An intruder breached Joint Base Andrews on Monday, the home of Air Force One, and a resident opened fire on the trespasser.
The incident occurred around 11:30am, according to a statement Joint Base Andrews posted on Twitter. “[A] man gained unauthorized access to a JBA housing area,” and a “resident discharged a firearm, security forces arrived on scene to apprehend the intruder and law enforcement is investigating the incident,” the statement read.
The statement added no other details, except to say no injuries or damage were reported.
Later in the day, however, an Air Force leader confirmed that her spouse was the person who shot at the intruder. Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force JoAnne Bass confirmed that the intruder had reached her home. The chief master sergeant is the Air Force’s top enlisted leader.
“We appreciate the outpouring of support we received after this incident. I can confirm that my husband, Rahn, was involved, and is safe, thanks to the quick response and professionalism of our Security Forces Airmen,” Bass said in a statement on Tuesday.
Andrews is home to the fleet of Presidential aircraft, including Air Force One planes, Marine One helicopters and the “doomsday” 747 aircraft that can, if necessary, serve as the U.S. nuclear command and control centers.
It’s not the first time Andrews had been breached. In February 2021 a man broke through the military checkpoint, triggering a broad review of the base’s security, as well as security at all Air Force installations.
In that case, a man had entered a C-40 aircraft assigned to the 89th Airlift Wing, which are not generally used for Presidential travel. He was detained by security forces at the base, booked and given a federal summons for trespassing. He was then turned over to local law enforcement as there were two outstanding warrants for his arrest.
An inspector general’s investigation of the 2021 incident at Andrews found three main security failings, starting with “human error” by a gate security guard who allowed the man to drive onto the base even though he had no credentials that authorized his access. He had also slipped through a fence designed to restrict entry, and no one had questioned his entry onto a parked military plane despite his not wearing an authorizing badge.
In November, Andrews stated that airmen across the base had been taking part in active shooter “Total Force Readiness ” exercises, focusing on “emergency response and recovery actions and procedures, continuity of operations, and personnel accountability for all personnel throughout the installation.”
