Air Force
Sheppard AFB reopens gate following incident investigation
Stars and Stripes
March 18, 2026
The Maintenance Man statue and a T-38 Talon are two recognizable features greeting personnel and visitors at the newly constructed Main Gate at Sheppard Air Force Base, Texas, Nov. 17, 2020. The more than $8 million project is the result of a multi-level partnership between federal, state and local entities. (John Ingle/U.S. Air Force)
The Missile Gate at Sheppard Air Force Base in Wichita Falls, Texas, has reopened and is back to normal operations Wednesday after four hours of closure.
The gate was closed due to an “ongoing incident under investigation,” the installation said in a Facebook post. Traffic was redirected to the Main Gate for entry on base.
Sheppard Air Force Base is known as the Air Force’s most diverse training installation, providing technically trained airmen as well as combat pilots for the NATO alliance, according to the installation’s website.
The gate closure comes as bases in the United States are on heightened security amid concerns of threats emerging from the ongoing war with Iran.
Also on Wednesday, MacDill Air Force Base in Florida implemented a shelter in place order after a threat was made against the base, the installation said in a Facebook post. On Monday, a suspicious packages was reported at MacDill’s Visitors Center, prompting closure of the installation’s Dale Mabry entrance gate.
On Tuesday evening, one person was killed and another injured in a shooting at Holloman Air Force Base in New Mexico, the service said. The incident remains under investigation.
Also on Tuesday, Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in New Jersey was placed at Force Protection Charlie after suspicious packages were reported on the installation. After investigation, it was determined the packages posed no threat.
Overseas, three U.S. military bases in Japan have canceled or restricted attendance at their spring festivals amid heightened security measures.