Vandenberg Security Held 7 at Gunpoint Over Gate-Runner Alert

3 articles · Updated · Noozhawk · Aug 20

Five reporters and two military members were stopped at gunpoint for more than 30 minutes Monday after Vandenberg security blocked their escorted convoy and ordered occupants out with hands raised.
A “gate runners” alert was triggered even though the group had invitations, identification and a public affairs escort, with base officials later blaming a communication breakdown amid increased unauthorized entry attempts.
Two military members were handcuffed and placed in base vehicles while the civilians were made to sit on a curb; the delay caused the invited media to miss the groundbreaking ceremony they were there to cover.
The event marked construction of a 160,000-square-foot Sentinel Formal Training Unit campus for the next-generation ICBM program replacing Minuteman III, underscoring the sensitivity of the base where the incident unfolded.
A security officer apologized after the release, but Noozhawk’s editor said the episode showed a training failure and that the base owed the journalists an apology.