Bellevue Gate closing Published Dec. 15, 2014 55th Wing Public Affairs OFFUTT AIR FORCE BASE, Neb. -- The Bellevue Gate is scheduled to close for the foreseeable future starting Dec. 30. The gate does not meet certain installation requirements and its closure will help the 55th Security Forces Squadron mitigate operational requirement issues, such as upcoming deployments and physical security concerns. "The safety and security of Team Offutt and their families is first and foremost, so we must close the Bellevue Gate at this time," said U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. Gregory Guillot, 55th Wing commander. "Security forces personnel have been, and continue to be, one of the most tasked career fields in the Air Force, and even more so here at Offutt," he added. "Our defenders have been on 12-hour shifts for more than a year now and will continue these shifts for quite some time. Therefore, we need to make some significant adjustments to accommodate our teammates." The closure will be reevaluated in the future, but since July 2012, the Bellevue Gate has only been open Monday through Friday under reduced hours due to low usage rates. And with the proximity of the Kenney Gate, its closure should not have a significant impact to base personnel. "We understand the closure may inconvenience Team Offutt members who use the gate on a daily basis, but we hope that everyone understands that it is being closed to alleviate physical security concerns," Guillot said. "We have been fortunate here at Offutt to have that gate for a long as we have, as most bases do not have gates that provide such direct access to local businesses." During routine threat assessments conducted by a multitude of agencies, the Bellevue Gate has continuously been marked as a possible security concern. "The 55th Security Forces Squadron will continue to adapt and overcome any physical security concerns to Offutt and its community," said U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Ted Breuker, 55th SFS commander. "Closing the Bellevue Gate will help fill a critical gap in operational requirements and will allow us to more effectively employ our personnel to continue safeguarding Team Offutt." The STRATCOM Gate as well as the Kenney Gate, commonly referred to as the Flag Gate, will remain open 24 hours a day. With the closure, it is expected that the Kenney Gate will see an increase in traffic as it provides direct access to Bellevue and Nebraska Highway 370. "Team Offutt has a great relationship with the surrounding community and we appreciate their support and understanding during this change," Guillot said.