Six bomb threats have been called in to Navy bases in Hampton Roads today

By Courtney Mabeus The Virginian-Pilot

An early morning bomb threat at Naval Station Norfolk has been followed by five others called in to Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek in Virginia Beach, the Navy said Wednesday.

The most recent threat came at 1:11 p.m. against the dock landing ship USS Oak Hill, which also was targeted Monday in a separate incident. Base security is responding and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service is investigating, the Navy said.

The Navy reported a threat called in at 9:20 a.m. to the dock landing ship USS Whidbey Island at Little Creek, which was cleared around 12:30 p.m. That was followed by a 9:55 a.m. threat made to the Admiral Joel T. Boone Branch Medical Clinic, which was evacuated but reopened following a search of the building, the Navy said.

At about 10:30 a.m., another threat was called in against dock landing ship USS Gunston Hall, which was cleared at 2:52 p.m., base spokesman Scott Mohr said. Pier 16 and a morale, welfare and recreation marina and the installation's harbor remained locked down. The Personnel Support Detachment on base received a threat at 10:55. That facility returned to normal operations before 11:30 a.m.

In Monday's incident against Oak Hill, someone called in a threat around 2:30 p.m. and hung up, said Lt. Michael Hatfield, a spokesman for Expeditionary Strike Group 2. It was determined to be a prank call, Hatfield said.

Base security and fire and emergency personnel responded to all locations Wednesday. Those with additional questions were asked to call the Public Affairs Office at 757-462-8425.

Wednesday's threats at the joint expeditionary base followed another early morning bomb threat miles away at Naval Station Norfolk.

Piers were locked down for several hours after the 6 a.m. call to the base's 911 line while an explosive ordnance disposal unit searched a suspicious vehicle near Pier 14 after a military dog detected something, base spokeswoman Kelly Wirfel said. It's unclear what the dog detected and a vehicle description was not immediately available.

Wirfel didn't immediately respond to calls and emails seeking further information.

The aircraft carriers USS Abraham Lincoln and USS Harry S. Truman are docked at that pier.
The piers were reopened around 11 a.m. after an all-clear was given.

What remained unclear was whether the bomb threat and finding in the vehicle were related. It's also unknown if the threats called in to the two bases were related.

NCIS is investigating, said Beth Baker, a spokeswoman for Navy Region Mid-Atlantic. An NCIS spokesman could not be immediately reached Wednesday.

Virginia National Guard’s Richmond Armory to close

By Maj. Cotton Puryear
Virginia Guard Public Affairs

RICHMOND, Va. — The Virginia National Guard will close the armory located in Richmond and relocate units currently stationed at the facility to other Virginia Guard installations throughout the state, Maj. Gen. Robert B. Newman, Jr., the Adjutant General of Virginia, announced Sept. 9.

The decision to close the Richmond facility located on Dove Street was part of Virginia Gov. Timothy M. Kaine’s 2010 budget reduction plan. Closing the Richmond facility, along with closing the Roanoke armory, will result in a projected 2010 budget reduction of $115,000.

“The Virginia National Guard, like many state agencies, has been forced to make difficult decisions in these tough economic times,” Newman said. “The decision to close the facility in Richmond was not an easy one, but it made the most sense given our current location of units.”

The number of Virginia Army National Guard Soldiers and units impacted by the move are:



Headquarters, 91st Troop Command, consisting of approximately 40 Soldiers, will relocate to the Sandston Readiness Center.

Headquarters Company, 276th Engineer Battalion and A Company, 276th Engineer Battalion, consisting of approximately 175 Soldiers, will relocate to the Bowling Green Readiness Center.

Headquarters Company, 1710th Transportation Company, consisting of approximately 65 Soldiers, will relocate to the Petersburg Readiness Center.

A Company, 1st Battalion, 111th Field Artillery Regiment, consisting of approximately 95 Soldiers, will relocate to the Sandston Readiness Center.

Newman said that any Soldier who would have to drive more than 50 miles to their new duty location would be given the option of being reassigned to a unit closer to Richmond area.

OLF site review delayed

Story by Sue Book, Newberry Sun Journal Staff

The Navy is delaying release of its draft environmental impact statement on locating an F/A-18 Super Hornet Outlying Landing Field in North Carolina or Virginia to coincide with a similar study for the Navy Joint Strike Fighter.

In a statement released Friday, the Navy confirmed rumors that have been circulating for about two weeks that there would be a change in course in the controversial and nearly decade-long process of finding a place for night practice for the noisy aircraft.

A northeastern Craven County site was among those considered and rejected in the first round of consideration by the Navy. The possibility of a different Craven County site recently resurfaced in comments by Sen. Kay Hagan on the U.S. Senate floor. The present EIS examines two North Carolina sites in Gates and Camden counties which have been rejected by state law unless there is economic gain for the region and acceptance by their residents.

Two Super Hornet squadrons are scheduled to be located at MCAS Cherry Point beginning in 2013, a date that has been moved forward on several occasions, and a $14 million contract was recently awarded for hanger renovation at Cherry Point. The locations for support training now in review are for aircraft at Naval Air Station Oceana and Naval Station Norfolk.

Read the rest of the story at click here.