Utah Army Base Reopens After Lockdown, But Officials Silent About Cause
- Posted on January 27, 2011 at 7:23am by
Jonathon M. Seidl
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SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — A Utah military base that carries out tests to protect troops against biological attacks was locked down over a “serious concern,” but was beginning to reopen early Thursday, officials said.
Base commander Col. William E. King announced Wednesday evening that gates were locked to both incoming and outgoing personnel to resolve the problem, but that no one was in danger.
King and other base officials declined to provide any details on the cause of the lockdown.
About 5 a.m. MST Thursday, base spokeswoman Paula Thomas said the base had reopened to incoming personnel, and preparations were under way to allow people inside to leave.
She said there were no injuries resulting from the cause of the lockdown, which began about 5:30 p.m. She said more details would be released later in the day.
Thomas called as accurate media reports that about 1,200 to 1,400 people – a mix of military personnel and contractors and civilian workers – were inside the base when the lockdown occurred.
In his statement Wednesday, King said: “We are working as quickly and as thoroughly as possible to resolve a serious concern within the Test Area. … Measures like these (lock down of our gates) are not taken lightly. No one is in immediate danger but these steps are required.”
Military weapons are tested at Dugway, located about 85 miles southwest of Salt Lake City. Its primary mission is defending troops against biological and chemical attacks.
Encompassing more than 800,000 acres of Utah’s west desert, the base also is used by the U.S. Army Reserves and the U.S. National Guard for maneuver training.
UPDATE:
From KSL:
People who work on the base had to spend the night in their offices or cars because they weren’t allowed to leave. That changed around 5 a.m. as those on base were allowed to leave and those showing up were allowed to enter.
No word on the cause of the lockdown. Dugway says it should be able to release that information later this afternoon. Workers KSL spoke with Thursday morning say they do not have clearance to talk about the cause of the lockdown.
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Comments (70)
Squirrel Gravy
Posted on January 27, 2011 at 10:38amKind of reminds me of the movie “The Stand”
Report Post »Spawnomite
Posted on January 27, 2011 at 11:30amMore like the movie “Hot Rod.”
The military practices their motor scooter jump manuevers out there on makeshift ramps.
It’s true.
I swear it is.
I saw it on the internet.
Report Post »AJJONES13
Posted on January 27, 2011 at 10:13amThis isnt just a military base…In fact, its not a military base at all !..This is a privately owned land mass with authority to conduct and allow high tech, top secret military and privet tests of any nature..They have private combat forces training there almost always….This is nicknamed area 52, in case you didnt know….Check out the facts yourselves.
Report Post »Spawnomite
Posted on January 27, 2011 at 11:27amWhat a load of crap.
I’ve been there and I took lots of pic ((doorbell)). . hang on. . someone is at my door.. .
Uhm. . I gotta go. . the men in black are here.
Report Post »Oathkeeper1775
Posted on January 27, 2011 at 11:50amExactly,
“Tom Clancy on line 1 for you” He needs some help with his next novel.
Report Post »crazytalk
Posted on January 27, 2011 at 10:07amyawn.
Report Post »Grumpy old Flight Nurse
Posted on January 27, 2011 at 9:48amAny birds die?? This is a test. This is only a test.
Report Post »Bigliardi
Posted on January 27, 2011 at 9:39amSounds a little more serious than “a weapon leaning against a rock” Since this happened at Dugway Proving Grounds, sounds like maybe some doomsday stuff either got loose or was unaccounted for…Many of you who have been in the army surely remember the CBR film that was taken at Dugway to show the lethality of whatever agent it was that they were using…I think it was a neuro toxin….The film showed some live sheep, and in the background a cloud of white vaporf approaching. The cameras remained on the sheep, and the moment the vapor reached them, every one of them, instantly, almost as one, flipped upside down, with their legs sticking in the air shook violently and died…They play around with some real bad stuff out there….
Report Post »stmike
Posted on January 27, 2011 at 9:29amUh seriously anybody remember The Stand? Anybody ever stop to think maybe they are messing with things they shouldn’t mess with?
Report Post »Acekool
Posted on January 27, 2011 at 9:05amDo a search on “Dugway” and find out what is going on there. There is a history.
Report Post »BurntHills
Posted on January 27, 2011 at 9:33amDUGWAY? huh? the Moki Dugway is one scary dirt road –and part of a highway!– up a mountainside, an old mining road; we KNOW…. we could barely sit still as the wife drove us up it in a 4wd truck.. and on the outside edge! AFTERwards we find out it is one of the top switchback scare-thrill roads for 4X4 clubs. we got to the top of it (finally) and there were 4 young sightseeing soldiers who were absolutely thrilled with themselves. we all had a laugh: we passed locals zooming by and the locals drive that “like nothin’!”
Report Post »RLTW
Posted on January 27, 2011 at 10:41amWent to Ranger school out there many years ago, yes it a strange place.
Report Post »Oathkeeper1775
Posted on January 27, 2011 at 11:45amMe too Class 8-88.
Report Post »RLTW
Posted on January 27, 2011 at 12:22pmDang Oathkeeper1775 you’re old dude, I was 3-89 (like that makes me any younger) winter, our canteens would freeze 10min outside the coal burning tents thank God for poncho liner & micky mouse boots.
Report Post »chuck
Posted on January 27, 2011 at 9:02amA gremlin got out of it’s cage…
Report Post »Spawnomite
Posted on January 27, 2011 at 11:26amNot sure if it is the ones they breed there at Dugway or one of the latest UFO encounter specimens.
Report Post »BurntHills
Posted on January 27, 2011 at 8:59amwow, immediately came to mind: Gary Sinise movie: “THE STAND”
Report Post »BurntHills
Posted on January 27, 2011 at 9:00amobama= Randall Flagg!!!!
Report Post »RLTW
Posted on January 27, 2011 at 10:38amNot just the walking man, the pimp walkin man.
Report Post »Oathkeeper1775
Posted on January 27, 2011 at 12:02pmSOTU 2011 Quote:
“We need to move forward together, or not at all”.
Can’t even play the game of Chess that way.
Report Post »wash1776
Posted on January 27, 2011 at 8:54amA lock down with no information to the public, but nothing to worry about? Same old garbage these phony powers that be always come up with. They ought to just shut up and not say anything so that family members of these people don’t have to worry unnecessarily—at least until the situation is rectified.
Report Post »benrush
Posted on January 27, 2011 at 8:53amThey probably failed to dispose of their flashlight batteries in the government prescribed fashion.
Report Post »wash1776
Posted on January 27, 2011 at 8:49am@S_MALC13:
Report Post »When you say too many bugs, could that be a reference to all of the cockroaches running the white house and connected to it including the congress? YES! THERE ARE TOO MANY BUGS—–RUNNING THIS COUNTRY INTO THE GROUND!
Movin
Posted on January 27, 2011 at 8:16amThis is one of those “You do not go there” facilities. As I understand it, it is also a place where “previously unknown” items/tech is tested. I am also to believe the History channel’s “UFO Hunters” have done a special there. As an added bit of intrigue they also have the highest altitude flight restriction in the world…Wonder why they would need that?
Report Post »youguysready_letsroll
Posted on January 27, 2011 at 7:33pmI think I saw that on UFO Hunters. With all of the alleged hush-hush stuff going on there, you’d think that the base commander would be of higher rank
Report Post »Hondaman
Posted on January 27, 2011 at 8:15amI think Sarah Palin is to blame somehow.
Report Post »WereTurtle
Posted on January 27, 2011 at 8:15amFor some odd reason I hear in my mind the song “Don’t Fear the Reaper” and that M-o-o-n spells “Tom Cullen”…
Report Post »BurntHills
Posted on January 27, 2011 at 9:00amexactly! M-O-O-N.
Report Post »MidWestMom
Posted on January 27, 2011 at 9:32amoh yeah. me too. scary stuff…..
Report Post »expatinontariocanada
Posted on January 27, 2011 at 8:06amCheck Palin’s purse….
Report Post »dsd13130
Posted on January 27, 2011 at 8:16amExpat…I’d trust Sarah, which I can’t say for many others and quite honestly, I don’t care what someone in another country thinks.
Report Post »S_Malc13
Posted on January 27, 2011 at 8:22amStill like OUR Freedom of Speech don’t ya?
Report Post »expatinontariocanada
Posted on January 27, 2011 at 8:33amOMG, you can’t have taken my “Check Palin’s purse” seriously!?! Have another cup of coffee with a heaping spoonful of humor in it. You guys seem to have lost your sense of it…WOW
Report Post »S_Malc13
Posted on January 27, 2011 at 12:24pmOh Canada, when will you learn?
Report Post »zorro
Posted on January 27, 2011 at 1:36pmExpat, I got it. I was LMAO…
Report Post »S_Malc13
Posted on January 27, 2011 at 7:59amI,too, am a former AF vet. Not unsusual in the slightest. Concerns are warranted, but try to relax.
Report Post »GeauxAlready
Posted on January 27, 2011 at 7:56amHope another American solider did not cross to the darkside……………………
Report Post »Galt wanna be
Posted on January 27, 2011 at 7:53amCall Captian Avenger. Is he currently out of the country? Can we barrow a middle-eastern super heroo?
Report Post »Hoosier Daddy
Posted on January 27, 2011 at 8:56amCall his cousin, The Koranic Avenger: Smiting infidels with his lightning scimitar and making the world safe for sharia.
Report Post »82dAirborne
Posted on January 27, 2011 at 7:44amProbably a bunch of nothing. Live NBC agents are not usually used in a training scenario so an accidental release is very unlikely. But anything is possible. I remember Ft.Bragg being locked down twice. Once when some idiots stole some munitions; they were caught on post. And the second time when we got 2 inches of snow!
It could be ANYTHING!
Report Post »Sarah124
Posted on January 27, 2011 at 10:05amI’m with you Airborne. It’s probably nothing.
Lets hope it’s nothing because I live uncomfortably close to that base… Gulp!
Report Post »Oathkeeper1775
Posted on January 27, 2011 at 11:58amDitto on FT Bragg Lockdowns;
I have been locked down several times during my 24 years. There are numerous complusory regulations that have to be implemented in the event of numerous “events”. The funny one was in the late 80s, a couple clowns tried to steal a couple sub machine guns from the Heavy-Drop Rigging Site; they ditched them into a swimming pool, all the associated people were locked down for months. Spring rolled around when they went to reopen the swimming pool.
Report Post »The “grease-Guns” were found at the bottom; the parchute riggers were convicted, sentanced and locked up.
millefiore
Posted on January 27, 2011 at 2:09pmGoogle will get to the bottom o f it.
Report Post »2 static lines here
historyguy48
Posted on January 27, 2011 at 7:42amHopefully the nasty bug the play with did not get away.
Report Post »S_Malc13
Posted on January 27, 2011 at 8:00amGood thought. Too many bugs to deal with as it is. Don’t even know what happened to the birds yet.
Report Post »grandmaof5
Posted on January 27, 2011 at 7:42amHope all is well and weapons have been counted and recounted. God, please keep our military here and abroad safe and bring them home to their families; pray for our police, border patrol and fire fighters as they put their lives on the line for all of us.
Report Post »will
Posted on January 27, 2011 at 7:38amScary
Report Post »sleeperagent2
Posted on January 27, 2011 at 7:32amSounds like a piece of “sensitive” material was lost, like a rifle or radio. Just thank God that no one was hurt.
Report Post »Alaredneck
Posted on January 27, 2011 at 7:34am…yet
Report Post »wildjoker5
Posted on January 27, 2011 at 7:43amSomeone stole the Col’s iPhone.
Report Post »NickDeringer
Posted on January 27, 2011 at 7:44amHmmmm…correct me if I’m wrong, but this kind of stuff happens from time to time. It’s like you said, a “sensitive” piece of equipment is found missing or misplaced and protocol requires a lock down until it’s resolved.
But then again, it could be something, really, really, really serious.
Report Post »82dAirborne
Posted on January 27, 2011 at 7:53am@NickDeringer
Report Post »Yes it does happen. If a weapon or NBC mask is misplaced you stay until it can be accounted for. Could be the military equivalent of an Amber Alert. No way to know for sure unless they decide to tell us.
MR_ANDERSON
Posted on January 27, 2011 at 8:14amIt was more likely that sweepers had not been conducted, and the base CO locked down liberty until everything was clean.
Report Post »Tipdog
Posted on January 27, 2011 at 8:40amyeah possibly. Someone could have left a weapon leaning against rock or something. It happens, and when it does, they lock the gates until its found.
Report Post »Flagwaver
Posted on January 27, 2011 at 9:58amIf I had a dollar for every time the base I was stationed at had this happen… Yeah, working in Supply at a National Guard Training Base means this kind of thing is old hat. Want to find out who caused it? Go to the supply office and look for the Private doing push-ups because he cost the Sergeant there his night off.
Report Post »Anonymous T. Irrelevant
Posted on January 27, 2011 at 10:01amIsn’t that the place where they practiced containing “domestic terrorism” and riots? In case there was civil unrest?
Report Post »BeckIsNuts
Posted on January 27, 2011 at 7:27amUh oh! I smell a conspiracy and a cover up! Look out!
Report Post »Fletch
Posted on January 27, 2011 at 10:12amthis is called an unsubstantiated rumor:
Looking around the net there are claims that a woman named Ashley Pallotta who is a Test Engineer out of Huntsville Alabama was tweeting from the base that the reason for the lockdown was that there is some VX Nerve Gas missing.
Report Post »Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
Posted on January 27, 2011 at 10:17amWell, the UFO conspiracy folks will be all over this situation like nothing. I imagine they already are in one form or another.
Report Post »Cemoto78
Posted on January 27, 2011 at 10:32amMust have been some really potent refried beans that caused the alarm.
Report Post »Hayeksgirl
Posted on January 27, 2011 at 11:20amhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dugway_Proving_Ground
Dugway is the new area 51.
Report Post »No matter what anyone says, base shutdowns DO not occur all the time. They especially do not make people on the base stay overnight. Something is strange here, especially with the HISTORY of this particular base and what they do on it. XOXO
spacemanspiff54321
Posted on January 27, 2011 at 11:40amThat base photo reminds me of the opening of THE STAND
Report Post »home_of_the_brave
Posted on January 27, 2011 at 12:55pmNothing to see here folks just keep moving along, going to work and buying crap you can’t afford. What’s that? You feel sick? I‘m sure it’s just the flu. Now your eyes are burning and you can’t breath? It’s all that pollution, go buy a new Chevy Volt.
Report Post »Nathaniel Horn
Posted on January 27, 2011 at 1:09pmUh oh! I smell mocking hyperbole from the ******* jerk masquerading as beckisnuts…
Report Post »