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Gunpoint detention at Vandenberg
Five news reporters and two members of the military were briefly detained at gunpoint at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California after security officers thought they were gate crashers.
“Five news reporters and two members of the military who were invited to an event at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California were briefly detained at gunpoint”
The incident happened Monday ahead of an invitation-only groundbreaking for a new training facility for missile operators at the federal airfield near Santa Barbara, California.
A Space Launch Delta 30 Public Affairs spokesperson told Noozhawk the base was dealing with an increased number of unauthorized entry attempts.
KEYT reported that officers pointed guns, sirens were sounded, and barricades went up at the gate entrance as the group was escorted onto the base in a government minivan.
The two military members assigned to the base—one enlisted and one a junior officer—were handcuffed and placed in base vehicles, while the civilian reporters were ordered to sit on a curb.
Officials cite communication breakdown
In a statement to Noozhawk, a Space Launch Delta 30 Public Affairs spokesperson described the episode as a breakdown in communication.
The spokesperson said, “Every potential unauthorized presence must be treated as a legitimate threat until proven otherwise,” while adding that the security of the base and its personnel was the priority.
Noozhawk editor in chief Tom Bolton said, “But clearly what occurred was unfortunate and unnecessary, and potentially dangerous, as firearms were drawn.”
Bolton said he hoped to have a conversation with base leadership later this week to review what happened and prevent a similar incident.
Local media reported that reporters from Noozhawk and KEYT were among those detained, and that reporters from KSBY-TV and the Santa Maria Times/Lompoc Record were also held for more than 30 minutes, causing them to miss the event.
Protocols to be reviewed
Space Launch Delta 30 said Vandenberg would review protocols after the detentions, with a spokesperson telling local media that the base commander had ordered a full review of media coordination processes.
““Vandenberg se toma muy en serio tanto la seguridad de la instalación como nuestra responsabilidad con los medios invitados"”
The statement said, “Vandenberg se toma muy en serio tanto la seguridad de la instalación como nuestra responsabilidad con los medios invitados,” and added that the journalists involved were accessing the installation by invitation.
The group was held for more than 30 minutes and missed the scheduled event before being released without further incident.
The AP account said the reporters and military members were part of a convoy escorted by uniformed public affairs staff when they were suddenly ordered out of their vehicles with their hands up.
The incident was tied to an invitation-only groundbreaking ceremony for a new training facility for missile operators at the federal airfield near Santa Barbara, California.
