Commander's Action Line Published June 14, 2007 By Col. Diane Hull 319th Air Refueling Wing commander GRAND FORKS AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. -- Action line: Why is Gate 2 closed to entrance for the general populace of Grand Forks Air Force Base? Response: While we understand the convenience of opening Gate 2 to general access, there are several reasons why we cannot do so at this time. Per the Chief of Staff of the Air Force, each installation is to limit entry control points to the installation that meet the demands of traffic flow and to establish separate commercial vehicle gates. Current Air Mobility Command guidance mandates security forces find ways to reduce patrols and limit gate hours. These measures have been implemented to reduce the manpower footprint at Grand Forks AFB, enabling us to meet world-wide combat requirements. Presently, security forces are manned to inspect large vehicles and contractors at Gate 2, not enforce installation access policies for the general populace. Also, safety is a concern. Combining general access with commercial vehicle entrance and inspection creates a potential for traffic backing up onto U.S. Highway 2. Tractor-trailers and other oversized vehicles have priority since these vehicles can not enter the main gate. Most of these vehicles arrive in the morning, delivering supplies to the commissary, supply, etc. The commander's action line is your direct link to the 319th Air Refueling Wing commander. For questions about current events or rumors, leave a message or send an email. Questions will be answered in the order they're received. Call 747-4522 or e-mail commandersactionline@grandforks.af.mil Before submitting an action line, please give the appropriate agencies a chance to resolve the problem. The unit commanders and agency chiefs want to help.