Nellis placed on alert

Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2001 | 11:13 a.m.

Nellis Air Force Base heightened security and was placed on a high level of alert today, limiting entrance to essential personnel.

Nellis was on "Forced Protection Level Delta" within three hours of the terrorist attacks that killed and injured thousands in New York City and Washington, D.C.

Delta level alert does not interferre with normal operations but further restricts movements off the base and requires tighter security checks of people entering, Air Force officials said.

"We're on increased vigilance," said 2nd Lt. Carla Pampe, a Nellis spokeswoman. "The base has been closed to everyone except military personnel, their families and civil service employees. No non-essential personnel are being allowed in."

The commissary and base exchange were closed, but the base elementary school opened today. It was not immediately known if it would stay open for a full day of classes, Pampe said.

Nellis officials declined to answer questions regarding whether the base is authorized to shoot down any threat to the civilian population, such as a hijacked jet heading toward a towering Strip hotel-casino, which would be similar to what happened early today at the World Trade Center towers in New York City.

"We will keep our eyes on everything," Pampe said.

Earlier this morning, less than an hour after the East Coast incidents, Nellis officials said they were on "increased threat condition," with security police carefully checking the IDs of each person trying to get in.

Shortly before 7 a.m., the I Street and hospital gates to the base were closed and commuter traffic trying to get in was rerouted to the main gate.

By 7:30 a.m. lines of vehicles formed on Las Vegas Boulevard from Craig Road and Nellis Boulevard. Vehicles in the Nellis Boulevard right traffic lane waiting to turn onto Las Vegas Boulevard were backed up to the I Street entrance.

"We are checking all IDs to essentially make sure everyone remains safe," said Sgt. Jim Bianchi, a Nellis spokesman. "Anyone trying to get into the base will need one picture ID and proof that they work at Nellis."

Bianchi and Pampe said they could not comment on the military flight situation in and out of the base despite civilian concerns of seeing planes in the sky in the wake of the Federal Aviation Administration ordering the halt to all civilian flights nationwide.

"All we can advise is that people watch the news reports and listen to instructions from government officials," Bianchi said.

Cars inside Nellis trying to leave through the I Street outlet found shut iron gates blocking the way, forcing them to make U-turns and head back toward the only exit gate at the front of the facility.