Common base-access rules unlikely until 2012

[unhappycamper]

Common base-access rules unlikely until 2012
By Rick Maze - Staff writer
Posted : Wednesday May 7, 2008 6:26:59 EDT

The Defense Department said it cannot meet a Jan. 1 deadline to craft a defensewide policy for allowing entry to installations and is asking for more time.

Congress has ordered standard access rules, including policies for who is allowed to enter and how visitors are screened, to be in place by the start of the 2009 calendar year, but Pentagon officials, citing a variety of hurdles, said they don’t expect to be ready until Oct. 1, 2012.

One problem: Some identity verification procedures require coordination with other federal agencies, such as special programs to identify truckers, electronic passport screening for foreign visitors, and Terrorist Watch List improvements, defense officials said in an April 25 notice to the House and Senate armed services committees.

A second problem is the need for procedures to screen civilians who have no military affiliation and are just passing through military land. In some cases, people need access to travel on highways through bases. In other cases, local emergency vehicles need to pass through parts of bases to serve civilian populations.

Some installations are home to national cemeteries visited by the public, and the military also needs to find a way to screen public transportation, such as transit buses or taxis, to allow public school buses to pass through.


Rest of article at: http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/05/military_base_accessrules_050608w/