Bedford Minuteman
September 12, 2001

Hanscom security heightened

BY LAWRENCE PRUYNE
STAFF WRITER

Following a devastating terrorist attack launched upon the U.S. Tuesday, the
United States Air Force facility at Laurance G. Hanscom Airport went on high
alert and the civil air terminal was shut down as news spread of the attacks
in Manhattan, Washington, D.C., near Pittsburgh.

Traffic was streaming in and out of the gates of the Air Force facility and
servicemen were checking credentials as the base jumped to alert status "
delta, " the military’s highest security alert.

" We had been at what we call Force Protection Alpha, " said Kevin
Gilmartin, deputy director of public affairs at the base.

According to Gilmartin there are four levels of security, alpha, bravo,
charlie and delta. The base had been practicing alpha or normal security
measures for the past month.

" We were at normal threat condition this morning and we went up three
levels out of four. We’re at a very heightened level. "

As elsewhere, the atmosphere on the base was one of shock and sadness. " It’
s a terrible tragedy. Right now we’re just trying to protect our people and
our facilities and take all necessary precautions to do that, " Gilmartin
said.

There were no plans at press time to mobilize any flights out of the base
and the civil terminal was shut down to air traffic, as were all airports
across the country. No spokesperson was available for comment at the civil
terminal and or at a public affairs office in the metropolitan New York
area.

Construction workers leaving the air force base commented that the
electricity had been shut off in some of the buildings and workers were
being sent home. Gilmartin asked that people stay away.

" If anyone is coming to the base we ask that they don’t come unless they’re
on very important official business… We have sent non-essential personnel
home, " he said.

On Route 3, the mass exodus of government and other employees from Boston
caused added traffic pressure to the Route 3 construction project.

Reacting to the added traffic, Route 3 officials pulled work crews off the
highway late Tuesday morning.

" Working with state police and Mass Highway, we decided the best thing to
do was close it down and keep as much of road open as possible for travel. "

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