According to AAFB Chief of Public Affairs Jim Weslousky, there was a package received, which had some minor defects and did not pass chemical testing. About 25 people were escorted out of the building and the Ft. Sill Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Unit was called in.
The building was quarantined for three hours. After the EOD performed standard testing of the package, they opened it and found out it was a award plaque that was to go to the Operation Group for the Pacific Islander Celebrations, which were held earlier this month. Weslousky says that the chemicals used to polish the plaque, were likely the cause of the chemical test not being passed.
Because of 9-11, precautions such as these are taken on anything that is sent in with suspicious looks. Weslousky says that there was determined nothing to be wrong with the package and things were back to business as normal.
In a separate incident, at around 3:30 p.m., tAltus AFB experienced another scare at the U.S. Postal Office, which is about 100 yards from Bldg1. According to Public Affairs Superintendent Master Sgt. Eugene Bird, 10 minutes after the first response, another response started. He said that the Bioenvironmentall Engineering and Medical Clinic on base responded to the first call, but not the second.
An employee of the post office heard a package ticking. There were only two employees in the building and they were evacuated. Just as the Ft. Sill EOD, was about to leave they were called to assist with this situation. The Altus AFB US Postal Service Branch Manager, Phil Stehr said that the package was taken to an open area and the situation was diffused.
“When they finished up, it ended up being an alarm clock that someone had forgotten to take the batteries out of,” Stehr said.
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