Vandenberg security holds invited reporters, military members at gunpoint

Space Launch Delta 30 cites rise in unauthorized entry attempts

Five invited news reporters and two members of the military were briefly detained at gunpoint by security officers at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on Monday, after guards mistook the group for gate crashers ahead of an invitation-only groundbreaking, according to local news reports.

The incident happened ahead of the invitation-only groundbreaking for a new training facility for missile operators at the federal airfield near Santa Barbara, California. Reporters from Noozhawk and KEYT were among those detained, and both outlets published articles detailing the detainment.

The reporters and military members were part of a convoy being escorted onto the base by uniformed public affairs staff in a government minivan when they were suddenly ordered out of their vehicles with their hands up, according to the news reports.

Officers pointed guns, sirens were sounded, and barricades went up at the gate entrance, KEYT reported.

The two military members assigned to the base — one enlisted and one a junior officer — were handcuffed and placed in base vehicles, while the civilians were ordered to sit on a curb, Noozhawk reported.

Reporters for outlets including KSBY-TV and the Santa Maria Times/Lompoc Record were held for more than 30 minutes, causing them to miss the event. All were released without further incident.

In a statement to Noozhawk, a Space Launch Delta 30 public affairs spokesperson called the incident a breakdown in communication.

“Vandenberg Space Force Base is experiencing an increased number of unauthorized entry attempts,” the statement said. “Every potential unauthorized presence must be treated as a legitimate threat until proven otherwise. While we recognize this may have been unsettling, the security of the base and its personnel is our priority.”

Tom Bolton, Noozhawk’s editor in chief, said in a statement Wednesday: “We respect the military’s need to provide security for the base. But clearly what occurred was unfortunate and unnecessary, and potentially dangerous, as firearms were drawn.”

Bolton said he hopes to have a conversation with base leadership later this week to review what happened in the hopes of preventing a similar occurrence in the future.