Why is this article quoting imbeciles from Facebook?

Indigo, what a moronic post. There would be no need to spray the sky with bullets simply because a couple of sky divers got blown off course.

There would be no need to spray the sky with bullets simply because a couple of sky divers got blown off course.

This would be true if half of the Citizens of this country weren't so scared of terrorists. The only reason that these two and the others mentioned weren't shot is because the local airport is next door and there are always parachuters around. It is also recognized that strong winds will blow them of course. I hope you all notices that they were detained.

One terrorist with a bomb and a chute is all it takes. It should be a no-fly period. If you enter be shot down. Otherwise we open ourselves to risk a terrorist with a bomb parachuting in...Shoot them down if they are in. No excuse for improper jump planning.. They do have winds aloft reports and metars for gen aviation. They have NO excuse for being where they do not belong period!

"The incident was the seventh in three years with errant skydivers, Bassett said..."

Enough said... that quote from the article speaks volumes. Fine the hell out of the owner of the skydiving business (Ms. Cathy Kloess) until she can learn to buy a windsock or hire pilots and skydiving instructors who are not complete idiots. Can she not check the Weather Channel or her plane's windspeed indicator? Can she not have her pilot drop the parachutists over an area that is not going to drift them over the base? There is no excuse for this. She should be paying a $10,000 fine per person per incident. The base commander needs to grow a pair and assess a very stiff fine against this woman. She obviously doesn't give a s*** if someone gets hurt or killed, but I can guarantee you she will whine and cry once she gets hit with a fine for several grand.

Move the airport or move the base they don't belong side by side, on the west coast facility there is a no fly zone and they are very touchy about it, there should be a extended no fly zone there as well so how is it that the airport is even there! the Navy should purchase the airport and convert it to military use only and the civilians can go jump somewhere else.

Leave it to the neocons to overreact to a relativly mundane situation. I'm surprised they haven't tried to use this as an exsuse to bomb Iran.

I hope you all notices that they were detained.

Speaking from experience, they probably landed with a greeting party of armed Military Police pointing M-16 and/or 9 MM at them and screaming "GET ON THE GROUND! GET ON THE GROUND! GET ON THE GROUND OR I WILL SHOT YOU!"

It never pays to stray into those "off limit" areas. My experience was well before the increased threat and worry of terrorist too. I can imagine what it is like now.

There are a lot of imbeciles, i am glad the news is not ignoring this fact.

There are so many that hide their heads in the sand like an Ostrich. 7 invasions of the base by skydivers in 3 years! Of course most if not all were tests by terrorists just as they do at airports, malls, stadiums, subways etc.. So far most are caught. Do not be fooled, this country is a prime terrorist target. They should have been detained and questioned with thorough background checks, not released with just the word of airport. One was a naturalized citizen, the other not a citizen of the U.S. Hmmmmm! Wake up while there is still time.

The skydiving operation is completely negligent. They should be well aware of prevailing wind conditions before they let people make jumps. If they are not competent enough to adjust the release point for their customers so that they do not get blown into restricted areas then they should be shut down. There is absolutely no reason for this to be happening with the apparent frequency that it is other than incompetents running the skydiving business.

Patrecko,

If I were a terrorist with a bomb trying to infiltrate that base, I sure as hell wouldn't do it in the middle of the day with a 12x18' banner (parachute) announcing my arrival.

Buzzlightyear2,

If every military base in this country had a no-fly perimeter, commercial an civil aviation would be akin to playing hop-skotch in the sky. And for no good reason. Btw, Seven incidents in three years for a jump training school within a mile doesn't sound all that bad. Plus, it provides experience to the Shore Patrol or Marines gaurding the perimeter.

there goes bob...

fear and terror! fear and terror!

the simple fact is that sooner or later an attack will happen. actually two have happened in the last couple weeks, but they were white guys....

I guess bob thinks terrorist attacks by white guys is fine.

what does white guys have to do with this. the article does not refer to a race. just because nothing happened with this or the other incidents doen't mean that it couldn't. explanations after the fact don't make things all right. Non citizen to me does run up a red flag. Need more explanation than what the sky diving school gives. people like her ran the training schools for the 9/11 terrorist.

One terrorist with a bomb and a chute is all it takes.

To do what? How much damage is a single bomb-toting parachutist going to do? Geese people, get a grip.

Wow...there are a LOT of angry people out here. If you have not been skydiving, then shut up with your pissy comments as though you know what the hell you are talking about. A wind sock on the ground tells you what the wind is doing...ON THE GROUND. Ever been on a tall building or structure and notice totally different wind patterns? The drop zone is far enough away that this should not generally be a problem. If it were deemed to be a problem, do you think the military would have let them stay there? And for all you blood-lusters that say they should have been shot into a red mist...these guys did not break any laws whatsoever. Neither did the skydiving company. It was an accident due to "an act of God" if you will. When an instructor/pilot team decide where to drop divers, there would not at that time have been these kind of winds. They can pick up in a moments notice. Just ask any commercial pilot that has experience down-drafts and the like. And the article clearly states that they were discovered immediately. You really think they just watched them land and did nothing? I guarantee they were met with extreme force and caution. The base surely new these guys were harmless well before they landed (binoculars???). So get off your arm-chairs and stop snap-judging everything you know nothing about.

One terrorist with a bomb and a chute is all it takes.

Proof positive of what I said. Thank you.

Wonder what would happen if someone "accidently" skydived onto Area 51? Just curious, do you really think that they would be shot?

USAF vet -

Actually, I think it would by Shore Patrol, not MPs, but your point is well taken.

And any terrorist thinks that a parachute and a bomb is going to let them do damage to Trident missile loading base has another thing coming.

Actually most Navy Bases are contract DOD security people. And Gumps - as far as ONE terrorist and ONE explosive vest, they can kill dozens and maim scores more. Other than that good posts folks.

I now have an idea of how to enter my next venue!

i'm made more nervousness by people who go to movies...than people who go sky dive'n...fear the popcorn not the parachutes...

Proof positive of what I said. Thank you.

First off, just because someone say's something doesn't make it proof or fact. Even if mister sticky bombs mcgee, falls from the sky strapped with 10 bricks of c4 he's not going to do much damage to a nuclear sub. You would need a shape charge to blast a hole in the subs hull.

Secondly, no terrorist is going to jump into a military base in the middle of a sunny day. He will be spotted and they will know where he is going to land before he does. All they need to do is stop someone when they enter, no killing citizens or even non-citizens is necessary.

Of coarse A veteran is right, one bomb can hurt many people, so it wise to stop them at gunpoint and maintain distance until you can be assured they are not a bomb. The rest of you are completely nutty to say we should kill people that wander into military bases. And as a pilot I can tell you winds aloft change, the higher you are the higher the wind speed, so the conditions when they jumped where probably different from the conditions when they pulled their shoot. Pilots also fly into and over military restricted airspace all the time, it happens. Should we blow them out of the sky too? How American of us.

Of course most if not all were tests by terrorists just as they do at airports, malls, stadiums, subways etc..

Yes bob, be afraid be very afraid. LOL

Yikes....half you people are out of your g0d dAmn minds!

You've been watching too much Glenn Beck. We have ourselves a bunch of armchair heroes here!

How often do you think the public innocently encroaches on a military base? From working at multiple DoD and nuclear facilities, I can tell you - a lot!

Crash Land? I think the writer needs to look up the definition of a crash land, being blown off course and missing a target does not constitute a crash landing...

@ JD post 1.11

I have to agree with you 101%

If the sky dive operation can not over compensate and have the innocent jumpers land in someones back yard short of the intended target instead of over shooting the mark and put them in harms way and risk them being killed for landing in a restricted area, close them down. At the least, fine them according to the Richter scale, first offense, $1000, second $10,000, third $100,000...

If they cant afford the fine, there gone. (peirod) End of problem.

they monitor air traffic.... they know when the plane takes off, its route, and when cargo (jumpers) have... well jumped. lol. they might have had a bet going that bunch was going to land there....too funny!

it also would take a lot of suicide bombers to do any damage.

the article also stated the base was going to inform them of what to teach jumpers as a signal they are making an emergency landing... not to mention saw them before they came close to ground...

who is screaming the sky is falling? lol

@Mossy,

So the jump business is going to show anyone who they bring up what the secret hand signal is, all the more reason for a terrorist to select this company.

I do believe the guys on base knew that they were in for a few visitors when they saw the blips in conjunction with wind direction and speed. The pilot should over compensate and drop them way short of the base. Until they do, fine the crap out of them.

Indigo-Rage,

Yeah, the Vulcan is a great idea, until the thousands or tens of thousands of 20mm rounds fall back down over a populated area. The map makes it seem that the errant skydivers were coming from the south, and I see lots of buildings from that direction. If I lived in Georgia, I would prefer the Navy to not fire a stream of large rounds in the air. :-)

sc, it's the Navy we're talking about here. Like the chAir Force, they don't even do anything...just sit around all day. I assure you the Navy wouldn't go through all that work of loading up rounds... ;)

@Newswinner101-Tell that to Navy jet pilots who dropped ordnance in Iraq and Afghanistan.

@ Coop

I did skydive a few years ago. True- there was a windsock on the ground but that was for landing purposes only. Our pilot always dropped a wind indicator from up in the plane. From that he could tell where to drop the divers and how high the winds were. Secondly, by the sock he dropped from the air, if the winds were high he brought everyone back down or he never took them up to begin with-high winds means no jump. The only few incidences he had was novices landing in the farmers field adjacent to the jumpsite. Never did people land further away than that.

North of the sub base they have Glynco. A city they built about 10 yrs ago to train the FBI & other federal law enforcement officers national & international. They train the homeland security officers too. I don't think I would be skydiving around that part of the state, it is kind of a vacation spot in GA Cumberland Island, Jekyll island, & St. Simon Island a lot of historical things in that area.

so how many of the collective idiocy responding to this story have EVER jumped? 5? 10? Anybody have over 1 jump? 10? 100? Licenses?

Anybody care that IF someone had the right kind of explosives it would be far EASIER to use a light plane to deliver the package than to try to do it with a SKY DIVER? I mean - it WOULD be a ONE WAY MISSION, right?

Idiocy abounds (as is evidenced by the majority of the chicken little responders out there). Sorry, there is not a terrorist behind every haystack...

This and the 82 year old nun walking into the nations only weapons grade uranium lab.. What is the purpose of Home Land Security that George W. came up with? More government waste and nothing but reactionary security. We couldn't have imagined planes flying into buildings (after getting pdb with planes flying into WTC on cover with words: "Bin Laden determined to attack in US" with a giant target on the WTC lol.), we couldn't imagine people cutting through 4 fences and walking into the nations only weapons grade uranium lab, we couldn't have imagined terrorists parachuting into a base with nuclear warheads.... WOLVERINES!!!

Peter Griffin: "roadhouse"

Newswinner101 - Tell that to SEAL Team 6.......

anyone blameing Bush.... i hope you realise NObama has not only had control over these agencies, but he also appointed all of the heads to them...

keep blameing Bush.... NObama has left the troops there, HE has been president for almost 4 yrs.

keep Blameing Bush.... who appointed heads to the FBI,CIA,DHS,ICE, and the rest as well Bush? NObama.

keep blameing Bush.... who has had every oppertunity to change any numerous policies of Bush's, yet they ALL remain... (oooops all but welfare reform) NObama.

NObama hasnt done anything since elected, and he will not for another 4 yrs. even if he magically is elected.... the guy stinks as a president, FAR MORE than Bush ever will...

They blast this kind of stuff all over the news they need to fix the problems and move on instead of giving terrorists ideas. Case in point jet skier climbs fence and goes past security unnoticed.

On a base of that nature there is a base within the base(MLA) so you have the main base then there may be a Limited Area and a more sensitive Main Limited Area, or Exclusion Area, the intruders obviously only intruded on the Main base or they would not have been so kind as to release them without some serious consideration, fines and investigation. in a MLA they could get shot. but not likely they are of more value alive if they were terrorist, dead people are worthless. then you have the corps to deal with and that paper work.

You must be young and accustomed to the "fear is good" mentality.

Because there was a time in this country when it wasn't "them vs us" and American citizens were treated like taxpayers rather than potential terrorists. The idea of someone accidentally dropping into a base like that was, at worst, grounds for some harmless jokes and friendly ball-busting. Now people can't see the harmlessness and demand to be protected from a non-existent threat.

There was a time when we could go onto the military bases we support and see the static displays of aircraft, tanks, etc.

In this day of chicken little, FEAR FEAR FEAR!.....not so much. We're treated with suspicion like potential criminals rather than American citizens.

There was a time when no one gave a damn that an airport was nearby, because the average person on the street was viewed as a friend instead of a possible terrorist.

It's a damn shame. And no, I will not subscribe to it.

Read Brad Thor's new book Black List for a perspective on the Big Brother concept. When 911 happened there must have been certain covert organizations who sprang into action to implement surveillance techniques not just for "terrorists" but for every American who voiced any "deemed" treasonous actions. The DHS has become a massive organization primarily focused on internal surveillance. Thor's book is not far of the mark what could happen if it is unchecked.

PS...I'll bet this post alone will get me into the database of some giant storage facility (perhaps they even have a file on me :).

@Blackbird. Yippee. Now their database will include a quote from some tinfoil idiot living in his mother's basement.

Fred,

If it wasn't so true, it would not be so sad.

Blackbird,

Please see comment to Fred.

iknowzero,

The name speaks for it self.

Fred - hear hear. It is sad that what you say is so very true. I too grow weary of the bogeyman around every corner bit. We have basically puked back up a disfigured form of McCarthyism and use every excuse in the book to charge people, detain, and assume ill will and that one is an enemy of the state until shown otherwise.

This was an accident plain and simple. It would appear very clear that there was no negative intent with this. Its happened before. If anything the company should be responsible to make sure they drop further away or so less likely to happen and possibly a fine but that is all.

Those who think great another idea for terrorists need to get a clue. Think they haven't thought of that? Parachuting into a base is no different than putting a large target on your back. Not to mention, how much of a bomb could they carry? Second, why not fly over in a small plane and drop something or just crash the plane? Pretty much going to be dead either way. Also, the real secure areas are much smaller than the whole base. Many of these really large bases or those in more remote areas have basic chain link fences with barb/razor wire on top, not to hard to go thru with some bolt cutters if you wanted, usually they aren't patrolled. Same for the others about shoot first? Really? Come on guys. This would have to be a really super secret facility for this to happen in which case stupid the government for such an obvious security issue. Sorry just killed your family member for no reason other than the wind caught their parachutes and blew them over the fence into a field in our base. Geez.

I'll add to, so what if there are nukes here? You think they just sit out in the open? Give me a break. They are either on the sub or locked in bunkers where no one can get them and the amount of firepower to breach that bunker, no one except another military will have.

I think it is time to get back to the days when we not everyone was seen as a possible enemy and there was much less of this us and them crap. Sure we need to be vigilant but not everyone is a threat first and American citizen second. The pendulum has swung way to far towards the security over freedoms and common sense lost mark and needs to come back to the middle.

@Blackbird They do, and they screen your post as well, every time a sensitive word comes up, it triggers a moderator to that post and you get a revue, your post are full of sensitive words. post # 3.2 contained 5 sensitive words. zero is included just because he commentated but he will be dismissed for lack of content. just enjoy knowing that everything you have ever posted is on file and can be used against you in the future even if its legal today tomorrow it might not be and it can be used against you later, Obama made that law just reciently. $hit now I hit a trigger word.

It is said in these forums that the NYPD cops aver that since 9/11 you have no civil rights.

Fred great comment! I'm glad some people don't subscribe to the shoot first fear always mentality.

As for those who think the government is watching, get real. If your not doing anything you shouldn't be doing they are not going to care. I really don't care what you say as long as it's not threatening and they don't either. What do they have to gain by monitoring your every action and how many people would it take to read all these blog posts with "key" words.

hate to tell you this buckie - but there are ways of hiding in plain sight. trigger words only matter when they can connect the words with an IP address. There are ways to avoid "being found". Scammers and spammers don't get outed very often - and it's usually because they made a mistake and exposed their addy. Onions have many layers

The terrorists aren't on corporate owned "news" message boards talking anyways, lol... They sit in Congress and pass unconstitutional laws designed to make the citizens into slaves and add no real security except to their pay raise annually and lack of term limits so they can continue their corruption scheme.

Yeah Fred, one is a naturalized citizen and the other isn't a citizen at all, and did not produce a passport. These two "harmless" individuals just happened to pick this particular airport to skydive and somehow get "blown off course" onto a nuclear submarine base. Wake up america! We are being tested each and every day and another 911 is coming! By the way, I wonder what are their names are nationalities? Any guesses?

You are correct ...

Enough with the fearmongering and alarmist crap.Sometimes, @!$%# just happens

This likely happened in broad daylight (I don't know of any civilian night-jumping) which means people on the base likely saw them coming in -and standing in a strong wind would have been obvious.

There are some civilian sky divers who do perform night jumps. However, they most likely have to take some precaution and I doubt they would night jump so close to the base. That would be stupid.

Thank you for the voice of reason.

KenR @4.1: "Yeah Fred, one is a naturalized citizen and the other isn't a citizen at all, and did not produce a passport."

So? I do not wallow in paranoia.

When I zip-line in Mexico, guess what I don't have with me?

When I swim in the Caymans, guess what I don't have with me?

When I was diving into a cenote in the Yucatán, or having dinner in Prague, or roaming the streets looking for a pack of smokes and a Coke in Canada, guess what I didn't have with me?

The answer to all of those and many more is "my passport."

I would assume it is quite common to empty your pockets when doing something where you get wet, you're zipping over a 200-ft deep canyon, or you're inverted at 5000 feet, or you simply refuse to walk down the street feeling like you're doing something wrong, expecting the cops to harass you.

Once again, I ask, "So?" And, since paranoia isn't my perpetual companion, I don't care one whit as to their nationalities or names. I do not view the world as my enemy or someone to be feared.

And I'm tired of people like you freaking out, mainly because the rest of us end up dealing with pointless "security" crap. Quit treating the other people of this planet like they are your enemy and you'll realize they really have no interest in killing you.

..."another 911" my dimpled, red Indian ass. Go to your bunker and let the rest of us go about our adult lives.

yeah, Fred!

tell it like it really is!

I am so sick of these fear-mongering idiots!

KenR,

Yes, I always carry my US passport with me when skydiving, since I might get blown into Canada or Mexico. The jump school obviously had adequate proof of identity for the non-citizen as the person was released. Oddly, you have jomped on the terror bandwagon, willing to sacrifice life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness for a false sense of security.

Fred - Your words are measured and well thought out, your ideas rational and logical. You clearly don't belong here.

I read a few other articles about this incident. They landed in the baseball fields a few miles away for anything of concern. Too many people on here are looking for something to fear. The base was no secret, the fear that they had a bomb is not realistic and the security forces were at the landing point before the jumpers. Quit talking about things you don't know like there was a real threat. Do you think they leave the Nuclear Weapons out and exposed for something like this to be a real threat???

your right on fred!

What I find funny is these people who say we are surrounded by terrorists, are the same ones saying there is too much government invading our privacy. So what is it people, government invading you privacy, preventing terrorism or wasting money helping your delusional paranoia?

When I was diving into a cenote in the Yucatán

Wreck diving in the St. Lawrence requires the possession of a passport as the wrecks are in the US and travel from the Canadian side is required. First stop is the Customs hut.

so then, ken, I take it you are a "truther"? (go look it up if you don't know what it means...)

Scalzo -One could make the legitimate argument that you were still traveling, so you had to deal with immigration (as you infer with Customs).

When we went to Alaska last summer, we took a train through the mountains and just slightly into Canada. Since we did not get off the train, we did not need our passports so we left them on the ship.

On the other hand, when we got into Vancouver two days before departure, I put my passport in the safe at the hotel and didn't take it out again until we left the hotel to board the cruise ship. Then it went back into the cabin safe, not to be seen again until disembarkation seven days later.

Did the same thing in Prague once I hit the ground -passport in the hotel-room safe. In your case, you were obviously crossing borders on that particular "expedition."

I never had an interest in wreck diving. Something about it kinda spooks me.

Hi, Commander, just thought we'd DROP by.

Kate, The problem is that YOU subscribe to a news channel to tell you what to fear. Fred is right on and to not be able to pull your blinders back to see the reality of the situation is what is wrong with a lot of people.

Katethebratt, give it a rest. Fred was right on with his post. Most adults (excluding you) would recognize that this was not a legitimate threat. As the article mentioned, this is not the first time it has happened. Try using your brain.

I wonder if it was the first time non-citizens look flying lessons....

Fred is a little confused. We are still looking for the ID of several young men who boarded four aircraft some years back. If percautions were taken then, we would not have suffered the lose of 3000 lives on 9/11.

No Fred is right. Not everything is a potential security threat or foiled terriorst plot. Accidents happen. He also didn't say that is was a welcomed thing to parachute into a base but common sense was used if it happened. Perhaps they should've water-boarded these individuals before letting them leave to be sure?

It was an accident get over it. I agree the skydivers should've taken stronger precautions and the company should know better but explain what other threat there could be? A day jump into a military base, not exactly ninja mode. People remove the tin foil hat, and stop drinking the kool aid, the fear you think you see and know does not really exist.

Yes we need to be vigilant (more people now, in similar footprints for cities with better communication and tech does mean more chance for bad to happen and/or more likely to run into a bad guy but not near what media or politicians want you to think), and adjust with the times, but more freedoms lost for false sense of security is not the way.

MT - Thought we knew who did it? Otherwise yes but not what we have now (worthless TSA). Went from too little to too much, in the wrong places.

9/11 was an awful event but it happened 11 years ago. Since then we as a nation have falling into the GIVE US SECURITY/I DO NOT CARE WHAT IT COST AREA. People need to stop being afraid period. We have not had another attack since then and if you think it is because of the NEW laws, security options and airport screenings that we have not been attacked again, think again. It has been shown over and over that the security of airports,docks and any other entry area of this country is severely lacking and things get through all the time. All we have done in this country by fearing everything is have rights removed or circumvented. We no longer think for ourselves. The news has done nothing more than bolster fear of everything.

With all this said when we stop fearing everything and start being Americans again this country will go back to being great and not just ok.

You only need to concern yourself with people who want to learn to fly but don't care to learn how to land.

Guess what, Buck.

The reason four men were able to comandeer an aircraft is because of fear -no one got out of their damn seats and took control of their own destiny.

Whether it was just the "give the attackers what they want" mentality or no one wanted to be the unpopular kid that started an insurrection will never be known. Flight 93 showed what just a tiny bit of determination could accomplish.

Yes, hindsight is always 20/20, but ignoring possible solutions assures failure if the situation rises (arises?) again. The next time someone stands up with a smuggled boxcutter and says he is talking over the plane, would you bet on 30 seconds or a full minute for his survival from the beating the other passengers will dish out to him?

For the record: I became a firefighter after watching someone burn to death back in '83 -I took command of my life and will never be subjected to the whims of someone that wants to do me harm, or circumstances where I am helpless.

And it still doesn't change the fact that there is too much paranoia, and these guys simply got blown off course.

I will not live in fear, I will not treat total strangers as the enemy, and I damn sure don't accept a bunch of whiney, pseudo-argument crap as some reason to view the world with suspicion.

When you continue to treat "others" as possible terrorists, then the real terrorists have won. Good luck with that crap.

MTBuck,

So now 30-50,000 people cannot fly simply because their name sounded like someone dangerous. You remember, Senator Ted Kennedy was on that list. A list no one is allowed to see. You know a secret file list, like the FBI had under Hoover. Or like the KGB, Or the Gestapo.

Read GldnSaber @6.6; something actually worth saying and hearing.

Dropping into a SAC base in the 60's would get you shot.

gee, MT - what 9/11 proved was that not only is Murphy's law CORRECT, but the first corollary "Murphy was an OPTIMIST" is also correct. Aside from that, the event was a spectacular success from A-Q's standpoint and accomplished EXACTLY what they desired to accomplish - turn the USA into a nation fearful of EVERYTHING. Nobody has been brave enough lately to say "Look - the SKY IS NOT FALLING!". While I don't doubt that America will be attacked again (only a FOOL would say that our "defenses" are "perfect") - the mode and method will NOT be the SAME - the issue, however, is that we CANNOT live perpetually in FEAR. We need to mitigate the risk against the necessity of going on with our lives.

scalzo scalzo scalzo - not every square inch of a SAC base was under deadly force protection - only the flight line areas and weapons storage areas were under "shoot first, ask questions later".

Oh yeah, I'm sure there will be a terrorist attack on a secret submarine base soon.

not a secret anymore!

Or a attack on JFK by jetski perhaps?

not a secret anymore!

The King's Bay base never was a secret.

not a secret anymore!

Terrorists read from right to left, not left to write. So, its still probably a secret.

A worker took out the USS Miami with a vacumn cleaner.

David, we stopped doing atom bombs back in the 50s. As for shooting first, if they did have a nuclear device, just about the time they came into range would be the ideal altitude to detonate a device for maximum damage.

Do you not think the parachute center might have noticed one of it's jumpers was carrying something they shouldn't be before they ever got in the plane?

sorry davie - the likelihood of using a nuke on a military installation is slim to none - WHY? BECAUSE CIVILIAN POPULATION CENTERS HAVE A GREATER SHOCK VALUE. military hardware can be replaced. The SINGLE most important center would have to be DC both as the governmental hub and "ultimate shock value". next most important would be NYC, after that maybe Los Angeles.

Think about this - a low yield device (5kt, perhaps) would weigh less than 50lbs. and is about the volume size of a small backpack. We can't stop TONS of drugs from entering the USA - REMEMBER THAT. Remember also that the Russians have apparently "lost" several of their tactical nukes. (according to rumors, anyway). Sleep well tonight...

But you can't infringe on their rights to jump whenever and wherever they want. Fred, Kate, Ryan, Grumps, etc. will be all upset at the measures to protect our weapons from innocent people who will do no harm. Remember December 7, September 11, and a hopst of other dates when we were hoodwinked by the thinking of those mentioned above.

Of course Ken misrepresents what is said because his retina is fused to his @!$%#, contributing to a @!$%#ty outlook on life, laced with a heavy dose of fear, hatred, paranoia, and dishonesty.

All anyone has to do is read our words to know the truth.

For the record, Ken -I'm a goddamn taxpayer. My money helps support that base. Only Chicken Littles get their panties in a bunch over something so insignificant. That sub base is just as much mine as yours, and your paranoia does not get to trump logic and reason.

Go to your bunker.

Yeah -when you lie to me or about me, you annoy me. It is no less disrespectful to lie about someone, so don't start whining.

They landed at the Baseball Field... if they were a threat the security force on the base is the best people to determine that... And they seem to be comfortable enough to let them go... i think we can all take a breath and take our fingers off the triggers...

How you been,Checkov?

I think they are across the bay....in Alameda!

God I love it when the nerds pick up on a subtle detail. I've only got about a 6.3 Nerd Rating so I missed the chance.

Thanks for the chuckle.

Why did the article not include their countries or origin. Political correctness maybe?

Because that information was probably not released.

You always carry youer passport? Inn fact if you were stopped, how are you going to prove you're a citizen? Your driver's license?

When I jumped, I didn't carry mine either.

No I don't, and I think you are an idiot for bringing it up! ;)

Now this is the first sane comment I have seen thus far on this post. The establishment of a 'no drop' zone agreeable to all parties would be the reasonable way to approach this.

It's not that simple. Once out of the plane, sometimes your choices for landing spots are limited - you don't have 'power' to pick an alternate spot. I'm sure the jumpers thought "oh crap, bad spot, now we've got to find someplace to land" - regardless of if it's the drop zone or the White House Lawn.

Detain, investigate, fine if necessary. I'm certain the Drop Zone Owner does NOT want this kind of trouble and will do what they can to prevent it.

And let's not forget that this is a school. Which likely will include some rather inexperienced jumpers with little or no control of their landing.

diver - missing by a mile is pretty difficult unless the winds aloft were REALLY bad and the opening point was WAY out of where was anticipated. These guys were using good equipment and still couldn't correct. I wonder who the jumpmaster "was"?

Van. No, you don't. He was quoting Chekov from one of the Star Trek movies. The Chekov character is Russian. It has nothing to do with Wien, or with the German language.

My mother was from the Ukraine, she loved the "Veeping Villows" and about the only time she substituted "Ws" for "Vs" is words where the V was followed by an E. Thus, "Wessels".

You quote from Star Trek is accurate, and impressive. But I think the Germans have pretty much the same issues.

No, German's would not have that problem. "V" is pronounced "F" in german.

Of course, Mike...

All you have to do is power up and make another pass, adjusting airspeed for the the wind.

And yeah -I think it's damn funny, but in a sad way as I read post after hysterical post of how baaaad it was.

Good grief.

Fred, you sure are doing ALOT of ranting today, huh?

But Fred is right... If there was a real threat, I am sure that the security forces on the base were the best qualified people to determine that and they let tham go... but lets all get on here and start freaking out about the security of the Baseball field that is less than 200 yards from the main road off base...

SB80 @22.2: "Fred, you sure are doing ALOT of ranting today, huh?"

And?

Nevermind....it's over your head.

I've been in the trees once - tore the hell out a 28' LO-PO at Holland DZ (18th Corps SPC was none too happy abut it)

Detained a few hours by unamused military personal... those could well be the longest hours of your life. How long does it feel like when you're pulled over by Highway Patrol for something as simple as a burned out tail light?

I imagine the process went something like this:

"Name and ID."

"Unfortunate Jumper, no ID on me, left it in my locker."

"Social Security Number."

"xxx-yy-zzzz"

And there they're left to sit, probably in a small room with flourescent lighting, uncomfortable chairs, and an empty water cooler, door locked from the outside. And they probably sat there, most of the time, observed from 3 or 4 different locations, at least one of which was armed.

Some time later:

"Explain yourselves."

"We were blown off course."

"You were blown off course? You expect me to believe that?"

"Yes, sir."

"Well I don't. So tell me what really happened."

"We were blown off course."

Rinse, repeat, time passes.

"Look, before you tell me you were blown off course, here's what I know: Your name is [whatever] you live [at this address], work [for this place], and are either stupid or damned unlucky, and I don't believe in luck, so which is it?"

More time passes.. point is made.

Mikey, it is a military base, not a junkyard. There are people there 24 hours a day.

Another article stated that they landed in a baseball field... dogs might make playing ball a bit difficult.