Teens drive stolen car onto anti-terrorism base

reuters ^ | Wed Sep 20, 2006 11:32 PM BST

[rightgrafix]

MIAMI (Reuters) - Two teenage car thieves drove a stolen car on Wednesday without being stopped onto the U.S. military base that commands much of the war on terror, triggering an investigation into the security breach, police and military officials said.

Police in Tampa, Florida, said the joyriders were only stopped and arrested after ramming two police cruisers that had entered MacDill Air Force Base in pursuit.

Police had been monitoring the vehicle as it sped through the Florida Gulf Coast city after eluding a police speed trap, said police spokeswoman Laura McElroy.

The car then "blasted through the gate at the base," and police at that point took up the chase and were waved through by Military Police, McElroy said.

There was nothing at the gate preventing entry to MacDill, which houses the U.S. Central Command, responsible for U.S. military operations in the Horn of Africa, Middle East and Central Asia and therefore for much of the U.S. war on terror.

Public affairs spokesman Air Force Lt. Larry van der Oord declined to discuss specific security measures in force at the gate but said an investigation had been launched.

"But the thing to remember is that this is an isolated incident. The suspects were apprehended very quickly once they made their way into the base and taken into custody," van der Oord said.

Davaraye Mungin, 16, and Damia Bowie, 16, both well-known to the police, face charges of grand theft auto, fleeing law enforcement, resisting arrest with violence and aggravated assault on a policeman. They may also face federal charges.

[LasVegasMac]

THE MILITARY NEEDS TO BE ON TOP OF THIS!

Yelling make you feel better?

I'm sure the military heard your concern.....

"Hey, this guy might be right! - insert forehead smack here - Maybe we should take this security thing series?"

[Jet Jaguar]

"There was nothing at the gate preventing entry to MacDill"

Why should there be? I assume they blew past an SP however.

They did. And standard practice should be chicane's and hydraulic barriers in addition to the guards.

I have never been to MacDill however, and I would be hesitant to place blame without looking at what they have in place.

[LasVegasMac]

I never understood or agreed with that effort. Same thing in "secure" buildings.

Does not do much for the confidence level to see a 300 lb, 5'4" blob, playing security guard.

[MikefromOhio]

Having just come from MacDill, and being pretty sure I know which gate they came into, I'm 100% certain they weren't near ANYTHING, other than maybe the far part of the normally unused airstrip...

Calm down....

[MikefromOhio]

They had a Chicane when I was there from late 2003 to early 2005...and they installed metal barriers filled with cement while I was in Iraq.

I can't imagine that it's changed....

[BurbankKarl]

[spectre]

I'm with you. If they tried this at Little Rock AFB the car's motor would have been in the passenger compartment no later than 100 yards inside the gate.

[Jet Jaguar]

Thanks for the info Mike.

[jwparkerjr]

The layout of MacDill AFB is such that even after getting through a gate it's a long way to anything of consequence. The base is very spread out and if you don't know your away around it you would be lost in minutes. There is very little sineage, unlike bases used to be pre-9/11. It's disturbing that a vehicle could gain access so easily, but there is not the immediate danger that one would conjure up in their mind when thinking of the base that directs the war effort 'over there'.

[BurbankKarl]

Well, at 3am they probably thought it was some drunk airmen blowing through the checkpoint.

Looking at the Satellite view on Google Maps...sure looks like a long way to any buildings from the main gate.

[nascarnation]

these guys were obviously brilliant

steal a car and drive onto a military base to escape

criminals R dumb, Florida chapter

[Jet Jaguar]

I will consider that. Thanks for the post.

[Disambiguator]

Davaraye Mungin, 16, and Damia Bowie, 16

What the heck kind of names are these?

[Cobra64]

Not to mention redundantly repetitious, too.

I told you a million times, don't exaggerate.

[dcrider182]

caps does not notate yelling... This is a forum.. if i wanted the military to hear me.. I'd drive my car onto a base like these idiots.. thanks for YOUR concern however..

[MikefromOhio]

caps does not notate yelling...This is a forum..

Yes we know it's a forum and on this forum, it's considered impolite to capitalize every word. It is considered yelling.

if i wanted the military to hear me.. I'd drive my car onto a base like these idiots.. thanks for YOUR concern however..

Ummmm right....whatever you say....

[dcrider182]

so whats a wisper look like?

[dcrider182]

So your not concerned that a couple of kids were able to gain access to a base by driving a car bast security guards?

[LasVegasMac]

caps does not notate yelling

Your learning curve is steep. Get busy.

I'd drive my car onto a base like these idiots..

I'm thinking we are not being told everything that actually happened in this incident.

But by all means, if you think the military "is not on top of this"......

Please do try it somewhere, to prove your point, of course!

Let me know how things come out, ok?

[MikefromOhio]

So your not concerned that a couple of kids were able to gain access to a base by driving a car bast security guards?

Not at all. Each and every base IS different and even though they did temporarily get past the gate guards, they weren't around anything important there at MacDill....