Pendleton Boosts Security, Drops Self-Guided Tours

Camp Pendleton has discontinued public self-guided tours, put barriers at the main gate, and will check more frequently identification, all as security precautions because of the Middle East situation.

Capt. Rose-Ann Sgrignoli, a base spokeswoman, said Friday the “security measures were taken as a result of current world tensions.”

In August, thousands of Marines from Camp Pendleton were deployed to the Middle East as part of the U.S. military mission following Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait.

Immediately after the undisclosed number of Marines left the base, where the normal complement is 36,000 troops, the Camp Pendleton command issued a plea to dependents not to discuss the deployment with the news media for security reasons.

Although there has been no official statement, some veteran Marines have privately mentioned concern about potential terrorism against Marines or their families. In 1983, a terrorist bombing in Beirut killed 241 Marines in their barracks.

However, Sgrignoli declined to comment on whether the latest security measures at the base were taken because of a terrorist threat.

“As a policy, the Marine Corps cannot discuss any terrorism or anti-terrorism measures,” she said.

Sgrignoli said public vehicle tours have been discontinued, large metal barrels and cones have been placed at the main gate off Interstate 5 to control traffic, and there will be additional checks of identification cards of Marines and their dependents entering the base by car or bus.

“These are the normal measures that would be taken because of world tensions,” she said.

She said that “currently there is a no-threat condition,” meaning the base is not on alert status.

The base hasn’t decided to prohibit the public from riding bicycles along designated routes at Camp Pendleton, according to Sgrignoli. She didn’t know how many bicyclists use the base yearly or how many people might be affected by the halt to public vehicle tours.

Meanwhile, the North County Transit District, which runs about 100 bus trips a day to Camp Pendleton, reported Friday that it is operating as usual.

“We have received no notification from the base there’d be any extraordinary measures,” said Pete Aadland, the district’s transportation marketing spokesman.

He said bus riders are often asked to show military identification cards before they’re permitted onto the base.