{"id":32783,"date":"2021-02-11T18:42:23","date_gmt":"2021-02-11T18:42:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/uncategorized\/2021\/02\/11\/trust-in-jba-security-eroded-says-base-commander-after-gate-breach-technology-upgrades-on-the-way\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T20:26:58","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T20:26:58","slug":"trust-in-jba-security-eroded-says-base-commander-after-gate-breach-technology-upgrades-on-the-way","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/militarytimes\/news\/your-military\/2021\/02\/11\/trust-in-jba-security-eroded-says-base-commander-after-gate-breach-technology-upgrades-on-the-way\/","title":{"rendered":"Trust in JBA security \u2018eroded\u2019 says base commander after gate breach, technology upgrades on the way"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The nation\u2019s trust in security at Joint Base Andrews<\/a>, Maryland \u2014 home of Air Force One \u2014 was \u201ceroded\u201d when a man gained unauthorized access and boarded a military transport jet on Feb.4, the base commander said in a memo to his force.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe nation\u2019s eyes are on Joint Base Andrews almost every day because of the national security missions we are tasked to execute,\u201d Air Force Col. Tyler Schaff, installation commander, said in a Feb. 9 memo to his force obtained by Air Force Times. \u201cWe must maintain the trust and confidence of our nation and those we serve. This trust was eroded because we allowed an individual to penetrate our layered security and ultimately, was able to access America\u2019s Airfield.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The man, identified by the Arlington County Sheriff\u2019s Office as Joseph Armstrong, 36, didn\u2019t cause any damage. Armstrong, who was not named by base authorities, was booked by the Air Force\u2019s Office of Special Investigation and given a federal summons for trespassing and turned over to local law enforcement because he had two outstanding warrants, base officials said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, the fact that he was able to breach base security and board a C-40 transport jet used to ferry VIP passengers, could have been \u201ccatastrophic to our nation\u2019s leadership and could have had a disastrous ending,\u201d Schaff wrote in the memo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe must do better, we must learn from this learn from this unacceptable incident and we must ensure an intrusion like this never happens again,\u201d Schaff wrote.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Saying he is standing behind his force, Schaff wrote that he understands \u201cthe pressure you face each shift, knowing that as Defenders, you must be right 100 percent of the time, and a bad actor only needs to be lucky once.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Directing comments to security forces at the base, Schaff said that he was \u201creinforcing your authority to not allow access\u201d if visitors don\u2019t have the proper credentials and are not properly vetted, identified or cleared \u201cregardless of who they are or who they work for.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Schaff added that \u201cseveral technology upgrades have been funded and are awaiting installation,\u201d the base.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He did not specify what those are and base public affairs officials could not immediately say.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBut there is more to do in upgrading our technology to augment the important work each of you do each day on the front lines of America\u2019s Airfield,\u201d Schaff wrote. \u201cIt is my mission to provide the 316th Wing Defenders the resources, time, training and technology needed to be successful.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\t