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Invited media and military members held at gunpoint at Space Force base in California
Five reporters and two military members were held for more than 30 minutes after security mistook an escorted convoy for unauthorized entrants.
- On Monday, five reporters and two military members were detained at gunpoint by security forces at Vandenberg Space Force Base who mistakenly identified the invited media convoy as "gate runners."
- A communication breakdown occurred as the convoy, escorted by public affairs staff, entered the installation before verification was complete. The 30th Security Forces Squadron reacted by raising metal barricades along California Boulevard.
- During the more than 30-minute incident, two military members were handcuffed and placed in vehicles while civilians sat on a curb. Representatives from Noozhawk, KSBY, and the Santa Maria Times missed the "golden shovel" groundbreaking event.
- Noozhawk editor in chief Tom Bolton called the incident "a failure on multiple levels" and demanded apologies. Space Launch Delta 30 officials defended the response, citing an "increased number of unauthorized entry attempts" at the base.
- The group was traveling to a groundbreaking ceremony for the new Sentinel Formal Training Unit. Col. James Horne, Space Launch Delta 30 commander, emphasized the 160,000-square-foot campus supports the next-generation Sentinel missile program.
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Associated Press News+4 Reposted by 4 other sources
Invited media and military members held at gunpoint at Space Force base in California
Local media reports five news reporters and two members of the military who were invited to an event at Vandenberg Space Force Base were briefly detained at gunpoint by security officers who thought they were gate crashers.
·New York, United States
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Media, Military Members Held at Gunpoint at Vandenberg SFB Despite Escort, Invitation
Five news reporters plus a pair of military members were held at gunpoint Monday afternoon by Vandenberg Space Force Base security police who apparently believed they were gate runners despite having proper escort, identification and an invitation. The incident occurred while a convoy — led by a government minivan with uniformed public affairs staff as escorts plus private vehicles — was en route to an invited event for a ceremony marking constr…
Coverage Details
Total News Sources6
Leaning Left3Leaning Right1Center2Last UpdatedBias Distribution50% Left
Bias Distribution
- 50% of the sources lean Left
50% Left
L 50%
C 33%
R 17%
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