Governor Scott McCallum called the National Guard last week and dispatched them to airports across the state, in accordance with President Bush’s requests at a press conference Thursday.
Bush requested that governors throughout the country provide additional security at commercial airports until his federal airport security program is passed. Bush gave permission to governors to call the National Guard to duty to increase airport security.
Bush intended the move to not only increase security, but also give travelers a greater sense of comfort when traveling.
“We stand willing and ready to serve the president,” McCallum said in a news conference. “I am confident Wisconsin National Guard members will be a reassuring presence to travelers.”
McCallum signed Executive Order 28 on Thursday, ordering Adjutant Gen. James Blaney of the Wisconsin National Guard to perform an assessment as to what should be done in response to the President Bush’s request.
Later in the day, McCallum signed Executive Order 29, placing Wisconsin in a State of Emergency, and officially calling the National Guard for airport security duties.
The order sent troops to Wisconsin’s three hub airports, Dane County Regional Airport, General Mitchell International Airport in Milwaukee, and Austin Straubel International Airport in Green Bay.
Originally, only three groups of three guardsmen were stationed at each airport, armed with 9mm automatic handguns. Currently, all guard members are from the Army National Guard’s 32nd Military Police Company.
Debbie Monterrey-Millett, spokesperson for Gov. McCallum, said that they anticipate future security procedures to be similar to those of this past weekend.
“About 50 were on active duty throughout the weekend, and we expect that to be about what is needed,” Monterrey-Millett said.
Col. Tim Donavon, a spokesperson for the Wisconsin Army National Guard, said their members will be used at checkpoints to discourage any attempted terrorist activity.
“The Wisconsin National Guard is providing a uniform armed presence and assistance to the existing civilian security at security checkpoints,” Donavon said. “We’re augmenting the civilian security already in place, not coming in and taking over.”
On Monday, the National Guard sent troops to four additional airports in response to advice given by the Federal Aviation Administration. Those airports included Outagamie County Airport in Appleton, Central Wisconsin Regional Airport in Mosinee, La Crosse Municipal Airport and Whitman Field in Oshkosh.
The Governor said the call-up is not in reaction to any specific threat, but solely as a preventative measure complying with President Bush’s request.
“I want to stress at this time Wisconsin is under no known threat from this or any other type of terrorism,” McCallum said.
The Federal Government will pay the entire cost of the security measure, and the FAA will be responsible for training the Guardsmen. Monterrey-Millett said the offer provided a no-lose situation for the state.
“The Federal Government is picking up the tab, so it’s hard to argue with that,” Monterrey-Millet said. “If enhanced security will help bring people back to the airports, we are supportive of it.”
Governor McCallum said the National Guard would oversee security at the airports until the federal plan is completed. Col. Donavon estimates their services will be used for approximately four to six months.
Rod McLean, Deputy Director of the Dane County Regional Airport, said there are currently 12 guard members assigned to their airport, but stated that those numbers could change at any time.
“We’re in un-chartered waters right now,” McLean said. “We are all looking at security, trying to implement measures the way the FAA says we should.”
Despite security increases, McLean said that since the Sept. 11 attack, the Dane County Airport has experienced no security incidents.
