The Pentagon discovered that some of the Boeing employees who worked with the transport of US presidents did not have the necessary documents for this – security credentials. The military department is investigating writing The Walll Street Journal (WSJ), citing sources.
The Pentagon and Boeing are investigating how long workers who had access to presidential jets had been performing their duties without permission. About 250 of the company’s employees had expired security certificates, the newspaper’s sources said. As noted by the WSJ, their documents expired several months or years ago – for example, in one case the certificate ceased to be valid 7 years ago.
Now, Boeing workers have been temporarily suspended from accessing areas where presidential planes are located. At the same time, according to Pentagon officials, company employees who previously had expired credentials will be able to return them, as they previously had security credentials.
A US Air Force (Air Force) spokeswoman said the Pentagon is investigating why Boeing did not keep up to date with the documents. At the same time, she noted that the company itself notified the military department of the issue on March 14 and is “doing everything possible for (its) quick fix.”
The Boeing representative noted that the company is serious about the situation and intends to resolve the issue quickly.
“Boeing prioritizes the security of presidential jets,” she said.
Presidential jets generally require stricter security protocols and more thorough employee background checks, former Pentagon officials told the WSJ. According to them, such measures are taken because modified commercial airliners are equipped with protective, communication and other classified equipment.
Former US National Security Agency General Counsel Glenn Gerstell, meanwhile, pointed out that the practice of US counterintelligence is generally to check people before they have access to confidential information.
