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SUV flees cops, takes out Super Hornet


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At first glance, it would appear base security dropped the ball big time. However, put yourself in their shoes. Are you ready to shoot first and ask questions later? Is use of deadly force authorized because someone "ran the gate"? It probably is and in the modern environment of terrorists, probably justified. Once the vehicle gets past the gate, how quickly can security vehicles get to where ever the gate crasher went and stop them? :bandhead2:

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Yeah, huge breakdown in security. Next time it could be a truck bomb. Maybe we need to get some Marines out there?

I'm guessing it's civilians guarding out there?

I've never had to guard an airbase (thank god!!) But if ft. hood is any indication, you just call the police anyway and wait?

No one is in a hurry to share details obviously. Making it as simple as possible, they were following a poor plan well, or a good plan poorly. Or sometimes poo happens

But yes it could have been worse. Might be worth reviewing all around, since SUVs are plentiful and can be packed with lots of bad stuff

Bases are different. After 9/11 my local AFB had the Dept. Of energy (nukes around) guarding the gates along with USAF people. The DOE guys were armed to the teeth the obvious USAF folks had M-9s, but the less than obvious ones had Humvees with .50s around the corner.

Edited by TaiidanTomcat
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At first glance, it would appear base security dropped the ball big time. However, put yourself in their shoes. Are you ready to shoot first and ask questions later? Is use of deadly force authorized because someone "ran the gate"? It probably is and in the modern environment of terrorists, probably justified. Once the vehicle gets past the gate, how quickly can security vehicles get to where ever the gate crasher went and stop them? :bandhead2:/>

With everything going on in the world these days, if your security is such that an SUV can get onto a flight line with a few billion $ worth of tactical jets and a few hundred irreplaceable pilots, I'd say that is pretty much an epic fail.

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At first glance, it would appear base security dropped the ball big time. However, put yourself in their shoes. Are you ready to shoot first and ask questions later? [/Quote]

If The answer isn't "yes," we have a problem.

Is use of deadly force authorized because someone "ran the gate"? It probably is and in the modern environment of terrorists, probably justified. Once the vehicle gets past the gate, how quickly can security vehicles get to where ever the gate crasher went and stop them? :bandhead2:/>/>

We had a car chase go to the the local AFB, and yes they did open up on them when they tried to run the gate. I don't think they killed them, but the vehicle stopped and the chase ended.

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Why not just have tire shredding spikes or a thick metal barrier at the gate that drop down once you've been approved to enter the base? These are quite common at commercial parking lots.

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Why not just have tire shredding spikes or a thick metal barrier at the gate that drop down once you've been approved to enter the base? These are quite common at commercial parking lots.

As they are at the last AFB I was at a few years ago. Don't know if that SUV drove through the main gate or blew through an unmanned crash gate but either way, a big security breakdown. I read that approx 70% of the hornet fleet is based there. Bad guys could have done some extreme damage.

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As they are at the last AFB I was at a few years ago. Don't know if that SUV drove through the main gate or blew through an unmanned crash gate but either way, a big security breakdown. I read that approx 70% of the hornet fleet is based there. Bad guys could have done some extreme damage.

Fortunately the terrorist element doesn't seem all that bright most of the time in picking targets or doing big damage. They seem more interested in grabbing headlines rather than doing structurally effective damage.

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Why not just have tire shredding spikes or a thick metal barrier at the gate that drop down once you've been approved to enter the base? These are quite common at commercial parking lots.

I live close to an active USAF base that I visit at least once a week. They have large, steel posts imbedded in the road bed in front of the gate that force a slow, serpentine approach and several pop up barriers inside the gate that can be "up" in a couple seconds at the touch of a button.

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Why is illustrated David Caruso about to put on a second set of shades in the third panel?

Teenage daughter pointed out that its like Grand Theft Auto, but in real life...

Edited by Ishthe47guy
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Why not just have tire shredding spikes or a thick metal barrier at the gate that drop down once you've been approved to enter the base? These are quite common at commercial parking lots.

A similar situation happened on an Army Fort six years ago and the individual was let on post and eventually through a series of tcp's set up by MP's and DoD LE was let out through another gate without incident. When civilian police eventually stopped the perp 30 miles up the road he pulled out a semi automatic rifle and fired at the officer(s). There are reasons why in cases such as these it's best to take the circumstances at hand and make the best judgement call you can even if it seems unorthodox. There are also guidelines established by higher when to employ systems that will disable a vehicle.

Edited by fulcrum1
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Here's what happens when just a few bad guys get on an airbase.

http://www.examiner.com/article/attack-destroyed-six-marine-av-8b-harrier-jets-afghanistan

Note - this was a base with hundreds of heavily armed troops in a combat zone. I'm guessing the number of armed security forces at NAS Lemoore in sunny, peaceful Cali was considerably less. You can write off the bad guys as stupid but do so at your peril. Events have shown that on occasion, they put some thought into their attacks and obtain some spectacular results. Hopefully they don't send the "A Team" to take a shot at a base like this.

Edited by 11bee
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I recall back in the late 1980's at Randolph AFB (San Antonio) 4 brand-new 2nd LT nurses were arrested (after a late Fri night at the O-club) weaving in & out among the T-37's on the ramp. They were stationed at Willford-Hall (aka Big Willie) across town at Lackland. Supposedly the 2-star hospital commander personally came collect them from the SF hoosegow.

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Here at Cherry Point there are retractable heavy duty bollards built into the roadways a bit down from the gates. I'd like to think that if someone manages to crash through one of the gates that a marine at the gate would immediately hit the "raise bollards" button.

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Let's see - a band of subversives crashing through the perimeter, getting on the flight line, and taking out parked aircraft? Sounds vaguely familiar.

But seriously - this is bad. Expect the base security officer and (probably) commanding officer to take the fall on this one.

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Let's see - a band of subversives crashing through the perimeter, getting on the flight line, and taking out parked aircraft? Sounds vaguely familiar.

But seriously - this is bad. Expect the base security officer and (probably) commanding officer to take the fall on this one.

Anyone find out if that suv went through the main gate or crashed through an unmanned access point?

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