screen everyone including employees through the metal detectors. Imagine their surprise when LEO’s set off the detectors. The private security guard company just kept screening.
The illusion of security, just like at the airport.
We’re really into theater in this country, as long as we don’t offend anyone.
That should read “we had a heightened security alert at the federal building I was working in.”
Way too many civilians let on military installations. They really need to overhaul the whole system or arm troops on the bases. It’s stupid how insecure those places really are.
Hell, the local Marine Base is advertising in the town newspapers for civilians to join the Base golf club. It says in the ad that they can get a base sticker good for 1 year! Guess Akbar will take up golf now.
IIRC, during the 70’s E5’s and up were armed. Maybe I am mistaken? Back to gate security, due to some high ranking GS grade decision on work and production scheduling, we never had much time to do a full tilt vehicle inspection. And leaving the base, fugit about it. The cars would blow the exit gate every time. At the time, we had Weathermen, Weather Underground, Black Gorilla, BPP, SDS plus any other off the shelf nutjob anti-America hate group and for good measure toss in enterprise grade criminals that were thought to be in search of weapons, munitions and anything else they could lay hands on too. Oh…and civilian workers would cry to high heaven if you so much as looked at ’em wrong, too.
OF COURSE the higher ups want Military and USG Facilities as gun-free as possible, that gives lowlives like Hasan free fire zone full of victims that politicians can bawl for more gun control over!
Yup. It was amazing how armed higher was when the plebs couldn’t be. They either always traveled with numerous PSD or were always armed. Sirs apparently don’t have to abide by weapon conditions and you’d never seen them at clearing barrels.
Heightened security here at NAS Pax River is a five foot nothing Filipina lady at the door of the commissary, demanding an ID card prior to entry.
But I’m SURE it makes her feel sooooo special, I bet it does wonders for her self-esteem!
Maybe so, but I lost on how this measurably increases security. Seems a bit optimistic to think a crazed jihadist will be deterred by not having proper ID.
That reminds me of the worst force protection I’ve ever seen while in the military. I was at some airbase in Iraq and they had his tiny wook “guarding” the chow hall door. She looked like a walking flak jacket and wasn’t armed. She stopped us, a group offl infantry marines armed with rifles, and wearing uniforms from entering before we showed her our ID cards. We almost died laughing when his happened. Then suddenly we saw local Mohammads and his crew enter as civilians without any sort of challenge or ID check.
Dumbest security shit I’ve ever seen in my life. It was basically just set up to harass troops.
Security in the US is all about making a show to make people “feel” like they’re safe. Right after 9-11, the guards in my office building wouldn’t let my supervisor bring a pair of scissors through security. Who needs scissors in an office? What did they think she was going to do? Hijack the building and fly it into the White House?
MCBH Kaneohe Bay didnt mess around right after 9/11. I woke up to MG positions sighted down main avenues of approach, snipers in overwatch positions and the front gate locked down with concrete barriers and HMMWV’s with .50’s. Not to mention the SRT guys all over the place.
This is because the idiots on the left side of the political fence are complacent and don’t want to be disturbed by reality. Reality requires actually paying attention to your surroundings, to the small stuff, e.g., watching the sky and the weather reports so that a tornado doesn’t surprise you at your afternoon bridge party or picnic.
They just do NOT want to know or admit that the world is not a wonderful version of a Disney movie from 1959. If they did, they’d have to stop running with headphones at midnight is questionable neighborhoods.