From: Jon Shoop (shoop19@brick.net)
Date: Mon Sep 16 2002 - 21:37:14 PDT
Staying home sounds like good advice........
Jon
----- Original Message -----
From: "Bruce Beattie" <bruce@eecs.berkeley.edu>
To: "Military Vehicles Mailing List" <mil-veh@mil-veh.org>
Sent: Monday, September 16, 2002 10:47 PM
Subject: Re: [MV] MV display this last weeken on McConnell AFB re. security
> Hi Dave,
> That was an excelent write up! Thanks!
> Bruce MVPA 23824
>
> Dave Brubaker wrote:
>
> > I just thought I would share some of the experience our club had in
getting
> > onto the McConnell Air Force Base for an air show this last weekend. We
> > were setting up a vehicle display and the base considered us vendors.
This
> > was their way of handling issues of access and checking us out.
> >
> > 1. If your display is going to have weapons displayed be sure to tell
> > this to the show organizers as often as they will listen to you. Tell
> > anybody who you communicate with, superiors or subordinates of the show.
> > The more people who know the better. In retrospect a conversation with
the
> > head of the security police would have been a real time saver. Do not
even
> > think of bringing a live weapon on base!
> >
> > 2. For us, we were asked to provide names, drivers license numbers of
any
> > vehicle operators and the vehicle types. Later we were asked to provide
the
> > names of all persons involved regardless of whether they were operating
a
> > motor vehicle. At the last minute we were asked to provide the social
> > security numbers of any and all club members attending over the age of
18,
> > for us this totaled 48. We went through a vetting process, mostly
checking
> > us against list of bad guys on the loose such as Taliban as well as the
> > Department of Motor Vehicles. (spare me the argument of how they can
not
> > ask for ssn's, it is their rules and their base and you do what they ask
or
> > stay home)
> >
> > 3. Prepare in advance a spread sheet with all of the above
information,
> > use a single point of contact from the club, this keeps things simple
and
> > lessens the possibility of any messages from the base not getting to the
> > right person. Be sure the club has someone else in the loop,
> > informationally speaking, in case the clubs planner gets hit by a truck
or
> > meteor or some such thing. Keep a copy of the spread sheet and take it
with
> > you to the gate. Also take any paperwork or spread sheets that they
might
> > give you. Our gate guards were working from an older copy of the spread
> > sheet than we had, issued by the same show planners and they did not
match.
> > Our vendor badges were numbered and assigned by name and were expected
to be
> > returned at the end of the event. Each vehicle had a vendors pass
placed in
> > the front windows. Have a cell phone and contact information for show
> > organizers handy so any questions can be answered quickly.
> >
> > 4. We were searched, vehicles that is. All the hoods were raised,
all
> > the cans, boxes, packs, trailers, cargo boxes, you name it, was looked
into.
> > The security police at the entrance do not like surprises! Take that
for
> > what it is worth and spare yourself some time. DO NOT take any
bayonets,
> > period. Be prepared to demonstrate that all of your dangerous looking
> > artifacts are in fact not dangerous. Have your vehicle registration and
> > insurance information with you, they might ask for this.
> >
> > 5. Be patient and polite. Try to understand the stakes at hand. The
> > military establishment who is allowing you to be their guest can't win.
> > People will bitch about the additional security measures, but let
anything
> > bad happen and they will bitch about the lack of those same security
> > measures. Try to see it from their point of view.
> >
> > Since 9/11 we all know things are tighter, this was no exception.
Despite
> > the fact that over a month ago I started working the issue of access,
this
> > included the mention of the dewat firearms on vehicles, a few things
fell
> > through the cracks, in this case the guns, I feel it was my fault in
large
> > part because I only mentioned it at the onset of the arrangements. We
> > really surprised the gate guards when the inspection started! It could
have
> > been ugly and it could have ended our participation in the show. This
was
> > not the fault of the gate guards, it was a simple mistake that was
quickly
> > worked out by the show's commanding officer who arrived in a nick of
time.
> > (remember that list of phone numbers
> > I told you to keep handy?)
> >
> > Once in we set up and had a prime spot to exhibit from, we were in the
main
> > stream of traffic. We had a great many visitors and were able to
promote
> > the hobby in a very positive manner. All in all the positives far
> > outnumbered the negatives. We were treated very well by the base staff.
> > One of our members was injured when setting up and they took very good
care
> > of him, even stitched him up and returned him to us in working order!
We
> > were told that we would be welcome again. I took this as a compliment.
> >
> > DO NOT take this note as a negative comment on the base, the personnel
or
> > planners of the air show. There were mistakes made by both parties.
They
> > were resolved through communications and cooperation. The fact that the
> > show boss and I had established a business rapport helped a great deal.
In
> > the future we will be in-processed a lot smoother due to the lessons
> > learned.
> >
> > Hopefully this note will help some of you avoid any problems with a
similar
> > venture.
> >
> > David & Donna Brubaker
> > Member MVPA #18115
> > M-151A2
> > http://www.piace.com/~b52d/
> >
> > President: Mid-Kansas MVPA
> > http://www.piace.com/~b52d/MKMVPA
> >
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>
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>
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