No Security Changes At MacDill In Wake Of “Credible” Threat Reports

Posted Sep 9, 2011 by Howard Altman

Updated Sep 9, 2011 at 09:00 PM

Upon hearing the news of a “credible” threat against New York and Washington, I wondered if they would be ramping up security at MacDill beyond FPCON Bravo, which they had already cranked it up to in the run-up to the 9/11 festivities.

So I called the good folks at Northcom in Colorado, who maintain the security status on all North American bases.

The answer, according to LTC Mike Humphreys, was negatory.

“We haven’t changed it from [Bravo] and don’t anticipate that we will,” he said.

Speaking of MacDill, seems a crew there helped fix up an old base in Iraq recently, according to the official Operation New Dawn website.

Within 24 hours of arrival, a joint communication support element from MacDill Air Force Base, Fla., has established basic internet and phone capabilities. Working with the Crisis Response Element from Travis Air Force Base, Calif., entry control points are established along with roving patrols on the installation to secure the runway, which is now accepting U.S. aircraft. Leased government vehicles arrive on base and more people are in-processing through the one man deep Personnel Support for Contingency Operations team.

A services technical sergeant is the main person in charge of feeding the base while at the same time preparing the dining facility for future operations.

“When I first saw the dining facility that I was supposed to set up, the building had near a half an inch of dirt and sand in it. Critters were running around in here,” said Tech. Sgt. Reginald Morrison, command food services manager for U.S. Air Forces Central Command and native of Fayetteville, N.C. “Within four days, we took this place and had it ready for service. My goal is that when our follow-on forces arrive, they won’t be able to tell how this place looked before we got here.”