Cross-posted from Hard Corps Wife:
Suspicious news today: a couple in an SUV tried to enter MacDill AFB with a cache of weapons and ammunition. MPs detained the duo, and it’s been discovered that one of them is an AWOL servicemember with a fraudulent ID.
A man who tried to enter MacDill Air Force Base with a cache of military gear and weapons Monday evening is an active duty member of the military listed absent without leave, a base official said Tuesday.
The official, speaking at a news conference, did not identify the man and woman who he said tried getting on the base at the Bayshore Boulevard gate in a sport utility vehicle with three rifles, three handguns and ammunition.
Their motive for accessing the base remains under investigation, said Col. Dave Cohen, 6th Air Mobility Wing vice commander.
“At this point there is no indication that it is a terrorist act,” Cohen said.
No indication? It may not be a terrorist attack, but it’s pretty damn suspicious. MacDill is the headquarters for US Central Command, which runs the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. It’s also the headquarters for US Special Operations Command. There’s plenty of reason to be worried. It doesn’t sound like someone trying to go hunting. Servicemembers who go AWOL don’t usually go anywhere near a base. That’s the last place they want to be, because on base they’re more likely to get caught, put in the brig, and then sent back to their unit. So what was the intention here? It’s a scary thought, but at least the MacDill MPs were able to prevent another Fort Hood massacre.
And let’s remember, that according to the media, the Fort Hood massacre wasn’t a terrorist attack, either. This very well may not be — it seems far too early to tell — but it’s worrying nevertheless. I’ll keep you updated as more details emerge.
Given what I’ve read and listened to so far, I’m pretty certain that this will turn out to be worse than what anyone has imagined. I am so tired of the leadership jumping ahead of the story with the “no link to terrorism” meme. How can they know? Why the jitters? What aren’t we being told?
respects,
Cassy- One correction. I haven’t seen any reports that it was a “soldier”…in fact, when I contacted the Army PAO and acted like I knew it WAS an army guy, he essentially said to contact the AF. Now, they could have been trying to toss me off, but I am not sure. Odds would dictate that it was likely army, but they certainly made it seem as if it was not. I still want to find out a name if anyone finds it.
It’s just a universal for someone in the military, in a sense. We don’t know what branch he was in, so I called him a soldier for lack of a proper title.
john says: The man was AWOL the couple is being described as mid 20s and white Sounds like a couple of Christians to me Tim
Gary says: Wow… and now on Wednesday there is another at Ft Gordon, GA – also not terrorist related.
5 Comments