Protecting the Base, one vehicle at a time

by Senior Airman Tristin English

375th Air Mobility Wing Public Affairs

8/19/2014 - SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. -- Trucks come to Scott Air Force Base every day; whether the truck is delivering food, beverages or a family's household goods, they must always go through the Commercial Vehicle Inspection Station before getting onto the installation.

"Our mission is to support Air Mobility Wing and the other tenants on base," said Senior Airman Terry Waters, 375 Security Forces installation entry controller. "We make sure that no contraband is coming onto base and that government property has not been stolen."

The CVIS inspects roughly 3,000 vehicles a month. When anything illegal is found it is then turned over to investigators.

To help with the detection of contraband, we get help from the military working dogs," said Staff. Sgt. Briana Whittamore, 375 Security Forces installation entry controller. "When it's not an MWD, it's just us going through things that are going to be transportable on base."

When truck drivers want to come onto the installation, they have to make sure they have a sponsor and a valid reason to be on the installation. The drivers are run through a law enforcement system and their sponsor will be phoned to verify the reason they are coming on base.

"When contraband is found, or if something pops up in the system, we call the sponsor and the company they are working for to let them know there's a situation going on and they will not be receiving their delivery," said Tech. Sgt. Michael Bennett, 375 SFS NCOIC of the Commercial Vehicle Inspection Station.

The Security Forces members at the Mascoutah gate are responsible to conduct thorough systematic searches of all the commercial vehicles that enter the installation.

Bennet said, "We are the single line of defense for deliveries, so if anyone wishes the base ill intentions, trying to sneak something on-- explosive devices, drugs, weapons or other illegal paraphernalia-- we are the ones responsible to find the contraband. If we fail to do our job properly we could put the entire base in jeopardy, and that's what we are here to prevent."