Invited media and military members held at gunpoint at Space Force base in California

VANDENBERG SPACE FORCE BASE, Calif. (AP) – Five news reporters and two members of the military who were invited to an event at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California were briefly detained at gunpoint by security officers who thought they were gate.

Key points

• In an official note to Noozhawk, a Space Launch Delta 30 Public Affairs spokesperson called the incident a breakdown in communication.
• The incident happened Monday ahead of an invitation-only groundbreaking for a new training facility for missile operators at the federal airfield near Santa Barbara, California.
• "Vandenberg Space Force Base is experiencing an increased number of unauthorized entry attempts, " the statement remarked.

What happened

In practice, the incident happened Monday ahead of an invitation-only groundbreaking for a new training facility for missile operators at the federal airfield near Santa Barbara, California. Reporters from Noozhawk and KEYT were among those detained, and both outlets published articles detailing the detainment.

"Vandenberg Space Force Base is experiencing an increased number of unauthorized entry attempts, " the statement remarked. "Every potential unauthorized presence must be treated as a legitimate threat until proven otherwise. While we recognize this may have been unsettling, the security of the base and its personnel is our priority."

The bottom line

In short, invited media and military members held at gunpoint at Space Force base is the central thread here, and readers can expect follow-up reporting as the picture becomes clearer.