Selfridge Air National Guard Base Joins U.S. Military Installations In Raising Threat Level

HARRISON TOWNSHIP (WWJ/AP) -- The U.S. military has increased the threat level at bases across North America. Officials say the incremental boost will likely mean heightened vigilance and more random bag or vehicle checks.

At Selfridge Air National Guard Base in Harrison Township and other military installations across the state, the alert has been raised to Force Protection Condition Bravo.

Lieutenant Colonel Bill Humes with the Michigan National Guard explained what the alert means for Selfridge.

"It's not a specific threat, it's just an assessment -- we're always doing assessments of the security situation," Humes said. "We only take stuff like this in the interest of our men and women in the Michigan Guard."

The baseline level went from A to B, although most military installations — including the Pentagon — were already at a slightly higher level of protection than level A. There are four levels, A through D.

"It's more noticeable at our major installations like Battle Creek, Grayling and here in Lansing, but even the armories and recruiting stations -- all of them are taking different levels of increased security," Humes said.

Personnel and visitors to the base will still need to present two forms of identification and will be subject to random vehicle checks. Some low-security facilities have placed guards out front.

Army Col. Steve Warren says the increase was not triggered by a specific event. He says it was due to a generally heightened threat environment, which would include the recent terror threat and attempted attack surrounding a provocative cartoon contest in Texas.

FPCON Bravo is designed to remain in place for several weeks if necessary.

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