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Shaw opens Frierson Road

  • Published
  • By 2nd Lt. Noelle Caldwell
  • 20th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
SHAW AIR FORCE BASE, S.C. --  Shaw's Frierson Road is scheduled to permanently open to the public in July. Base officials are making plans to establish a new fence and separate base housing outside the base perimeter fence line by summer 2009. 

"We're putting the fence up to open Frierson to the general public, so the folks who come on base for daily activities, like (bringing their children to and from) school, won't have to come through the gates anymore," said Andy Bigelow, 20th Civil Engineer Squadron programs flight chief. 

But for those who live on base, the housing maintenance shop is still set to provide the same support when it moves off base. 

"We assign housing and we maintain it now; no changes. The difference (currently) is that they're inside the perimeter fence line," Mr. Bigelow said. "The Frierson gate and North gate will still be military gates; the fence line now becomes the south side of Frierson road, so if you're living in housing, you're now living off base -- even though the (already established) fencing will be there." 

Mr. Bigelow also said all housing will be open to residents without having to access a gate. 

"Although our main effort is in flightline resource protection, we consider protection of our housing residents equally important" said Senior Master Sgt. Rodolfo Gallardo, 20th Security Forces Squadron. "We are currently engaged in developing a neighborhood watch program and have been handing out leaflets recently. 

"The only things that will change in housing are; there will not be a guard at the gate to access housing and visitors will not require passes. The housing area is still base property and we will continue to patrol as normal," Sgt. Gallardo said. 

Although the base was originally organized with the housing area set up outside the base perimeter, Shaw officials closed Frierson Road and moved everything on base after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. 

Sgt. Gallardo said the challenge was inherent in allowing people access to the base that didn't belong to Shaw, such as people who needed to utilize the two public schools inside Shaw's boundaries. "It created a huge vulnerability to Shaw's resources," he said.
"We do wants and warrants checks on almost everybody -- with the schools, we are not allowed to screen their personnel. If a parent has a significant criminal history, because the school is state-owned property, we could not deny them the right to access the school. That created a huge risk," Sgt. Gallardo said. 

The 20th Security Forces Squadron will continue to monitor and patrol the housing area when it moves outside the perimeter fence police substation. 

"We can't post a guard on every door," Sgt. Gallardo said. "People will need to be more vigilant, but they shouldn't expect any less from us."