FORT SILL, Okla. (Feb. 12, 2015) -- The new Fort Sill Visitor Control Center (VCC) at Bentley Gate on Sheridan Road opened Feb. 9.
Adult visitors to the post who do not have a Defense Department (DoD) identification cards will undergo a criminal background check at the VCC. If they pass, they are issued temporary visitor's passes that shows their name, reason for visit and expiration date.
Passes can be for four days or 30 days. A temporary pass, shown with an ID, allows the visitor access through any gate.
For visitors or workers requiring access to Fort Sill for more than 30 days, a one-year pass can be issued.
Since the VCC soft opening Jan. 20, workers have been busy issuing passes to contract workers, and employees who regularly come on post, i.e., teachers, construction workers and delivery and shuttle services.
In the last week, 7,000 applicants have gone through the VCC, said Col. Glenn Waters, Fort Sill Garrison commander, on Feb. 11.
"The general comment I get is: 'that was easy, you know that it's a lot easier than going through the airport,'" Waters said.
Of those 7,000, 250 were denied access and about 40 of them have appealed. Waters reviews each appeal and has the authority to approve it.
If a visitor is the driver of a vehicle and under age 18, he or she is required to go through the VCC.
There are no changes for post access for those with DoD-issued cards, including Common Access Cards, and family members and military retirees. Waters said he expects the surge of visitors should level off in the next couple weeks.
For major events, such as the Special Olympics in March, visitors will still get passes, but special measures will be in place to efficiently handle the numbers, the colonel said.
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has sent letters to patients at its Lawton-Fort Sill Outpatient Clinic notifying them of the post access change. It stresses that a VA-issued health care card is not sufficient to enter the post.
The VCC is open 24/7. It features four work stations and the capability to open two additional service desks. The waiting area can accommodate over 40 people, and has a telephone and restroom facilities. There is parking for 50 vehicles, including handicapped parking, as well as overflow parking. The outside area is lit by floodlamps.
The VCC is setup as a four-wide mobile home in Building T6701 as a temporary facility. A permanent facility will open at the site of Sheridan Road Elementary School, which is slated to be razed after Freedom Elementary opens in May. The permanent VCC will open within a couple years, Waters said.
Other gates' operating hours will not be affected by the opening of the VCC. There has not been any problems with traffic flow on Sheridan Road since the VCC opened, said Bob Pirtle, Directorate of Emergency Services director. If congestion, or access problems develop, DES officials will address them.
Visitors to Fort Sill will need to fill out an FS-Form 118a. They can do this at the VCC, or beforehand by getting the document online. Visit http://sill-www.army.mil/. Near the middle of the home page are links for various visitor access forms, as well as a link for more information.
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