Breach at Air Force One base under investigation

Law enforcement is investigating after an intruder breached the home base of Air Force One on Monday before being apprehended. 

Joint Base Andrews said in a tweet that a man gained access to a base housing area at around 11:30 a.m. on Monday. A resident of the base opened fire at the man, and security arrived at the scene to arrest the intruder. 

It said no injuries or property damage were reported. 

The base, located in Maryland, houses a fleet of blue and white presidential aircraft, including Air Force One, Marine One and a “doomsday” 747 airplane that can serve as an airborne nuclear command and control center if needed. 

The base was previously breached in February 2021 when a man passed a military checkpoint and got through fenced secure areas to get into a C-40, the military’s 737-equivalent aircraft that flies government officials. 

The man was arrested after a “mouse ears” cap he was wearing made an observant airman suspicious. 

An inspector general concluded that three major failures in security allowed the man to gain access to the C-40. One was a “human failure” from a security guard allowing him to enter the base despite not having credentials that gave him access. 

Another was his ability to get through the fence undetected, and the third was his ability to walk onto and off a parked airplane without anyone questioning him despite not having the required badge to gain access. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.