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3 Afghan soldiers missing from Cape Cod base

Vehicles are stopped by security personal as they enter a gate Monday, Sept. 22, 2014, to Camp Edwards, Mass., on Cape Cod. Police and military officials were searching Monday for three soldiers from the Afghanistan National Army who went missing Saturday during a training exercise at the base. The Afghan soldiers had been participating in a U.S. Central Command Regional Cooperation training exercise at Joint Base Cape Cod, at Camp Edwards, U.S. military officials said. (AP Photo/Steven Senne) Vehicles are stopped by security personal as they enter a gate Monday, Sept. 22, 2014, to Camp Edwards, Mass., on Cape Cod. Police and military officials were searching Monday for three soldiers from the Afghanistan National Army who went missing Saturday during a training exercise at the base. The Afghan soldiers had been participating in a U.S. Central Command Regional Cooperation training exercise at Joint Base Cape Cod, at Camp Edwards, U.S. military officials said. (AP Photo/Steven Senne)

By Associated Press September 22, 2014 2 min read

BOSTON (AP) – As police and U. S. military officials searched for three Afghanistan National Army officers who went missing during a training exercise at a Cape Cod military base, Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick said one of the possibilities being investigated is that they may be trying to find a way to stay in the United States.

Patrick said Monday that the military does not believe the three soldiers pose a danger to the public.

“I don’t have a reason to believe that they pose a threat. They were vetted by the military, they were cleared by the military,” Patrick told reporters while he visited a preschool program in Quincy.

“There is a lot of speculation within the military that they may be trying to defect,” he said.

Lt. Col. James Sahady of the Massachusetts National Guard said there were no details to report on the search Monday.