New security requirements for visitors at Beale AFB
Beale Air Force Base has implemented new security requirements for visitors to gain entry onto the military installation.
The base began enforcing requirements set by the Real ID Act, established in 2005, this past January. The act requires that drivers licenses or state identification cards be issued only to persons who provide the Department of Motor Vehicles with proof of citizenship, birth and legal name.
Immigrants must supply a valid visa or naturalization papers in order to obtain a license or ID card under the law.
“Most federal IDs are in compliance,” said Tech. Sgt. Julian Jones, who oversees gate security. “It’s the driver’s licenses that we’re having issues with.”
California driver’s licenses will be accepted to gain entry to federal facilities, including Beale, until Oct. 17, according to the Department of Homeland Security website. California has been granted an extension to become compliant with the act.
“All 50 states are not completely in compliance yet,” Jones said. “And because of that we’re constantly updating our list (of forms of acceptable identification)."
He said if civilians, who have never served in the military, are confused about gaining entry to the base, the best way to know what to bring is to call ahead (Beale Law Enforcement Office at 634-2131).
“I literally cover this for a living and it’s confusing for me,” he said. “It’s always changing, it’s always a revolving door around which states are compliant.”
The most common federally-issued IDs include valid passports, Social Security cards and Department of Defense common access cards, which include cards issued to contractors, Veteran Affairs ID cards, and IDs issued to military retirees and their families.
Pacific Coast states whose drivers license requirements are not in compliance, and require a supplemental federal ID to get past the Beale AFB security gate, include both Oregon and Washington state, according to the DHS website. Nevada is in compliance.
“Most of the nonmilitary people that come out here already have a sponsor on the base,” Jones said.
If a civilian is escorted by military personnel for “100 percent” of their time on base, one form of ID is acceptable.
“A lot of bases like ours you can still can be escorted on base,” Jones said. “We already trust them to bring on someone who is going to be a good ambassador to the United States.