This is happening right now at Naval Air Station Pensacola

[TGS]

More bullshit, is contracted security at many base entrances.

Which bases have contract security? The vast majority are not contractors, but direct employees to the command hired under the GS-0085 or GS-0083 fields. I'm not aware of any stateside with contract security.

Also, why is it bullshit?

Random searches happen all the time. Was the FPCON elevated?

Yup. This was the norm when I was in the USMC from 2007-2011. Sometimes the SRT would be posted at the gate doing it, sometimes posted at various roads on base.

Getting excited about random searches on a military base as if it's news, is really odd to me.

This part is a bit disconcerting:

Not really. That's pretty standard, it's the way they did it with us and the way we were taught to do vehicle searches as well. Have the driver/owner open all the doors, hatches, gas cap cover, ect, then stand all the people facing away from the car.

[LSP972]

Which bases have contract security? The vast majority are not contractors, but direct employees to the command hired under the GS-0085 or GS-0083 fields. I'm not aware of any stateside with contract security.

One of the last background investigations I did, before leaving IA and moving over to the Crime Lab, required a visit to Fort Polk. The garrison cops were all federal employees as you describe (DOD Police, I believe was their name), but all the gate "guards" were private contractors. I forget the firm now, but at the time I recognized the name; one of the big ones, same guys that did security at the nuke plant here and other government facilities around the country.

One of the shift leaders of the federal garrison cops was a retired LSP sergeant I knew from Troop E (Ken, if you're reading this, it was Leonard Spurgeon). I asked him what the deal was with the rent-a-cops on the gates; he said it was pretty much army-wide in CONUS, along with the federal garrison cops. I then asked what the hell the actual MPs did, if there still were any. He said they were there for division-wide deployments, etc.

Granted, that was over five years ago, and things have no doubt changed several times since. But there, at that time, a major US Army base definitely had private contract gate security; such as it was. The dumpling that checked me through was five foot three… any way you measured her.

.

[RJ]

We visited the Museum as NAS Pensacola in June.

If I recall correctly, we showed the gate guard our DL and explained where we were headed. Guess they don't get many issues with people driving small RVs lol.

Anyways, the Museum is fantastic, easily worth spending an entire day if not two, browsing the collection. Really really well done.

As to the searches, as a civilian going onto a Military establishment, I have no problem with them searching whatever the heck they want to.

[HCM]

Do they still issue DOD stickers for personally owned vehicles? Back in 2008 -2009 I had to have one for my truck since we were regularly conducting training at the Naval weapons Station in Charleston but I was told DOD stickers are no longer required?

[JHC]

Do they still issue DOD stickers for personally owned vehicles? Back in 2008 -2009 I had to have one for my truck since we were regularly conducting training at the Naval weapons Station in Charleston but I was told DOD stickers are no longer required?

No my kids don't have such stickers as I had back in the early '80s.

[LSP552]

When I was stationed at NASP, and later on when I lived a few counties east but was no longer in the Navy (up until Nov 2013); the westernmost gate (Blue Angel Parkway) was open to the public for access to the museum. There were large red signs with flashing lights warning civilians not to go east of the museum area. The main gate was for mil only.

Thanks for that info. I'm planning a trip there later this fall. I will need to work out the where to check the gun thing.

[HCM]

Regarding contract guards, back in 2007 -2008 Fort Stewart Georgia had contract guards at the gate since the DOD cops were in short supply and all of the MPs were deployed or somewhere in their pre-or post-appointment cycle.

I have a GEN 3 Glock 17 which was part of the batch sold off by a local security company when they lost the gate guard contract at Fort Stewart to the large international company LSP mentioned.

The other thing notable about these guns was the serial number prefix was FUK. Not only that but the serial number range included FUK666 which my coworker was desperately trying to buy from the FF L since his birthday is June 6.

[LittleLebowski]

Which bases have contract security? The vast majority are not contractors, but direct employees to the command hired under the GS-0085 or GS-0083 fields. I'm not aware of any stateside with contract security.

Army bases. I believe they use their MPs much differently than the Corps.

[HCM]

No my kids don't have such stickers as I had back in the early '80s.

Thanks. My understanding is they did away with them when they went to the "joint base" concept. Speaking of, earlier this year I was back in Charleston for in-service training. The Naval weapons Station and the Air Force Base now comprised joint base Charleston. It was a little weird seeing Air Force SP's at the gate to the Naval weapons Station.

[KeeFus]

Army bases. I believe they use their MPs much differently than the Corps.

When I was doing nuke security in upstate NY DoD guards manned the main gates and we worked the "limited area". At WSMR, NM we manned the gates and did the LE function...no DoD or contractors. My wife was a Marine MP and they manned the gates and did the LE function. I know things have changed since I got out 22 years ago but at every installation I have ever visited there is a big sign telling everyone they are subject to search.