when there was a rent-a-cop at the gate of my base checking ID Cards.
I don’t like it one bit.
I know there was talk about this, but who thought it was actually a good idea?
Everyone I’ve talked to, including contractors, thinks that this is just going too damn far.
Discuss.
I would expect a press release on the matter from your Base Commander. Did he/she actually think this would go unnoted?
Comment by Kevin L. Connors — 20050113 @ 1740
Your base is doing that too? Ours is going civilian in a couple of months.
Still, it’s not as bad Norfolk Naval Base back in the 90’s. They had Marines at the gates when I was growing up, then went to State Troopers the year I joined the AF. When I came back home to visit (94 or 95), there was no one at the gates. People could just drive right onto the base. That was weird.
Comment by Stryker — 20050113 @ 1821
Beautiful Wife tells me it was in the Base Paper written in a “Don’t Panic!” style. I know…I know…I’m responsible for knowing what’s in the paper…but sheesh.
Comment by Timmer — 20050113 @ 1839
The sharp pencil people are in charge. Some cost study has shown that it is cheaper to guard the gate with contract people rather than military people. Yes, most people with a sixth grade education can figure that out. So three bids go out to political favorites and somebody gets the low bid. It is all justified by the argument, “When was the last time a terrorist attacked happened on an installation in the US?”
When it happens, the rules change again. I’m sure every installation commander prays it doesn’t happen on their watch.
Comment by gdgadfly — 20050113 @ 2113
(1) We haven’t been above ThreatCon Alpha in over 2 years.
(2) I can think of 3 or 4 places around the world that need GI security forces more urgently than the back gates at Ft Sam Houston.
(3) A good portion of these rent-a-cops are retired SPs. Looks to me like a good way to get some old warhorses back in the fight.
Comment by slimedog — 20050113 @ 2205
Timmer, you don’t happen to know who the contractor is for these guys, do you?
Comment by Stryker — 20050113 @ 2225
We’ve had hire on gate guards in Germany since US Embassies in Africa were bombed in 98. Pond’s has been providing security for us here. However if the threatcon goes up to charlie we have to put our own soldiers on the gate in addtion to the Pond’s guards. When the embassies were first bombed the army went into panic mode and we were going to the second highest threatcon and were there for months….the drain on the troops was alot since we had to continue to do our regular jobs as well. Believe it or not the Pond’s Guards were actually a welcome sight. The bottom line for the local hires is that there aren’t enough GI’s to cover all of the little kasernes here in germany and do their regular job as well. Most of the Army’s MPs are deployed downrange so they can’t do that either (thank you for the personnel cuts Mr. Clinton). At the beginning of operations the Airforce has had the German government assist us and they have German Soldiers and Airmen on their gates (the army had it for some but not all). I’ll have to say that the ponds guards do do a pretty good job…but I’m not so sure that they’d stand a direct attack on one of the Kasernes. If the bad guys REALLY want to get to us…they will. Fortuneately the company arms room is right below my office!
Comment by CPT Loggie — 20050114 @ 0037
Stryker,
Okay, so maybe rent-a-cop isn’t quite painting them in the proper light, DynaCorps is the contractor.
Frell.
Comment by Timmer — 20050114 @ 0806
There’s contractor cops here at Hill airplane patch for 6 months now. The reason as I understand it was to first of all, increase the number of folks on gate duty and second, to reduce the demand on the SF troops, many of whom are spending too much time deployed and guarding sand around the world.
I have to say that our contractor gate guys (and gals) seem very capable and the inbound lines have been significantly reduced. I also have to stick up for contractors doing the work in place of military and civil service folks since I are one myself!
Comment by Nate — 20050114 @ 0955
Hey, it’s the “peace dividend.”
Comment by Kevin L. Connors — 20050114 @ 1001
Military units should provide their own security or change to civil service.
Comment by Walter E. Wallis — 20050114 @ 1045
Hmmm, here in GA, at 3ID, which is Ft Stewart and HAAF(which once was Hunter AFB) the gates were open before 9/11 and now has both MP’s and C/S. No contractors as far as I know. They also use C/S EMS since 5/’86; I was in the first boatload there. Kings Bay NSSB is a horse (or maybe a fish) of a different color, as the Navy is more than a little sensitive about their sub bases. WRAFB has always had AF/SP’s on the gates as far back as I can remember, and I don’t know about any others, which include Dobbins, Ft McPherson, Moody AFB, Ft Benning, and Ft Gordon.
Comment by Joe Comer — 20050114 @ 1239
We have rotating units of reservists to man the gate with a few full time MPs. At least you get consistency with the contractors.
Comment by Homer — 20050114 @ 1339
How did I know it was going to be DynCorp, the same people that replaced me at Andrews?
If a person’s lost their job, chances are it was to DynCorp. I swear that damned company is everywhere.
Comment by Stryker — 20050114 @ 2132