An unspecified threat against MacDill Air Force Base resulted in the evacuation of the MacDill Inn on Thursday night, the base reported on its Facebook page.
About three hours later, the base said the threat was "cleared" and "normal operations" resumed at the hotel.
The 350-room hotel, located on the east side of the Tampa instillation, was evacuated "out of abundance of caution," the post said. The hotel offers lodging mostly for temporary duty personnel.
"We take all threats seriously and are taking appropriate measures to prioritize the safety and security of our installation," the base said. "As a matter of policy, we will not release specifics on what security measures have been implemented."
This is the third security-related incident at the base in the past month.
On March 16, an explosive device was found near a gate that prompted a temporary lockdown and emergency response while authorities assessed the threat. The device went undiscovered for nearly a week, but the investigation developed quickly after it was found, the base said.
Days later, a man who fled to China was indicted along with his sister in Tampa on federal charges, and their mother hwas detained pending deportation for overstaying her visa, a federal prosecutor said.
Another man was arrested on charges of making threatening phone calls to the base March 18, though investigators haven’t accused that caller of planting any devices.
The base is the headquarters for U.S. Central Command, which directs military operations in the Middle East — including the United States' involvement in the war with Iran. MacDill has been on heightened alert since the war began.
