[2ndDivisionVet]

Then the squadron and base commander were fools. I worked at an Air national Guard base in the outer hinterlands equipped with A-7s, which many consider a joke, and they had live ammunition and missiles. But you’re going to tell me that Andrews didn’t? Heck, I carried a select-fire (semi or automatic fire) M-16 to guard the place when I wasn’t wearing a revolver.

[Obadiah]

According to the report, there were no armed aircraft ready for immediate scramble over post-Cold War Washington in the fall of 2001.

Thanks to bill Clinton and his "peace dividend" military, America was almost totally unarmed.

[PLMerite]

IIRC some of the bases had armed fighters for drug-interdiction flights, but they were usually down South since that’s where the druggies were. Andrews didn’t keep aircraft armed or at that level of alert.

[driftdiver]

The 20mm and missiles were probably locked up tight at another base miles away. At that time most of the F16s CONUS did not carry live munitions.