JOINT BASE LANGLEY-EUSTIS, Va. –
The first thing anyone passes before entering Langley Air Force Base or Fort Eustis is the ever-imposing gate. Most simply hold out their identification and give a casual greeting before they take off for their daily tasks. But what happens if that daily task involves endangering every resident of either base?
It isn't a pleasant thought.
Luckily, there are going to be some changes around Joint Base Langley-Eustis to ensure everyone who passes through the gate is welcome.
"We want to make Langley a hardened target," said Tech. Sgt. Jorge Davila, the 633rd Security Forces NCO in charge of the Langley AFB pass and registration office. "The changes deal with visitors to Langley."
Visitors to Langley are allowed a few options for accessing the base, said Davila. Visitors can either be escorted or sponsored.
"Escorts are required to be with their visitor," stated Davila. He continued to say visitors with sponsors are allowed freedom from their sponsor. There are also regulations for entry authority lists for base events that will include visitors.
Sponsors can call pass and registration ahead of time for a visitor they are expecting to expedite the process. Any personnel with an EAL turn it in five to 10 days before the event in order for the pass and registration office to complete the approval process in time for the event.
All visitors must be vetted, said Davila, which means they must provide proof of identification and their social security number.
Afterwards, their information will be put through the Virginia Criminal Investigative Network. If the visitor clears the check as determined by Air Force Instruction 31-113 and the commander, the visitor is allowed on base.
An escort is the easiest and quickest method to have a visitor on base. Active and retired military members, Department of Defense civilians and adult dependents must be in the same vehicle as the visitor. The visitor will not be vetted but still must provide a form of identification.
"Escorted visitors are treated as trusted and do not require vetting," said Capt. Charlene Campbell, 733rd Security Forces Squadron operations officer at Fort Eustis, concerning escort procedures at Fort Eustis.
Fort Eustis also vets non-DoD affiliated visitors, said Campbell. A difference between Fort Eustis and Langley AFB is the background check. Fort Eustis runs the information through the National Crime Information Center database, the Terrorist Screening database and other sources determined by the commander.
Both Langley AFB and Fort Eustis will soon be switching to the Defense Biometric Identification System that is already utilized on other bases. Although a time has not been identified for the change, Davila and Campbell guarantee that both installations plan to implement DBIDS.
For more information on Langley AFB entry procedures, call 757-764-1686 or contact Davila at
jorge.davila@us.af.mil. For Fort Eustis, call 757-878-1451 or contact Campbell at
charlene.campbell@us.army.mil.