January 1, Investigation Underway After Intruder Infiltrates Air Force Base

An investigation is underway after an intruder “gained unauthorized access” to the Air Force Base that houses Air Force One.

Joint Base Andrews (JBA) in Prince George’s County, Maryland, confirmed that “a man gained unauthorized access to a JBA housing area” at around 11:30 a.m. on Monday.” Security forces arrived on scene to apprehend the intruder after a resident discharged a firearm. No injuries or property damages were reported.

The base houses several presidential aircrafts, including Air Force One, Marine One, and a “doomsday” 747 airplane capable of serving as an airborne nuclear command and control center.

Not the first time an intruder has breached the base

In Feb. 2021, a man managed to make it past a military checkpoint and secure areas and into a C-40 — an aircraft that flies government officials. The man was arrested after an airman spotted the “mouse ears” cap he was wearing.

An inspector general found that three major security failures allowed the intruder to enter the C-40. One was a “human failure” by the security guard that allowed him to enter the base despite a lack of proper credentials. The second was the man’s ability to get through the fence undetected. The third was his ability to walk onto and off a parked aircraft — while not wearing the badge required for gaining access —without anyone questioning him.

Source: The Hill