I am alive enough to recognise complacency when I read about it
Soddim, no offence meant with the 'brain dead' comment, but surely you didn't need to read your paper to realise that security can be improved everywhere within the military?? How many times have you heard (like I have) people complain that their ID wasn't checked? Or that they held up a bank card and got on? It isn't that uncommon, and it's been covered here on Pprune before, yet the same old bad habits, complacency, and sheer boredom take over.
As an aside, I flew from southern Germany to Scotland via Stansted this week. Without any changing of clothes etc, I managed to set off the metal detector in Germany which resulted in another walk through without my belt or shoes on and a thorough (professional) body search; yet when I got to England the detector went off and I was merely given a crap search (didn't even check the small of my back) and asked to show the soles of my shoes! Just goes to show how the same 'threat' at different places is met with a different response.
Never did find out what set it off mind you - must be all that swarf in my hands!!