A United Launch Alliance AtlasV rocket lifts off carrying the Landsat9 earth imaging satellite from Vandenberg Space Force Base, Calif., Sept. 27, 2021. (Matt Hartman via AP, File)
\n\nVANDENBERG SPACE FORCE BASE, Calif. (AP) — Five news reporters and two members of the military who were invited to an event at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California were briefly detained at gunpoint by security officers who thought they were gate crashers, according to local news reports.
\n\nThe incident happened Monday ahead of an invitation-only groundbreaking for a new training facility for missile operators at the federal airfield near Santa Barbara, California. Reporters from Noozhawk and KEYT were among those detained, and both outlets published articles detailing the detainment.
\n\nIn a statement to Noozhawk, a Space Launch Delta 30 Public Affairs spokesperson called the incident a breakdown in communication.
\n\n“Vandenberg Space Force Base is experiencing an increased number of unauthorized entry attempts,” the statement said. “Every potential unauthorized presence must be treated as a legitimate threat until proven otherwise. While we recognize this may have been unsettling, the security of the base and its personnel is our priority.”
\n\nThe reporters and military members were part of a convoy being escorted onto…
Original source: https://apnews.com/business