Vandenberg AFB Beefs Up Security: No Beach Access

San Diego Union-Tribune ^ | staff

[Bernard Marx]

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. — Beefed up security at Vandenberg Air Force Base is preventing public access to the state's Point Sal Beach, which can only be reached on foot through military base property.

Outdoor recreational activity has also been banned on most of Vandenberg's 98,000 acres near Lompoc.

The military says the heightened state of security will be in place indefinitely. Officials with Vandenberg's 30th Space Wing says the Department of Defense ordered the increase in security and no details are being released.

However, the measures were imposed after Osama bin Laden released an audio recording threatening Americans.

[Bernard Marx]

I haven't seen much news play on this beyond some local coverage. It's interesting since Vandenberg is "Cape Canaveral West" and the timing coincides with N. Korea's nuclear and ICBM-rattling as well as Bin Laden's threat. Anyone aware of similar heightened security measures around the country?

[Velveeta]

ping

[Oldeconomybuyer]

“Overseas contingency operation”.

[B Knotts]

When I first read this, I thought it read:

However, the measures were imposed after Obama released an audio recording threatening Americans.

Which is sort of true, too. :-)

[GOPJ]

I thought Osama liked high profile targets where the people killed would not be able to defend themselves.

Osama doesn't have the b-alls to attack an American military site in the United States. His band of losers aren't able to take on their betters.

Osama's more likely to go after unarmed office workers or children in a preschool.

So this is a mystery. Any ideas on what's going on?

[BP2]

Good observation. They may be working on some countermeasures and don't
want to have the curious to see what they're developing.

[MplsSteve]

There’s an AF Reserve base and and Air National Guard base very close to me. I’ve driven by both of ‘em lately and haven’t seen much other than the normal perimeter patrols and front-gate security.

[RKV]

VAFB is also home to the Ronald W. Reagan Missile Defense Site which has operational batteries of the Ground-based Midcourse Defense (GMD) System. This system is also deployed (operational) in Alaska. Primary mission at this point (since 2007) is to defend against Nork ICBMs (limited).

[jhpigott]

ping

[Buckeye McFrog]

if anyone is aware of heightened base security measures, we should not be discussing them here.

[Bernard Marx]

I thought it was but didn't say so because I wasn't positive. I know a number of "target" missiles later destroyed by our anti-missile defenses in the South Pacific have been launched from there.

I don't like the idea of NK and Al Quaeda spies being able to access that area as "beach-goers." It's a beautiful area and locals will squawk about it but screw 'em if they can't take a joke.

[Bernard Marx]

if anyone is aware of heightened base security measures, we should not be discussing them here.

Even if the military issues press releases which appear in newspapers and on TV?

[jws3sticks]

Point Sal brings back many happy memories. As a kid, we'd spend a week or two on the beach "trailer" camping. It was beautiful. My Dad especially liked it, as it was used as a practice invasion beach to for the troops landing at Iwo Jima. He was at Iwo and hated it, got his Purple Heart there and the like. Iwo Jima, without Japs firing at you, is a pretty little island. He liked the beauty of Point Sal and the knowledge that we were safe there because of the sacrifices made at Iwo and so many other beaches and places in WWII. For kids, it was fun sifting the sand to find 30 and 50 caliber bullets.

The best thing is that Point Sal was a summer camp for California's native indian population. So besides bullets, we found lots of arrow heads in the piles of abelone shell debree from their fires, where they's use the heat and patients to chip arrow heads out of obsitian glass. Too bad it is closed, and it has been for several years, as it was a great field trip mixed with a vacation with the family.

[avacado]

The 49th Missile Defense Battalion

[RKV]

I’m a local, worked in base for many years, and I’m hear to tell you its a tough location to secure. Size, remoteness, ocean frontage and dense brush provide lot’s of opportunities for encroachment. That said, bye bye Point Sal.

[randog]

Yeah, I’m sorry guys—I kinda started the ball rolling here. I called the base and informed them that the US government had been hijacked by a foreign national and, well, it all went south from there.

Sorry, my bad....

[dragnet2]

bookmark

[hoosiermama]

Someone in the military is getting the message....

[hoosiermama]

Thought you folks in CA might be interested.

[rochester_veteran]

I was stationed at Vandenberg back in 1975 and 1976. I spent a lot of time on the beaches there and especially Point Sal. People would hang glide off the Point and it was quite spectacular to watch them! I also liked going to Jalama Beach at the South end of Vandenberg. Pismo Beach was also a cool place and back then, you could cruise the beach in your car.