The Air Force Is NOT Amused About People Threatening To Storm Area 51
Sometimes, the internet can really get itself into trouble. Unless you've been living under a rock over the past week, you've probably seen a slew of memes joking about people storming Area 51, a Nevada military base that's rumored to hold aliens and other extraterrestrial life. Of course, the chances of people actually getting into the military base are slim to none, but the U.S. Air Force's response to storming Area 51 is trying to set the record straight.
The week of July 15, a Facebook event titled "Storm Area 51, They Can't Stop All Of Us" went viral, with over 1.6 million people listed as attending as of July 18, and apparently the U.S. military took notice. On Thursday, July 18, the U.S. Air Force released a statement to ABC News in response to jokes that people planned to storm Area 51. The statement read,
The United States Air Force is aware of the Facebook post. The Nevada Test and Training Range is an area where the Air Force tests and trains combat aircraft. As a matter of practice, we do not discuss specific security measures, but any attempt to illegally access military installations or military training areas is dangerous.
Oh come on Air Force, can't you take a joke? It's all in good fun.
Elite Daily reached out to the Air Force and the Department of Defense (DOD) for further comment on the U.S. Air Force's statement, but did not hear back in time for publication.
Most people believe that the whole event is just a joke, but clearly the U.S. Air Force isn't taking any chances. After all, Area 51 is one of the most guarded and mysterious military bases in the United States, and the general public is prohibited from stepping foot on the property. The base is home to the the Nevada Test and Training Range (NTTR), which consists of 2.9 million acres of land and 5,000 square miles of airspace. So clearly there's a lot of room in that military base, but what they do inside those walls is up for question.
The mystique surrounding Area 51 has created several conspiracy theories about what is held and done on the property. The most popular theory is that Area 51 holds extraterrestrial life — namely, aliens. So, once the Facebook event was posted, many Twitter users expressed their excitement at the possibility of seeing an alien or crash-landed UFO in person (that is, if they really do exist).
Of course, there's no evidence to prove that aliens exist or that Area 51 is home to crashed UFOs, but Twitter clearly wants to believe.
Even though it's highly unlikely that this event will actually occur, anything can happen. For those who wish they could take part in the "festivities," but can't afford a plane ticket (or, you know, don't want to go up against the U.S. Air Force), the event's website has a ton of merchandise for sale that will make you feel like you stormed the military base alongside everyone else.
Whether this Area 51 event will actually happen or not is still up in the area. But clearly, the U.S. Air Force isn't playing any games. In the meantime, I'll be rocking my "I survived Area 51" tee-shirt with style.
