Space Force security officers hold reporters at gunpoint at California base

Space Force security at the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California held several reporters at gunpoint on Wednesday due to personnel apparently mistakenly thinking the media members were gate crashers.Two military members and five reporters were detained after they arrived on base to attend a “golden shovel” ceremony marking the start of construction on a new training facility for missile operators. The reporters, from News Channel, Noozhawk, KSBY, and the Santa Maria Times/Lompoc Record, were detained for around 30 minutes after arriving at the event they were invited to. They were ordered out of their cars at gunpoint and told to sit on a curb, while an enlisted service member and a junior officer were handcuffed and hauled away in base vehicles, according to Noozhawk. Base personnel later apologized for the mix-up. Vandenberg officials told Noozhawk and other outlets that the incident occurred due to miscommunication, and said the base was on heightened alert because of a growing number of unauthorized entry attempts. “Vandenberg Space Force Base is experiencing an Increased number of unauthorized entry attempts. When media entered the installation, there was a breakdown in communication, and movement continued prior to verification,” a Space Launch Delta 30 public affairs spokesperson 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.”Noozhawk Editor-in-Chief Tom Bolton said the response was lacking, and his outlet complained that its journalists were detained despite having “proper escort, identification and an invitation.”“This was a failure on multiple levels, and the base owes apologies to the affected journalists. The military’s response certainly was lacking,” he said in a statement. “It appears some members of the Vandenberg security team are seriously in need of additional training.” MEET THE 10 MEMBERS WITH ONGOING ETHICS INVESTIGATIONSNews Channel also wrote that their reporter followed standard protocol.“News Channel reporter Jarrod Zinn said when he and other media crews arrived ahead of the 1:30 p.m. event, they waited to be let onto the base and lined up for the usual caravan, which is standard protocol,” according to the outlet. “They began to follow a military escort vehicle in, but were stopped and ordered out of their vehicles at gunpoint with their hands up. Sirens went off and barriers went up.”