OCTOBER 13, 2023 — Effective Jan. 1, 2024, you will need a REAL ID to access Fort Gregg-Adams.
Installation physical security specialists will no longer solely accept a state-issued identification that does not meet the REAL ID Act of 2005 standards.
All Department of Defense-issued identification cards—to include a Common Access Card—will be accepted.
According to the Directorate of Emergency Services, the purpose of REAL ID is to make identity documents more consistent and secure.
The REAL ID Act, passed by Congress in 2005, enacted the 9/11 Commission’s recommendation that the Federal Government “set standards for the issuance of sources of identification, such as driver’s licenses.”
The Act established minimum security standards for license issuance and production and prohibits certain federal agencies from accepting for certain purposes driver’s licenses and identification cards from states not meeting the Act’s minimum standards.
As of March 26, 2021, 55 states and territories are fully compliant with the REAL ID requirements, according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. To see the various states’ compliance status visit: https://www.dhs.gov/real-id
REAL ID-compliant cards will have a star marking on the upper top portion of the card. If the card does not have one of these markings, it is not REAL ID-compliant and won’t be accepted as proof of identity to access the base.
Those licenses and identification cards not REAL ID compliant will clearly state on their face that the card is not acceptable for official purposes (Not Valid for Federal Purposes, Not For Use as Federal Identification, Federal Limits Apply, or any other similar phrase).
The U.S. Department of Defense recently finalized an update to its DoD-Wide installation security policy and is in the process of no longer accepting noncompliant marked cards across all its facilities and installations (DoD Manual 5200.08, Volume 3). DoD Component heads and installation commanders will accept all types of credentials listed in Section 5 as acceptable for their type of installation.
Fort Gregg-Adams is considered an installation with electronic physical access control system (ePACS)-enabled DoD installations with Identity Matching Engine for Security and Analysis Functionality.
According to DES, per guidance from higher headquarters, if the ID is not a real-ID compliant identification card, people are still required to provide a second form of identification for identification verification, such as a U.S. passport or a certified birth certificate.
The following combinations of source identity documents will be accepted:
- TWIC (Transportation Workers Identification Card) used in conjunction with a driver’s license issued by a State, territory, possession, or the District of Columbia that is not REAL ID-compliant bearing the same name and similar photograph. In this situation:
- The TWIC is the credential used to establish identity for the purpose of access control.
- The non-REAL ID-compliant driver’s license is used to establish identity for the purpose of force protection.
- VHIC (Veteran’s Health Identification Card) used in conjunction with a driver’s license issued by a State, territory, possession, or the District of Columbia that is not REAL ID-compliant bearing the same name and similar photograph. In this situation:
- The VHIC is the credential used to establish identity for the purpose of access control.
- The non-REAL ID-compliant driver’s license is used to establish identity for the purpose of force protection.
- Original or certified true copy of a birth certificate bearing a raised seal, social security card, and driver’s license issued by a State, territory, possession, or the District of Columbia that is not REAL ID-compliant. All three documents must bear the same name, or a former name as documented on acceptable name change documentation such as a court order, marriage certificate, or divorce decree. In this situation:
- The birth certificate and social security card are used to establish identity for the purpose of access control.
- The non-REAL ID-compliant driver’s license is used to establish identity for the purpose of force protection.
Visitor(s) requesting access without a REAL ID Act compliant form of identification or cannot provide supplemental identity proofing documents as listed above are subject to denial of access.
Digital driver’s licenses or identifications are not accepted and cannot be used as a form of identification for the purpose of identity vetting to gain escorted or unescorted access to Army Installations.
First-time visitors or personnel with expired passes must register online or at the Visitor Control Center, which is open 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. weekdays. Visitors may expedite this process by submitting a pre-approval request, which is highly encouraged for those personnel outside of the state/local area.
Those already entered into the system with a valid access pass, or possessing a Common Access Card (CAC), Military ID, Military Dependent ID, or a federal government-issued PIV, may enter post as normal.
More information, including the full list of acceptable secondary ID, is available at https://home.army.mil/greggadams/about/visitor-information and 804-734-5053.
Story by Chad Menegay
Fort Gregg-Adams