Military security at high level

PORTLAND – Military personnel in Maine were on standby Monday as a heightened level of security remained in place at facilities around the state.

“It’s typical business as normal, except for the elevated security level,” said Maj. Eldon Hardwick, deputy chief of staff for the Maine Army National Guard and Maine Air National Guard.

Guards are monitoring gates at military posts and identification is being checked for everyone coming in, he said.

Air refueling planes from the Maine Air National Guard in Bangor were called to fuel Air Force jet fighters. Full-time staff and volunteers flew jets out of Bangor International Airport, but no units were officially activated, Hardwick said.

“We’re all playing the waiting game,” Hardwick said. “We may not even be called out. They may decide to pull units from other states.”

Col. Don McCormack of the Maine-based Air National Guard said the 101st Air Refueling Wing usually completes two to four refueling missions daily, but he said he could not release details about last week’s operations.

McCormack said security at air guard facilities had dropped a level since last Tuesday’s attacks. Security has dropped from threat condition Delta, in which terrorist action against a specific location or person is likely, to level C. At level C, threats are not deemed imminent.

Brunswick Naval Air Station remained at “threatcon Delta” Monday.

An undisclosed number of aircraft-carrier support flights there were called last week to assist aircraft carriers of the East Coast.

BNAS spokesman Joe Staker said he could not comment on operations, but said only essential personnel are being admitted to the base. The Navy, meanwhile, has canceled The Great State of Maine Airshow that was originally scheduled at BNAS on Sept. 22-23.

Bath Iron Works and Portsmouth Naval Shipyard were at full operation but still under strict security levels Monday.