Personnel at the 120th Airlift Wing at the Montana Air National Guard received threatening phone calls around 8 a.m. Dec. 6 and the base was placed into lockdown.
The base went into Force Protection Condition Delta status, which according to DOD, applies in the immediate area where a terrorist attack has occurred or when intelligence has been received that terrorist action against a specific location or person is imminent.
The nature of the threats has not yet been released and base security forces officials contacted the Federal Bureau of Investigation who informed the unit that the number used in the calls has been used in making threats multiple times in seven or eight other states, according to Maj. Juan Torres of the 120th.
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Torres said that the FBI indicated the person making the threats in the previous incidents did not take any physical action.
He said the threats indicated there may be a person near the base’s main gate and security forces personnel patrolled the area.
Security forces personnel determined that the threat wasn’t in proximity to the base and wing leadership lifted FPCON Delta, lowering the security level, at 9:08 a.m., according to the 120th.
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Torres said that the situation was complicated because the base was hosting Leadership High School this morning, but all the students and staff associated with that visit were sheltered in place.
By 9:08 a.m. the base had lowered their threat level and the high school group was escorted off the base at 10 a.m., Torres said.
At 10:22 a.m., all Title 5 employees, which are Guard civilian employees, and civilian contractors were directed to leave the base.
At 10:40 a.m., the wing lifted its shelter in place and by 11 a.m., the wing lowered the threat level to FBCON Bravo, which applies when there’s an increased or more predictable threat of terrorist activity.
