An intruder breached the sensitive air base that is home to Air Force One on Monday, leading one of the base’s residents to open fire. Joint Base Andrews said the incident is now under investigation in a statement posted to Twitter.
The base said “a man gained unauthorized access to a JBA housing area” around 11:30 a.m. Monday. One of the residents “discharged a firearm.” No injuries or property damage were reported after security forces apprehended the intruder.
Further details on the incident remain unclear. The base’s public affairs office told American Military News over the phone that more information may be released Tuesday.
Located in Maryland outside Washington D.C., Joint Base Andrews is home to the president’s personal planes — two specialized Boeing jets known as “Air Force One” whenever the president is aboard.
Two intruders previously breached the base in March 2022, driving through a security checkpoint around the time that Vice President Kamala Harris was taking off on an aircraft. One of the intruders managed to flee, while the other was arrested carrying a weapon, according to the base.
Another breach came in 2021 when a man entered a C-40 jet used to transport top government officials, as reported by the Associated Press. The man harmed no one and was given a federal summons for trespassing after being detained by security.
That incident reportedly triggered a review of security protocol at bases worldwide and an inspector general review of the breach itself.
“The security of our installation is paramount,” Col. Roy Oberhaus, vice wing commander of the base’s 316th Wing, said at the time. “This was a serious breach of security and Joint Base Andrews is investigating the incident to determine how this happened so it doesn’t happen again.”
This was a breaking news story. The details were periodically updated as more information became available.
