*Shrug* Who knows what is going on out at Joint Base Andrews in the Metro DC area? We have a correspondent there who tells us that at first they were told that it was an exercise, then he got a “shelter in place” order. The Secretary of Homeland Security, Jeh Johnson, told a Senate committee that it’s a “real world” situation.
From JB Andrews’ Twitter account;
Folks on the news are saying that it’s an exercise, but not everyone got the word. Folks there, looking at the cable TV news footage, don’t seem too concerned. So your guess is as good as mine.
ADDED: From NBC4;
Someone on the third floor of the medical facility saw two people walking across the base with long guns. The person didn’t know there was a drill planned and called in the active shooter report, law enforcement officials told NBC News’ Pete Williams.
Who knew there were irrational Drama Queens in DC?
Our correspondent tells us his building (next to Malcolm Grow) has been cleared.But Malcolm Grow is still locked down.
Wait – someone burped into a PA system microphone and Jeh Johnson had to make a statement? Someone needs to take his toyphone away from him.
De monte mus foramen.
ADDED: From NBC4;
Who knew there were irrational Drama Queens in DC?
Aren’t those exercises announced well ahead of time?
Really long, just ignore this if you want. But…
…A long, long, long time ago (mid 70’s) at Clark AB PI the Jolly Green Sq (helicopter Rescue) was asked to help in a “Hijacked helicopter” exercise. Everything (yeah) was planned out and there were “Trusted agents” in all of the key response centers since this was going to be a no-notice exercise.
I was the trusted agent at Jolly Ops. At the aircrew briefing I told the aircrew that they would be part of an exercise and that their PJ was going to “hijack” the H-3 right before they were to ask for taxing clearance from the Tower to get to the take-off area. I also told the head person at the Ops counter what was going to happen. There were also Trusted Agents in the Control Tower and the Security Police Operations Center.
Helicopter started up normal and then just started taxing without clearance. Exercise has started. By this time everyone in Jolly Ops knew an exercise was happening and most of us went outside to watch. The Tower tried to radio the H-3 with no results and declared that there was a “hijacking” in progress; just like they were suppose to do. Unknown to me the other “unTrusting Agents” had decided not tell anyone that this was an exercise until: “It was really necessary”.
So in response to a “real hijacking” the Security Police sent cars and trucks to stop the H-3. They surrounded the H-3 and stopped it from taking off. Now comes the time to negotiate with the “hijacker”. Unknown to me the PJ had a toy gun with him and was waving it around thru the windows of the H-3 for all to see.
Then it happened; along came Security Police “Rambo”. He thought that he could “assault” the H-3 and be the “Hero” for the day. Unfortunately the PJ noticed him coming towards the H-3. The PJ “knew” (wrong) that this was an exercise so he was not afraid to get on the ramp of the H-3 just before “Rambo” got there and point his toy gun at him and shout “Bang, bang your dead.” The “unTrusting Agents” still had decided not tell anyone that this was an exercise.
Fortunately for the PJ, “Rambo” wasn’t, and when a gun (toy) was pointed at him he turned and ran; instead of firing at the PJ “hijacker” trying to “shoot” him. Unfortunately for “Rambo” he turned and ran into a Security Police truck that was coming to the scene and was hit and ran over.
The PJ saw what had happened grabbed his medical kit and jump out to provide medical assistance, hey that is what we do, to “Rambo”. About the time he got to “Rambo” he was surrounded and heard many weapons being charged and pointed at him and heard someone telling to lie flat or be shot.
I was running to the scene to help provide medical care and saw what was happening and realized that none of the responders knew that this was an exercise gone bad. I identified myself and explained that this was an exercise. Got told to lie down or else. About that time the “unTrusted Agent” from the Security Police Ops Center arrived, without a clue about what just happened and finally declared that this was an exercise.
“Rambo” was treated for multiple internal injuries, a fracture femur and shock by the PJ hijacker and me. Then transported to the hospital and recovered.
The PJ “hijacker” was threaten by the Security Police Commander with an Article 15 for having a “toy gun” and being “over enthusiastic” during an exercise. Our Commander told the Security Police Commander where he could put his Article 15. The “unTrusted Agents” received Letters of Commendations for developing and running a “realistic hijacking scenario” and the PJ, the H-3 crew and I got told to shut up and be happy that no one got killed.
So after all that, does this FU at Andrew surprise me…NO
A friend of mine was an SP at Balad when a similar situation occurred. She was in charge of security of the LN/TCN gate when a suspicious looking MAM started walking towards them with a ‘suicide’ vest on. So about the time rounds were about to fly, a SNCO showed up and demanded to know why they were about to shoot the role player in the exercise.
He ended up getting relieved of duty according to her. Seems that the brass didnt appreciate an unannounced exercise in a real world threat environment.
Sounds like a repeat of the last Navy Yard incident about a year ago. Someone thought they saw/heard something.
“long guns” on a military base?
Somebody inform the air force immediately that they are indeed part of the military.
Well, they aren’t really. We just let them think that when we need to.
Let me get this straight: Someone saw two individuals on a US Military installation with “long guns” and called it in? It is a military base…. The security personnel CARRY LONG GUNS. The lack of forethought, common sense and insight is galling. Can we revoke their independent status and return them to their Army Air Corps role now?
We just heard from our TOC. It was an exercise that was erroneously reported as a realworld sit.
It’s fine. Incident has been closed out.
I do so love when someone does not get the memo about a drill and mistakes the drill for the real scenario causing a panic.
I hope it was a civilian because if it was an active duty troop, someone’s gonna lose a stripe over it. Or Two.
Can you imagine the after action debriefing death by power point this is going to cause.
:O :O >:O >:O ? ? ? ?
LMAO! It was definitely unamusing at the time. Now… well…
Or not. Read my long reply above.
Reminds me ow that twatwaffle university professor who called in two ROTC students to 911 for carrying on campus recently.
I was thinking that very thing. Must be the vibes traveling along the Grand Parkway. 😉
Someone heard a bicycle tire pop?
The horror….
Are you saying Kuntzman was near Andrews for this? No wonder….
West Virginia University students and sports teams are called mountaineers. The school’s mascot is a human being, a student, clad in buckskins, topped with a coonskin cap. He also carries a musket. It’s not a prop. It’s an actual musket and, when it’s fired, it’s by way of lit powder. Only a projectile is missing. Back in 2012, WVU’s mascot was reprimanded. It seems he brought the musket and a projectile with him on a hunt and dropped a black bear.
So, if you are afraid of a man with a long gun, stay away from WVU football games.
It wasn’t primitive weapons season? 🙂
And if you don’t like Native American mascots, STAY AWAY from FSU home games.
http://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/Joint-Base-Andrews-Under-Lockdown-385027091.html
Egad. Sweet dancing Freyja, the stupid is off the charts.
The guy who tested the duress switch in the arms room just to be thorough ain’t saying nothin’.
Just more proof of what happens when you are too close to DC. The stupidity is infectious.
I’m one of the fortunate who plans and runs these types of exercises for an Air Force Joint Base. This happens almost every time we have an active shooter exercise. Everyone knows about it and reports every last thing they see. Backpacks get called in as suspicious packages, anyone who isn’t familiar in an area is automatically called in as suspicious or an active shooter. What likely happened is someone saw weapons and called it in trying to not be the one who missed something. When it was called in it didn’t match the script of the exercise and out of an abundance of caution it’s treated as real world. It has happened to us every time we’ve run one. Where the failure occurred was the exercise controllers didn’t have procedures in place to handle an off script call in and then everything went to shit. Especially when it hit the national media. I’d hate to be the IG at JBA right now because they have a lot of egg on their face.