I drive by Barksdale AFB in Bossier City, La. almsot daily, and have been doing so for the past 4 years. There are entire neighborhoods that surround this AFB. There are several roads that traverse the rear of the base, in some areas that is pretty much empty fields, with just a scattered building here and there. You rarely ever see anyone in these areas. However, over this past weekend, I was amazed to see not only guards patrolling the entire fence line of the complex, but they were armed as well. I started looking for signs of activity around the base that seemed out of the ordinary, and I noticed 2 things:
First, on the main entrance to the base, there are several lanes that you pull into to be checked at the guard stations. Usually there are 2 lanes for base visitors, and 2 lanes for the base personell. The traffic for the 2 lanes for the base personell normally just pull in, the guards glance at their base credentials on their windshields, and they roll on through, usually without ever coming to a complete stop. This weekend, however, they were stopping every base personell vehicle, and checking not only the window credentials, but AFB id's as well. What made it so noticeable is that the base entrance is located right on Barksdale Boulevard, and the cars were backing up enough to have the regular flow of traffic having to use the outside lanes to go around. That is the first time in 4 years of being around this base that I have seen that happening.
The second thing I noticed was the planes that were coming and going from the base. I do not know what exact models these planes are, but they look like the big "carriers" or "cargo" planes that perform what we call the "touch and go" practice routines every few days or so. A plane will take off, make a huge loop around the cities of Bossier City/Shreveport, come in on the runways, make contact with the landing strip and then lift back into the air again, repeating this manuever 20-30 times per training session. Pretty routine stuff. However, this time I noticed something really weird: The plane that was taking off and making the huge loop was not the same plane that was landing! It was a different plane each time! I started watching the plane come in, and note the numbers marked on the tail, and each time a different plane came in from the loop. Now I know what the first thing people would say is that " there are several planes performing the excercise at once" which would make sense, except for the fact that not only have I never in 4 years seen two planes perform this excercise at the same time, but I have friends that are stationed at the base who confirm that never do 2 planes perform this excercise at the same time, much less the 7 different planes that I noted while watching it. And I never seen the same plane twice. So what happened to the planes that I seen take off to make the loop? Where did they go to, and where did the planes that came in come from? Were they carrying cargo? And why is suddenly the entire base perimeter being patrolled by armed guards, especially in areas where normally there isn't even a person visible for entire day (the "rural" rear area of the base, mainly empty fields)? Pretty interesting stuff.....

That sounds weird, i mean you could say that they where just getting deliveries, but why the high security ?

I take it you cant see the runway from where you were, otherwise you would have seen the different planes stop and pull off the runway?

It sounds like they where using the touch and go training to allow these planes to land without people noticing? a plane would land, and a second plane would take off and do a loop? couldnt you see more than one plane in the sky at the same time?

NGC... that was the first thing that came to my mind as well. I've always felt that this aspect of ATS --- the ability of people with unique connections or vantage points to share observations --- is one of the most important assets of this community.

Remember... it was an uptick in pizza deliveries that blew the whistle on the 1st gulf war. Observations like that of the OP could be the most important intelligence we'll ever get.

That said, without stretching it, has anyone else noticed any military/federal activities that are out-of-norm? My gut says something is up.

Maybe they're expecting/receiving some more nuclear-tipped cruise missles from Minot AFB?

Isn't Barksdale a "jumping off" point for trans-shipment to the Middle East?

Perhaps they figure this "cargo plane shell game" is a good way to keep the shipments secure?


If that is what's going on, I just hope They can keep track of the nukes...This time!

Probably shipping ordinance to the middle east, no big deal.

Most likely bunker busting dial a yield nukes, and air to surface anti-radiation missiles. Maybe some regular old bombs, and you know normal stuff like that.

Nothing to see here, everything is fine....

Move along....

[font=Impact] I think you may have stumbled on to something there!. I live 2 hours from that base, and I am in Shreveport frequently. A lot of people don't realise how much top brass military activity goes through that base. In the last 10 years, numerous stops have been made there by Air Force One. On 9/11, when the atacks on the WTC happened, President Bush made a stop at BAFB. It was also the site where the missle went missing(which was a topic on this site). It is also a test site for the Stealth Bomber, you can sit out at Tinsley Park in Bossier City on select weekends and watch the Stealth go through its training maneuvers, sometimes getting as low as 300 feet off the ground! I also have seen the cargo planes you talked about running their training. I just asked a friend who was stationed there when he was in the service about the training and he said there are never multiple planes in the air in the same training area, for safety reasons, due to the fact that the base is located in the middle of a residential area. I think you may have just pulled the top off a huge can of worms!!![/font]

I live in Shreveport and I'm in the military. There are no stealth bombers at Barksdale AFB. Plenty of old B-52s though.

I should also mention there are random security measures taken. They look like drills, but they are random security measures not drills. That is most likely what happened. It happens randomly. If you dont work there or live next to it, these things will seem out of place. In reality theyre not out of place and are standard security procedures. All in all nothing is probably going on anymore than whats already going on, e.g. supporting operations in the global war on terror.


[edit on 15/7/08 by MikeboydUS]

Not for sure, but this may be connected to the Green Flag East exercise. This is run out of Barksdale.

They check everyones ID's at all air force bases post 9/11, no big deal, sounds like pattern work for some over eager IP's trying to get as many touch and go's in to complete a students training. Nothing sounds out of the ordinary.

being close to mcguire afb in nj,,, and gramma is retired air force-----this was probably just "100% id check"

for instance ,,, gram has id and base access stickers on her car,,,usually i just flash my license and drive gram right on to base----now with 100% id check i have to go to a shack and get a pass ---which takes forever and a pain

traffic is always backing up when they enforce this


however,,, yesterday 7-14-08 gram went by herself and when she was leaving the base,,,,,, she couldn't get out------every gate was locked down and traffic was backed up for miles coming and going-----this was weird and yet no word on what happened

and the weird part is people couldn't get out either---i can see checking id's, cars when entering and a back up occuring entering----but not to get off and leave---that doesn't make sense

i wonder if these 2 instances are connected and was a nationwide threat??????

crazy times lately ehhh

I fly out of an Army base, and there is 100 percent ID check going on, has been that way for a while.

Just a kindly reminder of OPSEC to all military active or not.

Originally posted by shortywarn

and the weird part is people couldn't get out either---i can see checking id's, cars when entering and a back up occuring entering----but not to get off and leave---that doesn't make sense

Unless of course someone that wasn't supposed to be there, saw something there weren't supposed to see....or worse...you never know now-a-days

sure it could just possibly be an I.D. check but why all the extra force around the perimeter and he also said he has been driving pass the base regularly for the last 4 years and never seen anything like it. i dont kno much about air force or security procedure but i think they would run random I.D. checks more frequently han every 4 years.

It is most likely an ORI. Which is an air force guys worst nightmare. Operation Readieness Inspection. Long hours, people in charge acting wierd, putting on your chem gear in 95 degree weather and staying in it for hours on end. I don't mean to sound like I am whining, I just have so many fond memories of them. You will now for sure if it all goes back to normal next week. They usually last for 4-5 days. Oh and if you get "killed" you get to fill sand bags until you get reborn the next day.