JOINT BASE ANDREWS, Md. — Seven people were evaluated and briefly hospitalized Thursday after opening a package containing an unidentified “white powder” at Joint Base Andrews, the secure Maryland installation known as the home of Air Force One.
According to base officials, the incident occurred inside the Air National Guard Readiness Center, a facility responsible for overseeing the readiness and coordination of Air National Guard units nationwide. The package reportedly contained both an unknown substance and political propaganda material, according to CNN sources familiar with the matter.
Rapid Response and Evacuations
In an initial statement, Joint Base Andrews confirmed that first responders and hazardous materials (HAZMAT) teams were dispatched immediately after the package was opened. The affected building—and an adjacent structure connected by a walkway—were both evacuated, and a security cordon was established around the area while teams assessed the threat.
“Joint Base Andrews first responders were dispatched to the scene, determined there were no immediate threats, and normal operations have resumed,” base officials said in a statement. “An investigation is currently ongoing.”
The individuals who reported feeling ill were taken to the base’s Malcolm Grow Medical Center, treated, and released after being deemed stable. Initial field tests reportedly detected no harmful substances, though officials have not yet confirmed the chemical makeup of the powder.
Conflicting Early Reports
Early reports from CNN and The Guardian suggested the seven individuals had been hospitalized, while later updates clarified that none remained under hospital care. By Friday morning, a spokesperson told The Hill that “individuals had been evaluated and treated by JBA medical personnel, determined to be in stable condition, and released yesterday.”
The base remained under partial lockdown for several hours Thursday afternoon until HAZMAT teams cleared the scene. The Air Force Office of Special Investigations (AFOSI) has since taken over the case.
Targeting the Nerve Center of Presidential Air Travel
Joint Base Andrews serves as the primary airlift hub for the U.S. president and senior administration officials. President Trump had traveled through the base just one day prior to the incident, along with Vice President J.D. Vance and multiple Cabinet members. The nature of the package and its political contents are likely to draw attention from federal investigators given the location’s national security importance.
While authorities have not indicated that the package posed an intentional biological or chemical threat, the mere presence of unidentified powder in a secure military installation—particularly one housing aircraft used by the commander-in-chief—underscores ongoing vulnerabilities in mail screening and facility access.
The Building at the Center of the Scare
The Air National Guard Readiness Center, known as Shepperd Hall, was completed in 2010 and designed with anti-terrorism and force protection standards. The 170,000-square-foot structure connects to the main base facility via a two-story glass walkway. It houses approximately 600 military and civilian staff overseeing the ANG’s national mission readiness.
The facility briefly closed after Thursday’s incident, and it remains unclear whether the affected room has since reopened.
For now, authorities at Joint Base Andrews have reassured personnel and the public that the substance involved appears to pose no ongoing threat. The investigation remains active under the supervision of AFOSI.
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