Military and civilian police officers with the Provost Marshal’s Office aboard Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, California, are tasked with protecting the safety of all personnel on base, and that protection starts with the military police officers posted as gate guards.
For members of the MCAS Miramar community, passing through the gate and flashing their identification is an everyday occurrence.
Some of those people may see it as time added to their commute, but for the security of the installation, it is a necessary measure.
“The gates are the first line of defense for the installation,” said 2nd Lt. James White, a civilian law enforcement officer and a watch commander with PMO. “The officers that are working the gates are here to protect and serve and to make sure the personnel on base have the security that they need, especially in the world that we live in today.”
Military police officers assigned to the gates are generally the rank of sergeant and below, and are held responsible for all personnel who enter the installation.
“Along with checking each person’s identification upon going through the gates, we are responsible for physically checking vehicles that may be suspicious,” said Cpl. Sihang Yang, a military police officer with Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron and a Houston native. “The biggest example would include larger commercial vehicles, such as a McDonald’s truck, which may seem harmless at first, but had the potential to sneak in something dangerous aboard the installation.”
Military police officers assigned to the gate are responsible for checking identification, ensuring that personnel are following rules and regulations, making sure that vehicle registration is up to date, personnel driving under the influence are stopped and checking vehicles coming onto the base.
According to White, the security on base is top notch. The police officers that work the gates and the road do a great job protecting and serving the installation.