An incident occurred Monday at Vandenberg Space Force Base near Santa Barbara, California, when security personnel detained a group of invited guests at the facility’s gate. The detainees included five journalists representing news outlets such as Noozhawk, KEYT, KSBY-TV, and the Santa Maria Times/Lompoc Record, as well as two military members stationed at the base.
The group was being escorted onto the base by uniformed public affairs staff in a government vehicle when they were ordered from their vehicles with their hands raised. Security personnel drew firearms, activated sirens, and deployed barricades at the gate entrance. The military members among the detainees were handcuffed and placed in base vehicles, while the journalists were instructed to sit on a curb. The entire group was held for more than 30 minutes before being released without further incident, and their detention caused them to miss the invitation-only groundbreaking ceremony for a new missile operator training facility that was scheduled for that day.
In an official statement, a Space Launch Delta 30 Public Affairs representative characterized the incident as a communication breakdown. The statement noted that Vandenberg Space Force Base has experienced a rising number of unauthorized entry attempts and that security protocols require treating any potential unauthorized presence as a legitimate threat until verified otherwise. The spokesperson stated that base security and personnel safety remain the priority, while acknowledging that the situation may have been distressing to those involved.
Tom Bolton, editor in chief of Noozhawk, issued a statement expressing understanding for military security needs while describing the incident as unfortunate, unnecessary, and potentially dangerous given that firearms were drawn. Bolton indicated his intention to meet with base leadership later in the week to discuss the circumstances and explore measures to prevent similar occurrences.
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