CHARLESTON AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. –
How many times in the last few months have you been stopped for a "few" minutes in the outbound lane of traffic leaving the base? Your frustration level rises. You are late for an appointment. The kids need to be picked up and the ice cream is melting. The wait can be hard to handle, but it might be a little easier next time if you know why Charleston AFB can feel like I-26 during rush hour with a 16 car pileup blocking traffic.
The short answer as to why the gates back up is safety and security.
Everyone on base contributes to and embraces Charleston AFB's mission and commitment to the war fighting effort. Security forces' piece of this mission is to secure and protect Charleston AFB's billions of dollars in resources. Our mission requires 24/7/365 protection of weapons, supplies, funds, pharmaceutical drugs, aircraft and especially our people.
It is not feasible for security forces to guard these items on a continuous basis. Much like many civilian businesses and homes, the Air Force relies on a complex system of alarms to alert us to possible incidents or intrusions involving vital resources.
Once our Security Forces Control Center receives an unannounced alarm activation many things take place. Our desk sergeants immediately dispatch patrols to secure the scene, our gates immediately close to ensure no possible escape of a potential intruder and our gates implement what we call a Stop-Check-Pass system to enter the installation to ensure an intruder cannot depart the installation through an inbound traffic lane.
During an unannounced alarm, our desk sergeants are extremely busy running checklists, providing command and control to responding forces and notifying affected agencies, all while continuing to monitor the entire installation's security. Air Force Instructions require all of these actions for just one alarm.
On occasion, we have multiple alarms triggered across the base. During these situations, we prioritize our response based on the criticality of the facilities. Unfortunately, when multiple alarms occur, it takes longer to ensure each facility is secure and results in longer delays at the gates.
We ask for your patience and assistance during these unexpected events by not personally contacting the Security Forces Control Center to inquire about the traffic situation at the gates, unless you have an actual emergency. While our desk sergeants work very hard to resolve the situation, the flood of phone calls delays their ability to complete their jobs and restore normal security conditions.
We understand delays at the gates may seem random and at times appear to not make sense, but rest assured, these procedures are vital to protecting our valuable resources, allowing Charleston AFB to continue its mission and protect our Airmen and families.