A military review is underway after news reporters and two members of the military were briefly detained at gunpoint at Vandenberg Space Force Base Monday, even though they were invited to the facility, officials said.
The reporters and military members had been part of a convoy that were following public affairs staff at the base, but security staff at one point believed some of the vehicles were “gate runners,” according to Noozhawk, an outlet that was part of the convoy.
Police instructed drivers and passengers from the convoy to exit the vehicles with their hands raised as security pointed weapons, according to the report.
Sirens sounded and barriers were raised at the base entrance, according to KEYT, which was also part of the convoy.
Officials said the convoy began to move into the base before the credentialing process had been completed, and confirmed the journalists had been invited into the base.
“A coordination gap resulted in the media convoy proceeding before the credentialing process was fully completed,” a Space Launch Delta 30 spokesperson said in a statement. “Vandenberg takes both installation security and our responsibility to invited media seriously.”
Vandenberg Space Force Base hosts space launches for the military on the West Coast, serving the Space Force, Air Force, Department of War, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. The base has also become the home for private space company launches, including SpaceX and Blue Origin.
Noozhawk reported the reporters were held for about 30 minutes. Reporters had been invited to cover the groundbreaking for a new training facility for missile operators, but missed the ceremony because of the incident at the gate.
Col. James T. Horne III, Commander of Space Launch Delta 30, has since ordered a full review of the media coordination process because of the incident, a Space Launch Delta 30 spokesperson said.
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