Base officials restrict access to 'Dog Row'

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Eric Schloeffel
  • 23rd Wing Public Affairs
MOODY AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. -- --  The area known as "Dog Row" is scheduled for closure Dec. 7 due to force-protection and safety concerns. 

Dog Row comprises the stretch of largely unoccupied concrete from the 23rd Maintenance Group on Moody's flightline past the 820th Security Forces Group squadron buildings. Concrete barriers will restrict access to Dog Row from the two main entry points of Davis Street and Rickenbacker Road. 

"Dog Row will now be considered a part of the flightline," said Gary Weis, 23rd Wing Anti-Terrorism officer. "The problem with Dog Row now is privately owned vehicles are driving in an area where A-10's are being towed. This is both a force-protection and safety concern." 

Base vehicles have nearly unrestricted access to entering this area creating a significant force-protection concern, said Mr. Weis. 

"Without these barriers, nothing would stop a terrorist if they wanted to cause damage to aircraft on the flightline," he said. "We've also had cases where dependents have driven onto the flight line area without even knowing." 

With the addition of the 23rd Fighter Group, the sight of A-10's moving up and down Dog Row for maintenance is a common occurrence, said Mr. Weis. The Dog Row closure prevents possible damage to the aircraft by restricting vehicle traffic. 

"Cars often speed up at the sight of an A-10 to beat the aircraft," he said. "There are also fuel trucks that pass through the area, and we've had many near misses." 

In addition to the concrete barriers, a fence enclosing the entire Dog Row area is planned for the near future, said Mr. Weis. Government-owned vehicles authorized to drive on the flightline will be granted access to Dog Row. 

Parking on Dog Row for 23rd Maintenance Group and 824th Security Forces Squadron Airmen will still be available for the foreseeable future. These parking areas, which are located in the "Dog Row" area, will be enclosed by concrete barriers scheduled for placement Dec. 10. 

While Dog Row is a popular route for many 23rd MXG and 820th SFG members during their daily trips to work, Mr. Weis now recommends taking Burma Road to Davis Street to access their designated parking areas. This route is more suitable to handle the heavy traffic congestion that will result when Dog Road is closed, he said. 

"We understand this will likely cause an inconvenience to many people who typically cross Dog Row on a daily basis," said Mr. Weis. "But we currently have a force protection/anti-terrorism and safety concern, we need to take care of it."