Airports adjust to Guard presence 74 soldiers assigned to bolster security checkpoints at six state facilities

BANGOR – Just yards away from three soldiers carrying automatic rifles, Gregory Flores read a novel Friday morning while waiting for his flight to leave Bangor International Airport for Boston.

Flores, returning to Los Angeles with his wife and her young sister after visiting relatives near Skowhegan, was among the travelers at a busy BIA on Friday – the first day Maine National Guard troops were deployed there and at five other commercial airports in Maine to provide additional security.

“It is definitely a little intimidating to step off a plane and see a guy armed with an M-16,” said Flores, 26, as he prepared to board his flight. “But, we’re living in a different world, so if something like this takes away a little bit of our freedom, I guess that’s expected … and that’s fine.”

In the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon, the Maine soldiers were called upon by Gov. Angus King at the request of the Bush administration, to bolster security at the state’s airports, which are already operating under a higher alert after last month’s suicide hijackings that killed thousands.

The 74 guardsmen activated in Maine received training from the Federal Aviation Administration and local police. They have been assigned to airports in Augusta, Bangor, Trenton, Portland, Presque Isle and Rockland.

The soldiers will not screen or search passengers, according to Lt. Michael Flynn of the Maine Army National Guard, but would instead act as a response team meant to deter hijackers and reassure passengers.

“They are ready to respond to any situation that may arise,” Flynn said of the soldiers stationed at the airport.

BIA will get 27 guards because it has three passenger checkpoints, a guard spokesman said in an earlier interview, adding that the mission is not expected to last more than six months. The Portland International Jetport, with one passenger checkpoint, will get 9 to 13 guards.

In Bangor, travelers paid little attention the guardsmen, about a dozen of whom could be seen Friday stationed at gates on both levels of the terminal carrying M-16 AZ rifles pointed at the floor.

“It’s a little strange to see them here,” said Gloria Wheaton, 58, of Otis, as she waited to see off her aunt bound for Alaska on an afternoon flight. “But we’ve been getting off scot-free for too long, and I guess I’m glad to see some more security.”

Security has been increased at airports across the country since the attacks, which sent the airline industry into a tailspin with major carriers slashing their flight schedules in reaction to dwindling passenger numbers.

Regional airports in Portland and Bangor have both seen reductions in their flight schedules, with BIA officials learning Friday that Atlantic Coast Airlines, a Delta Connection carrier, will cancel one of its daily jet flights to Boston as part of a systemwide realignment beginning Nov. 1.

Despite the cutback, BIA interim director Rebecca Hupp said Friday that she had seen a rise in the number of travelers returning to the skies with the tightened security – including the guard presence at BIA.

Bangor Police Chief Donald Winslow said Friday that his department would also continue its increased patrols on the airport, where police presence has doubled since Sept. 11.

At Maine’s smaller airports, the Guard presence was perhaps even more noticeable.

At Bar Harbor Airport in Trenton, airport manager Bob Cossette could not describe the troops’ exact duties or the size of their crew, as federal aviation security personnel told him not to release any details of the operation.

Security measures taken Friday were not substantially different than those instituted when the airport reopened following Sept. 11, he said. The Hancock County Sheriff’s Department has been providing personnel to help the airport meet federal security requirements in recent weeks.

At Knox County Regional Airport Friday, guardsmen were on duty, according to Knox County Sheriff’s Chief Deputy Todd Butler. The sheriff’s office planned to work with the guard, Butler said. He declined to indicate how many guard members were at the airport or how long they would be assigned there. The airport manager could not be reached.

Three armed guardsmen were stationed at the Northern Maine Regional Airport in Presque Isle, where only four flights arrived and departed Friday.

“We certainly are pleased to have them here,” said airport manager Greg Willard, who added that he felt people using the airport also appreciated the extra security.

Back in Bangor, 23-yearold Holly Winscott, 23, of Salt Lake City, said she was, indeed, happy about the added security.

“As long as we’re safe,” she said before boarding her flight to Philadelphia.

In a related development Friday, 44 members of the Air National Guard’s 101st Air Refueling Wing in Bangor have been called to active duty. Lt. Todd Nadeau, public affairs officer, said the team members “have not been deployed and there’s no guarantee they will deploy.” Currently the members are “part of our base defense” in Bangor, Nadeau said.

NEWS reporters Wayne Brown, Misty Edgecomb, Nancy Garland and Leanne Robicheau contributed to this report. The Associated Press also contributed.