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Old 08-17-2018, 09:23 PM   #1
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Military Security

This is actually a true story.


As a civilian contractor working on a SAC airbase, I had to deal with Air Force security requirements. ...and the SAC takes security VERY seriously. We had to have security clearances. We had to be cleared for appropriate access to certain information. We had to be approved for access to the base. Then we had to know where the not-so-obvious building where we were working was. We had to be on an approved-access list and get buzzed into the building. We had to be on a different approval list for access to our work area, Then there was another access approval for the room where we were working. All taken seriously and checked closely by the AP.


Just outside the "inner sanctum" was the ubiquitous 3x3 metal bookcase with the coffee pot and boxes of "fat pills" for very nominal charge (stocked via the BX). All was on the honor system with a little red metal change box for our coins.


One day something struck me funny and I started cracking up. One of the airmen came over and asked me what was so funny. I asked him to think about where we were standing and who you had to be and what one had to go through to be standing where we were standing. Ok... Did anything strike him as funny? Nope. "Ok," I said, "Why is there a lock on the coffee change box?" The wave of laughter spread outwards from that area for a few hours.
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Old 08-18-2018, 09:42 AM   #2
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Many years back quarry I was working for bid to sell and deliver few thousand tons of rock to a construction job on a government installation. For maybe security or more likely salesman ignorance, the haul rate only paid to get rock to gate. Then the driver had to check in with Rent-a-cops, they would call the contractor who would come to gate and escort us back wait for us to dump and then back out. The fact that I could see the whole road from a gate we went by outside meant that I was wasting about as much time as it should take to make a round, I was working for half pay. After 6 trips one day the first load the next the "escort" was to busy, "You have to wait!" before he could take us out. I found my own way out, but when I turned my tag at the gate them kids went nuts. Soon they got reinforcements from some guy with birds and bird snot on his shirt was winding up about what a major risk I was... When he paused to take a breath I told him the only secrets they had there was how they where screwing the taxpayer..
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Old 08-18-2018, 10:10 AM   #3
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I work at a National Security Complex and the clearance things that you mentioned are the same or tighter where I work. We had an "honor system" for snacks, soda, candy bars, etc and finally had to shut it down because someone kept "stealing" i.e. not paying or dropping pennies into the money box. It seems totally beyond my comprehension that someone that makes the kind of money that we all make could stoop so low as to steal snack items. I guess there's one in every crowd.
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Old 08-18-2018, 07:36 PM   #4
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I'd be tempted to quit a high security job if there was someone stealing what is essentially pocket change. If I didn’t have change for the honor box I’d at leave an IOU. It's not the money, it's the principle. If one of my co-workers was stealing pocket change, I’d worry about their security clearance. Character extends to all areas at the same time, so does evil.
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Old 08-18-2018, 09:37 PM   #5
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I'm a sub-contractor...

Pre 9/11 we used to pass into the local military installations using our pre-approved pass which was simply shown at the front gate. Now everyone who isn't active on base military has to stop, open all vehicle entry points, be fully scanned with a wand and then go to the blackout shed until they yell your name after searching your vehicle - FULLY.

Last week we were working at the local ICE Immigration office, after they made us walk through metal detectors after stripping belts, shoes and all metal items then they made us place sealed boxed of VCT tile through the scanner. Don't get me started on having to explain to the $9.00/hr. rent-a-cop why we needed knives and torches to having the crew complete their work.

Security is important but it all seems a little ridiculous lately.
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Old 08-18-2018, 10:47 PM   #6
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Boy, you guys sure showed them.
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Old 08-18-2018, 11:03 PM   #7
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I'd be tempted to quit a high security job if there was someone stealing what is essentially pocket change. If I didn’t have change for the honor box I’d at leave an IOU. It's not the money, it's the principle. If one of my co-workers was stealing pocket change, I’d worry about their security clearance. Character extends to all areas at the same time, so does evil.
I fail to find even the least bit of logic in that statement! So you would be tempted to quit a very good paying job because someone else is doing something wrong/illegal?
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Old 08-19-2018, 05:59 AM   #8
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Years of making a living without having to deal with going onto the area I was banned from they had a bunch of contaminated sand to haul out. The company I was leased to put out the word they wanted the job. Count me out, I'm banned. Of course, the other OOs are "If he doesn't have to go, why should I?" All know that there is big money in Gov contracts, but there is never enough to pay a truck to deal with the gate guards. They got the contract for about twice the number he started with, and my name was on the list and approved to haul. We worked for weeks, and a machine broke down. Boss called me to get the tool truck and trailer so could load machine and get out before our work window closed for day. Got to gate, they handed me the badge, no problem. But on the way out, he sees a cooler strapped down on the bed of truck, "Is there beer in that?" I don't know, I'm just hauling the machine. 2 cans floating in warm water sends Barney Wacknhut into time and half and a full on powertrip. This time the Bird looks at when I came in, was detained, listened to my boss and sent everybody home.

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Pre 9/11 we used to pass into the local military installations using our pre-approved pass which was simply shown at the front gate. Now everyone who isn't active on base military has to stop, open all vehicle entry points, be fully scanned with a wand and then go to the blackout shed until they yell your name after searching your vehicle - FULLY.

Security is important but it all seems a little ridiculous lately
Hauling rock into a military base, stop at gate, kill the Cat open all doors, and hood, watch them do the search including walking into my bedroom with shoes on. Close everything, go unload, make the 2nd trip. Get to gate, same game. After I dumped that load I took my tickets to strawboss to be signed. He was talking to a Major, saw me standing "You know to keep your tickets, get all signed at end of day." This is my last load, I will not deal with Mickey Mouse at the gate. The Major, "But we must have security, to protect the troops." When I was in, there was military personal at the gate, not mall cops. And what they are doing it a illusion. Sure, I would have a hard time getting my handgun in, but we used to pack a platoon of trainees in a deuce-and-half, until I stand that trailer up nobody on the base knows what is under that tarp!

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Boy, you guys sure showed them.
Do you think when Shrub said "They hate us for our freedom" he meant we should give up freedom so they would not hate?
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Old 08-19-2018, 06:47 AM   #9
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And what they are doing it a illusion. Sure, I would have a hard time getting my handgun in, but we used to pack a platoon of trainees in a deuce-and-half, until I stand that trailer up nobody on the base knows what is under that tarp!
Boy howdy on the illusion.......

As you can see from my signature, I wore a uniform for many years retiring in 2000. Contract employees were becoming vogue back then...

Among other things, contractors were/are a "cost saving" measure!!??!! Contractors did not get benefits of any kind....

I personally had or have nothing against contracts but I would have much rather had a uniformed troop who would do what they were told, not question orders, and were subject to the same rules as the rest of us "government employees".

I also felt sorry for contractors as they good were people, doing their best to support their family and the gov would not always treat them, I thought, well. It was nothing for me to come into work on Monday and be told to let the contractors go on Friday - - it was sad.

But with the military cut backs, which come and go as the political and world climate changes, contractors are important to maintain some sense of stability, sad as it is.

After retirement, I went to work for a government agency where contractors sometimes outnumbered the government employees.

Interesting thread - it brought back some memories of going thru the entrance gates.......yup - the world changed at 9/11.

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Old 08-19-2018, 05:33 PM   #10
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I fail to find even the least bit of logic in that statement! So you would be tempted to quit a very good paying job because someone else is doing something wrong/illegal?
If there is someone working in a high stakes, high security job who isn’t honest, the snack box could just be the tip of that iceberg. What or who else are they cheating? Was the employer diligent about background checks? What is their eventual agenda - sabotage or something dangerous? Will they try to shift the blame to you? Remember the title of this thread is MILITARY security.

Maybe I've read too many mystery novels or watched too many movies. If you can’t trust the people you work with to be honest, why work there?
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Old 08-20-2018, 10:02 AM   #11
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Back in the Motorola days we had ranch customers on the naval air base.

When traveling through the main gate the guard would see the circus stripes of Motorola on the truck and give us the usual salute wave through.

We noticed nobody had clips in their weapons.

One day we came on as normal and the "new guy" was there.

We slowed down as always but did not attempt to stop...5 mph maybe.

This guy runs to middle of road weapon out and warns to stop which we did.

Asked him how his unloaded weapon was going to stop us...

Turned white as a sheet and the rest of the folks busted up.
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Old 08-20-2018, 12:03 PM   #12
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Back in the Motorola days we had ranch customers on the naval air base.

When traveling through the main gate the guard would see the circus stripes of Motorola on the truck and give us the usual salute wave through.

We noticed nobody had clips in their weapons.

One day we came on as normal and the "new guy" was there.

We slowed down as always but did not attempt to stop...5 mph maybe.

This guy runs to middle of road weapon out and warns to stop which we did.

Asked him how his unloaded weapon was going to stop us...

Turned white as a sheet and the rest of the folks busted up.


In late eighties I delivered food to navy yard in Charleston. hurricane Hugo destroyed the frozen food wharehouse, so we had to deliver to individual ships. One day I was instructed to go up and talk to the captain. At the top of the gangplank stood an SP acting all high and mighty. I laughed to myself looking at his sidearm minus mag
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Old 08-20-2018, 12:31 PM   #13
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im glad for security, rent a cop or full military. one miss, and lives are at stake.
yes, some of it may be unnecessary, or maybe even over the top. but if it prevents one problem,im for it.
we often get caught up in a rush, rush world when it takes more than a few minutes, but what is a life worth. surely more than a few minutes.
i was at white sands missile range recently, on the repair of a leveling system on a piece of military equipment. i had security clearance in the late 60's for my job then. i had a couple of high end background checks by the fbi in 1987, and 1996. i was still in the computer, and still had clearance. why they continued this after many years was and is a mystery to me. surely it was just overlooked.i dont need it, why should i still have it?
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Old 08-20-2018, 12:41 PM   #14
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If there is someone working in a high stakes, high security job who isn’t honest, the snack box could just be the tip of that iceberg. What or who else are they cheating? Was the employer diligent about background checks? What is their eventual agenda - sabotage or something dangerous? Will they try to shift the blame to you? Remember the title of this thread is MILITARY security.

Maybe I've read too many mystery novels or watched too many movies. If you can’t trust the people you work with to be honest, why work there?
It doesn't matter where you work or the level of background checks or security clearance required, there will be dishonest folks around you. If you quit every job that had dishonest folks working there, you'd be camped out under a bridge, living out of a cardboard box, and begging for food, along with the rest of the homeless people around you. Hell, look at all the corruption that is taking place in the Catholic church, and has been for years....and these are "holy people". And NO...I'm not.....

1. Going to quit my job.
2. Trying to start a religious or political discussion here.
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