JBAB lockdown traced back to drill team prop

Photo By Lt.Cmdr. Jim Remington | Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling (JBAB) is comprised of the former Naval Support Facility Anacostia, the former Bolling Air Force Base and the Bellevue Housing Area. It is a 1,018 acre military installation, located in Southeast D.C., situated between the Potomac and Anacostia rivers and Interstate 295, in the Anacostia and Congress Heights areas. The installation is the center of Air Force and Navy ceremonial support, among other missions performed by the nearly 50 military and federal agencies on the installation. Its service to the country, active-duty, reserve, retired and visiting military, as well as personnel deployed around the world, is an important one. Many of JBAB’s nearly 16,000 military and civilian personnel, also contribute countless hours performing community service and helping enrich the lives of adults and children in the surrounding neighborhoods, communities and schools, during their time away from work.  

WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, UNITED STATES

10.18.2016

Story by Michelle Gordon 

Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling

Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling in Washington, D.C., was on lockdown Oct. 16 after the JBAB Police Department received a report of a suspicious individual entering a base barracks facility with an alleged weapon.

The event took place at approximately 1:30 p.m. at Blanchard Barracks, the largest of four dormitory-style buildings on the installation.

Upon receiving the notification, JBAB PD requested assistance from Metropolitan Police Department, and the facility was cordoned off to prevent the potential suspect from escaping. Although the threat was isolated, JBAB Commander, Navy Capt. Frank Mays, issued an order to lockdown the base out of an abundance of caution.

Both JBAB PD and MPD swept the building multiple times, but found nothing.

The lockdown was lifted at approximately 2:20 p.m. and JBAB resumed normal operations.

After reviewing security camera footage, the source of the threat came from a service member carrying a ceremonial drill team training tool. The item has the look and feel of a weapon, but is actually a training device for service members assigned to ceremonial support teams.

Mays said although the lockdown was disruptive to the JBAB community, the system did work.

“A concerned citizen saw what they believed was suspicious activity and a possible threat, and they notified law enforcement,” he said. “They saw something so they said something. That is absolutely the correct response. In this case, we are fortunate that the threat was unfounded, but every report of suspicious activity is treated with the same level of credibility.”

In addition to testing the “See Something, Say Something” campaign, the lockdown also tested the response of JBAB PD.

“We will use this event as a learning opportunity,” said Mays. “It provided some real-world training that is hard to emulate with coordinated exercises. Here at JBAB, we live in a culture of continuous improvement. Our security forces will capture those lessons learned and incorporate them into their battle rhythm to improve processes and help better protect our service members and their families.”

Mays encourages the JBAB community to continue reporting suspicious activity to 202-433-3333.

• Date Taken: 10.18.2016
• Date Posted: 10.18.2016 10:49
• Story ID: 212260
• Location: WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, US