RE: http://www.military.com/features/0,15240,146715,00.html

Its still 100% ID check at the gate.

Eh, I've never had a sticker on my vehicle, and I've gotten onto plenty of military bases with no problem.

It's all about the ID check.

quote:

Originally posted by biggatorsc:
Its still 100% ID check at the gate.

And will be for probably the rest of our lives.

.05

I firmly believe in the 100% ID check and don't mind waiting to gain entry!!

I think the decals were a good idea but since it's 100% ID check there is no reason to have a decal on your window. It's a hassle to get one and even worse if you have to replace your windshield because of rocks. Just abandon the sticker program and use ID cards for access.

The two problems I have with this are:

1. I was going onto Pax River NAS and was stopped and almost not permitted entry because I did not have a decal, although I had ID. She said it was because I had no decal. Are the other services going to do away with them?
2. The decals give indication, at a glance, if a vehicle is authorized on base. Say someone got a day-pass at the gate then threw it away. How would anyone know if that vehicle was authorized or not?

perhaps they could do a system like the fastrack we use for bridges and tolls. It could be a non-descript electronic box that registers with the gate at a base. since it will have an unique id, it could be easily recorded to a database. it will also help in trying to track down servicemen in case of recall or maybe just a jealous wife.

quote:

just a jealous wife.

Now that right there is a good enough reason to discontinue the decals by itself.

quote:

Originally posted by sw614:
The two problems I have with this are:

1. I was going onto Pax River NAS and was stopped and almost not permitted entry because I did not have a decal, although I had ID. She said it was because I had no decal. Are the other services going to do away with them?
2. The decals give indication, at a glance, if a vehicle is authorized on base. Say someone got a day-pass at the gate then threw it away. How would anyone know if that vehicle was authorized or not?

I know pax river well ... my brother lives just outside of that station and I know fully well what you are talking about. My wife's Volvo doesn't have a sticker on it, and since I don't drive it to work I never worried about it ... but since I go up that way often I know what their requirements are and stop at the shack to get a 3 day pass so I won't be hassled at the gates.

I have always been stopped at the gate and asked for my ID as well as the once over on the sticker or pass in the window.

Comply w/ requirements and you'll never go wrong.

Then I hope the USAF becomes consisant. When I was at FE Warren, WY, last July, they insisted I had to get a visitors pass because I didn't have a base decal. I live by Ellsworth AFB, SD, which does not require a decal. It took me nearly a half-hour to get on the base even though I had an ID card to show! If the USAF does away with the decal, then all bases need to do away with the decal!

More long lines just for ID checks when the base decal was a view and wave through. I also remember when living on a SAC Base and you had a visitor come to see you, they were stopped at the main gate, you were called to verify their pressence and then you had to drive to the main gate to escort them on base. After the visit, you escorted them back to the gate so they could leave the installation. It also seems more AF bases are using "civilians" to man the gates and check ID's. NEVER would have happened in 'old SAC'!!!! Just a retirted Major with 26 years combined service including enlisted.

This only works if ALL branches of the military are on the same system. We are Air Force, but get all our health care at the Army base right by our house and it is a total pain. We have to go through the visitors gate each visit and get a temporary pass for our car. It is one military and needs to react that way.

I was at the 416th Bomb Wing (Griffiss) in the early 80s, and we had DoD cops working with the SPs. Used to call them "rent-a-cops."

Remember those guys? Were DoD employees, but civilians nonetheless.

Things are different these days. Back then, we weren't worried much about civilians doing hostile penetrations (though we did have one in 1983 at Griffiss by Ploughshares). Now we have a terrorist threat to contend with.

quote:

Originally posted by off2wdw:
This only works if ALL branches of the military are on the same system. We are Air Force, but get all our health care at the Army base right by our house and it is a total pain. We have to go through the visitors gate each visit and get a temporary pass for our car. It is one military and needs to react that way.

Just register your vehicle on post, get the decal and problem solved. That's what I did. Ft Polk Louisiana..

It's about friggin' time. I don't know how many times I suggested this to my chain of command. I remember joking with my Commander and thanking him for having a designated space outside our ops center. He looked at me with a puzzled look and wondered why. I told him that I figured my car was safe as long as somebody saw his car with the BIG sign in front of it.

Even with stickers on the windshield, I still get asked for my ID every time I go to the local base. Each installation seems to have a different entrance criteria based on the assets on the base.

Even now, the group I work with, gets briefed about unit associations, etc. I always get a chuckle out of it, because we all have base decals on our cars, yet work in different locations that don't want us to be associated with the base! MAy as well put a big bullseye on our cars.

I'll be scraping the decals off as soon as I get confirmation from the base security personnel.

Did they do away with special US Forces plates overseas yet?

Well certainly the Services' continuing aminosity towards one another has prevented a common vehicle ID system in the past. But I suppose by eliminating it no one has to sit down and dream up an intelligent and workable system. Better to ignore it and hope it just goes away.

I'd love to see how Air Force is going to enforce a vehicle emissions test for those vehicles licensed in states where such tests are not required on a regular basis.

When I was in SAC, I know Curtis LeMay is rolling over in his grave, we needed a base sticker AND military ID to get on base. You had to have BOTH. I know the sticker has some short comings, but all forms of ID do. Short of doing a retinal scan or thumb print check, some sort of ID is required. At least if the sticker is in place it shows that you've gotten "approved" to approach the gate. The military ID gets you through that gate. If the first line of defense is missing, the sticker, you will at least be throughly checked even if you do have an ID. And at the very least that means proper registration and insurnace. Almost all states require auto insurance now, the argument that all states don't require it is bogus. If nothing else the military requires that you have insurnace to get on base as well as those people that are dependants MUST also be on the list of people authorized to drive your vehicle on base as well. And must fullfil the same requirements as the military member of proper state registation and insurnace. So I think getting rid of the window sticker is not a good idea. If nothing else it should be improved from a counterfitting stand point.

quote:

Originally posted by AIMWO4:
It's about friggin' time. I don't know how many times I suggested this to my chain of command. I remember joking with my Commander and thanking him for having a designated space outside our ops center. He looked at me with a puzzled look and wondered why. I told him that I figured my car was safe as long as somebody saw his car with the BIG sign in front of it.

Even with stickers on the windshield, I still get asked for my ID every time I go to the local base. Each installation seems to have a different entrance criteria based on the assets on the base.

Even now, the group I work with, gets briefed about unit associations, etc. I always get a chuckle out of it, because we all have base decals on our cars, yet work in different locations that don't want us to be associated with the base! MAy as well put a big bullseye on our cars.

I'll be scraping the decals off as soon as I get confirmation from the base security personnel.

Did they do away with special US Forces plates overseas yet?

Not yet.

In Germany, there's an EU-look plate that's available, but there's also an option to get the local German plate.

In Belgium, the country has a special blue plate that looks like the national plate. Belgium has several different licence plates for international staffs there (NATO, EU, SHAPE).

Italy has a pretty obvious one; I heard that there's a for-fee option with the local Italian plate, but cannot confirm that.

The troops in the UK has a plate that looks very similar to the national plate.

I don't know what's going on the Far East.

quote:

Originally posted by TsgtTharin:

quote:

Originally posted by sw614:
The two problems I have with this are:

1. I was going onto Pax River NAS and was stopped and almost not permitted entry because I did not have a decal, although I had ID. She said it was because I had no decal. Are the other services going to do away with them?
2. The decals give indication, at a glance, if a vehicle is authorized on base. Say someone got a day-pass at the gate then threw it away. How would anyone know if that vehicle was authorized or not?

I know pax river well ... my brother lives just outside of that station and I know fully well what you are talking about. My wife's Volvo doesn't have a sticker on it, and since I don't drive it to work I never worried about it ... but since I go up that way often I know what their requirements are and stop at the shack to get a 3 day pass so I won't be hassled at the gates.

I have always been stopped at the gate and asked for my ID as well as the once over on the sticker or pass in the window.

Comply w/ requirements and you'll never go wrong.

I live in North Carolina and use Cherry Point Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) At MCAS Cherry Point you MUST have the DOD sticker on ur windshield, in fact down the road at Camp Lajaune,(probably misspelled), they have NC HWY 172 that runs through the base and was always open for thru traffic. A few months ago the commanding general of the base implemented the order that only vehicles with DOD stickers are allowed on the base. This really teed-off the locals who have always used this shortcut around Jacksonville NC. My son home on leave had a rental car and was refused entry because he had NO DOD sticker, even thou he had an active duty ID, NO GO. SO if you steal a vehicle from a MARINE you get on base. They no longer have 100% ID Checks. Well maybe once every couple of months, but thats it.