Five journalists were detained at gunpoint and barred from covering a groundbreaking ceremony at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on Monday. The reporters, from News Channel, Noozhawk, KSBY, and the Santa Maria Times/Lompoc Record, had been invited to attend the 1:30 p.m. event marking the start of construction for a new training facility for missile operators.
After arriving at the base and following an escort vehicle, the media convoy was stopped by security officers. The journalists were ordered out of their cars with their hands raised, as guns were drawn and sirens sounded. Barriers were then put in place at the gate. Two military members traveling with the reporters, an enlisted service member and a junior officer, were handcuffed and taken away in base vehicles, according to Noozhawk.
The civilian reporters were made to sit on a curb and were detained for over 30 minutes, missing the ceremony entirely. They were eventually cleared and released without further incident. Base personnel later apologized for the mix-up.
Vandenberg officials attributed the incident to a communication breakdown and stated that the base has been experiencing an increase in unauthorized entry attempts. "Every potential unauthorized presence must be treated as a legitimate threat until proven otherwise," a base statement read. "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 acknowledged the military's security needs but described the episode as "troubling." He added, "Clearly what occurred was unfortunate and unnecessary, and potentially dangerous, as firearms were drawn." Bolton expressed a desire to speak with base leadership to understand the events and prevent future occurrences.