News

New vehicle inspection site opens for business

  • Published
  • By Ray Bowden
  • Academy Spirit editor
U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. --  The Academy officially opened its new Large Vehicle Inspection Site near the South Gate here with a big rig tractor trailer bursting through yellow police tape and driving into the site's large search bay on Dec. 2.

Officials here say the site is a windfall when it comes to helping safeguard the more than 18,000-acre installation.

Financed in 2012 and designed by a team headed by Hank Medlock, the Academy's architect and design manager, the LVIS will be used to inspect between 150 - 250 commercial vehicles each day, said Maj. Jose Lebron, the 10th Security Forces Squadron commander.

"This facility is state-of-the-art and brings the Academy into compliance with Defense Department security regulations," Lebron said at the grand opening Monday, attended by Col. Stacey Hawkins, the 10th Air Base Wing commander, Col. Martin Schlacter, the 10th Mission Support Group commander, security forces Airmen, and civilians who designed the facility.

"The requirement for large vehicle searches was established after 9/11 and later followed by Unified Facilities Criteria, which established standards for this type of facility," Lebron said. "Our new Large Vehicle Inspection Site eliminates vulnerabilities associated with inspections at entry points."

Academy security forces Airmen will use the site to search all contract, commercial and large vehicles -- vehicles having "three or more axles or four rear tires on the rear axle," according to the Academy's Installation Defense Plan. Contract or commercial vehicles pulling a trailer are also considered large vehicles, the plan says.

"There's a steady flow of these vehicles, mostly bearing concessions or carrying contractor equipment, onto the Academy at all hours of the day and night, and the use of the new site will speed their entry onto the installation while making sure those vehicles and their occupants are secure," Lebron said. "This site will serve as a deterrent, and our defenders will have the tools to do their job.

The high-tech site features covered inspection bays, an office, a driver-waiting area, a military working dog office, climate control to allow security forces Airmen to use explosive detection equipment without interference and Defense Biometric ID System technology, among its other features.

"On average, a search of a large vehicle such as an 18-wheeler tractor trailer will take no more than a few minutes," said Master Sgt. Nicholas Suppes, the 10th SFS Plans and Programs superintendent.

On occasion, military working dogs and their handlers will conduct random inspections.
The site designers were in regular contact with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on the project and studied search areas across the Defense Department.

"We've taken our cue from other military services installation search areas," Medlock said. "This is definitely one of, if not the best search facilities in the U.S."

The site is now operational 24/7.

The 10th SFS conducts law enforcement and security duties to protect the Cadet Wing, the Academy population and the installation's more than 400,000 - 500,000 annual visitors.