Multiple journalists and two military escorts accompanying them to an event at Vandenberg Space Force Base in Southern California this week were briefly detained at gunpoint, believing they were gate runners, affected news organizations reported.
The incident occurred ahead of an Aug. 18 groundbreaking event for a missile operator training facility at the base, according to KEYT. Vandenberg Space Force Base is located in Santa Barbara County, about 9 miles northwest of Lompoc, California.
Noozhawk reported that a public affairs staff vehicle and cars carrying journalists from Noozhawk, KEYT, KSYB and the Santa Maria Times/Lompoc Record had pulled off to the side of a road to allow all media vehicles to clear base security. At least one member of base security raised an alarm about “gate runners,” according to Noozhawk…