Military bases across the country are stepping up security measures amid the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran.
U.S. Northern Command, which is responsible for the defense of North America, has directed military installations to put in place 11 additional “force protection” measures to enhance safety and security, the command said in a statement.
The measures are intended as a baseline, and local commanders can take additional steps to increase security, said Northcom spokesperson Becky Farmer.
California has more major military installations than any other state.
The exact measures are not being disclosed so enemy forces don’t get wind of them, Farmer said. But they include stepped-up identification checks at entry gates and random vehicle inspections, according to Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune in North Carolina.
The military has also suspended a trusted traveler program that enables specified individuals to enter bases without obtaining visitors’ passes.
Some bases, including the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center in Twentynine Palms, are warning that people may experience delays at entry gates and visitor centers as a result.
At least four U.S. service members have been killed in the widening war, which erupted with a string of U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran over the weekend. The U.S. expects additional losses, Air Force Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said at a Pentagon news conference Monday.
A number of high-ranking Iranian officials, including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, have been killed in the conflict.
