FORT BENNING, Ga., (Nov. 19, 2014) -- Jan. 1, those who attempt to enter Fort Benning without a government-issued identification card will be subject to a background check before being allowed to enter the installation.
This step is being taken to ensure that Fort Benning is in compliance with Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12, which requires installations to vet 100 percent of visitors and uncleared contractors prior to entering the installation.
"For the Soldier, Family member or civilians who already have a common access card or military ID, it isn't going to affect them," said Chief of Department of the Army Security Guards Matthew Dillon. "They're still going to come through the gate showing that same card."
However, any CAC or military ID holder who does not have their identification with them will be treated as a visitor.
"Right now, we accept driver's licenses," Dillon said. "Beginning Jan. 1, if you show a driver's license at the gate and we ask you for a government-issued ID card and you don't produce it, you will be considered a visitor, even if you are in uniform. You'll be turned around, sent back and you'll have to go through the background check and be issued a temporary pass to get on the installation. Or, you'll be denied access and somebody can then bring you your ID."
In a change from current practice, not all gates will accept visitors. Instead, all visitor traffic will be routed to the Interstate 185 access control point and all trucks that weigh 5 tons or more will be sent to the Harmony Church ACP.
"Our hope in the future is that we'll be able to facilitate this through automation at any gate," Dillon said. But, right now, the only place we'll be doing visitor control is at the Interstate 185 gate. Harmony Church will be a backfill where we'll be sending all the trucks. All 5-ton and above trucks will be sent to Harmony Church, which has a marshaling area big enough for the large trucks. We don't have those marshaling areas at the other gates."
Background checks will be conducted using the National Crime Information Center Interstate Identification Index, a Federal Bureau of Investigation database Dillon said will provide criminal histories from all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
Currently, Fort Benning is in the process of clearing as many people as possible, with a focus on contractors.
"The number one focus is vetting uncleared contractors," Dillon said. "An uncleared contractor is someone who does not possess a CAC card. If they have a military ID, that does not work for their contract. I'm a retiree and I have a military ID, but I need to have a CAC card for my current job. ... Between now and Jan. 1, we are trying to prevet all of these uncleared contractors. We're running background checks and getting them CAC cards in accordance with the requirements."
A visitor can be disqualified for access based on 11 different factors, but Dillon said only two of those factors will not take mitigating circumstances into account.
"There are only two that cannot be mitigated, and those are if we cannot verify your identity or if you are on a terrorist watch list," he said. "In both of those cases, you will be denied access. Everything else can be mitigated, but there is a mitigation process that you'll have to go through."
In addition, all visitors will need a valid reason for coming onto the installation or will need a government sponsor.
"The bottom line is if you do not have a valid reason to be on the installation and you do not have a government sponsor, you're not going to be coming on Fort Benning," Dillon said. "For example, anyone who is applying for a job at AAFES and is coming out to AAFES for an interview, AAFES is their sponsor for that visit. That's a valid reason to be here. If I just want to come out and look at Fort Benning, unless I have a sponsor who is willing to bring me, I'm going to be denied access."
Also, every person in a car who does not have a common access card, military ID or automated installation entry card must complete a background check.
"In the past, if a car came and needed to get a pass to get in and you had 10 people in the car, one person came and got the pass and the car went through," Dillon said. "Now, everyone has to have the pass."
Currently, Dillon said background checks are expected to take about 10 minutes each, and considerations are being made to try and alleviate traffic at the I-185 ACP.
Staggered report times for workers after the holidays has been discussed, as has routing traffic to various other ACPs. Also, CAC or military ID holders are advised to avoid lanes marked for visitors, as those lanes marked CAC/MIL will move at a faster pace.
Also, visitors to the installation who are accompanied by a CAC, military ID or AIE card holder will be allowed to enter without a background check.
"If they're escorted by a government card-holding sponsor, that sponsor is responsible for them the entire time they're on the installation," Dillon said. "They're with them at all times. If they leave their side and don't know their whereabouts, then they're in violation."
While the changes may seem drastic, Dillon said Fort Benning will continue to try and accommodate as many visitors as possible.
"There are different events that will allow us to do different things, so if the public is invited to come out for something, we still want them to come out," he said. "These are areas where we may be able to do some mitigation to allow people to come out without a background check. We had 10,000 visitors for the 4th of July, and those are people we want to see out here. It's good for the military, it's good for the installation and it's good for Columbus and Phenix City."
The changes to ACP procedures could also impact Family members who attempt to attend various graduation ceremonies, something that is being taken into account.
"If a Family member has a Soldier getting ready to graduate from one of these schools, we're clearly going to have Family members, friends and loved ones that want to come out here and see graduations," Dillon said. "We're trying to get the word out to them early through the brigades and through the units so that they've got the ability to be notified where to go to get access to the installation and it may be something where we'll run a special event gate with a list of names and everyone coming for that event will go to that specific gate.
"We could also prevet them well in advance so they will know whether or not to even make arrangements to come."
While this is a DoD-wide initiative, Dillon said Fort Benning's unique circumstances are being taken into account.
"Fort Benning is different than other installations that might have FORSCOM Soldiers and not as many graduations," he said. "Every Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, we've got a large influx of visitors, so we are going to look a lot different than other installations. We are planning on 9,600 non-CAC, non-military ID visitors or contractors daily, which is a big number. For comparison, Fort Bragg, North Carolina, averages 91,000 for the entire year."
Each visitor pass that is issued will be managed digitally, and its period of use will depend on the nature of the visit. For example, a Family member visiting a Soldier over the holidays may be able to obtain a pass that will be valid for a week or more, and other situations with mitigating circumstances will be taken into consideration.
Overall, Dillon said the impact on those who have a CAC or military ID should be minimal, provided they remember to always carry that card with them.
"Everybody who has a CAC card or military ID needs to get in the habit of carrying that with them," he said. "Do not leave it in your computer or at home."
Disqualifying factors for access to Fort Benning
Derogatory information that would bar installation access includes, but is not limited to, the following:
1. The National Crime Information Center Interstate Identification Index contains criminal arrest information about the individual that causes the installation commander to determine the individual presents a potential threat to good order, discipline, or health and safety of the installation.
2. The installation is unable to verify the individual's claimed identity based on the reasonable belief that the individual submitted fraudulent information concerning his or her identity in the attempt to gain access.
3. The individual has a current arrest warrant in NCIC, regardless of the offense or violation.
4. The individual is currently barred from entry to a federal installation or facility.
5. The individual has been convicted of crimes encompassing sexual assault, armed robbery, rape, child molestation, production or possession of child pornography, trafficking in humans, drug possession with intent to sell or drug distribution.
6. The individual has a U.S. conviction for espionage, sabotage or treason.
7. The individual is a registered sex offender.
8. The individual has a felony conviction within the past 10 years, regardless of the offense or violation.
9. The individual has been convicted of a felony firearms or explosives violation.
10. The individual has engaged in acts or activities designed to overthrow the U.S. government by force.
11. The individual is identified in the Terrorist Screening database as a known to be or suspected of being a terrorist or belonging to an organization with known links to terrorism or support of terrorist activity.
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