New Visitor Access Requirements at Ft Myer?

[acorn]

I have been going through with my plain old federal hspd-12 compliant non-DOD id now for the last week, same as I have for years. On Friday afternoon, when I went through Wright gate, there was a sign (and maybe it had been there for a while) saying that if you are a non-fed visitor you need to go through Hatfield.

[dasgeh]

@acorn 111349 wrote:

I have been going through with my plain old federal hspd-12 compliant non-DOD id now for the last week, same as I have for years. On Friday afternoon, when I went through Wright gate, there was a sign (and maybe it had been there for a while) saying that if you are a non-fed visitor you need to go through Hatfield.

Thanks for the update. Any chance you could take a picture of the sign and post? Thanks

[acorn]

@dasgeh 111380 wrote:

Thanks for the update. Any chance you could take a picture of the sign and post? Thanks

I think they might shoot me if I start taking pictures- it is right by the guard booth.

[dasgeh]

@acorn 111394 wrote:

I think they might shoot me if I start taking pictures- it is right by the guard booth.

I get it. If you don’t mind asking if it’s OK and trying, it would be really helpful. You can tell them we’ve been working with base command and keep being told conflicting stories. Last we heard, the Wright Gate would be open to all cyclists and pedestrians until April 16th. So if there are restrictions now, we need to know.

[chris_s]

@acorn 111349 wrote:

I have been going through with my plain old federal hspd-12 compliant non-DOD id now for the last week, same as I have for years. On Friday afternoon, when I went through Wright gate, there was a sign (and maybe it had been there for a while) saying that if you are a non-fed visitor you need to go through Hatfield.

This is, in theory, true right now for automotive traffic. It will be true for bikes & peds starting April 16.

[chris_s]

As far as I know, this starts getting enforced for people on bikes this Friday. Has anyone gotten an AEI?

[chris_s]

Things don’t seem to be off to a great start…

[acorn]

This morning, as I passed through Hatfield gate (2nd St) with my federal ID, I saw another cyclist who had only a drivers’ license being turned back. The guard was explaining the process for getting the new authorization to her. I should have stuck around and listened but I was running late.

I haven’t had any problems going through either Hatfield or Wright gates with my federal ID, though.

I would happily lend support to any effort to convince the authorities that non-federal cyclists are not likely to pose a danger on the base.

[chris_s]

Had a fairly long conversation with the Public Relations at the Joint Base today and got some clarifications.

1) Non-DoD ID Bikes & Peds are basically only allowed on base with an AIE Pass or to get an AIE Pass, even through the 2nd Street Gate.
2) Anyone with a DoD badge that knows you can sponsor you for your AIE pass (which gets you a pass good for a year instead of 60 days) It’s NOT limited to folks at the Fort, etc.

[dasgeh]

@chris_s 114322 wrote:

1) Non-DoD ID Bikes & Peds are basically only allowed on base with an AIE Pass or to get an AIE Pass, even through the 2nd Street Gate.
.

Is this true with cars, too? What about those visiting facilities on base that are open to the public (thrift store, bowling alley or officer’s club if meeting a member/fed employee)?

[chris_s]

@dasgeh 114326 wrote:

Is this true with cars, too? What about those visiting facilities on base that are open to the public (thrift store, bowling alley or officer’s club if meeting a member/fed employee)?

I pushed her on it and she got squirrely. I’m pretty sure the answer is “we’d let you on, but we really, really, really, really want you to get an AIE pass so we don’t have to run a background check on you every time you want to go to the bowling alley.”.

[acorn]

Saw another bicyclist turned back from the gate this morning… any updates on the policy? Has Arlington County weighed in yet? Has anyone gotten one of those AIE passes? I would love to be able to advise people in this situation when I see them at the gate.

[chris_s]

@acorn 115265 wrote:

Saw another bicyclist turned back from the gate this morning… any updates on the policy? Has Arlington County weighed in yet? Has anyone gotten one of those AIE passes? I would love to be able to advise people in this situation when I see them at the gate.

I know somebody who got an AIE pass, he said it was annoying but do-able. Definitely trying to find yourself a friend who is a DoD employee to sponsor you, otherwise you have to go through it all over again every 60 days instead of once a year.

[KLizotte]

According to the Bike Arlington web page:

[h=3]Fort Myer – Enhanced Access Control Press Release[/h] FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE #001
Date: February 27, 2015
Contact: Leah Rubalcaba, JBM-HH Public Affairs (703) 696-3283

JBM-HH enhanced access control – Requirements for bicyclists and pedestrians

On Feb. 16, Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall (JBM-HH) began implementation of the first phase of Secretary of the Army-directed access control measures to be phased in over the coming months. New requirements are for individuals who do not have a Department of Defense (DoD)-issued ID. These individuals will be directed to one of the two designated visitor gates for the joint base: Hatfield Gate at Washington Boulevard and South 2nd Street in Arlington, Va., on the Fort Myer portion of the joint base; and Second Street Gate at 2nd Street, south of P Street, in Washington, D.C., on the Fort McNair side.

Visitors will be subject to in-lane vetting (search lane inspection and criminal background vetting). The vetting will include a National Crime Information Center (NCIC-III) criminal history check prior to being granted access to the base. This applies to anyone wanting to get on the installation, whether travelling in a vehicle, by bicycle or on foot.

Individuals with DoD-issued IDs will be allowed access through any of the joint base’s gates during published hours of operation.

To avoid long lines and backups at the gates, visitors not affiliated with the DoD, have the opportunity to register and be vetted for an Automated Installation Entry (AIE) pass. To register for an AIE Pass, a JBM-HH access request form must be filled out and dropped off in person at the Visitor Control Center (VCC) at Fort Myer’s MP Station, Bldg. 415, between 8 a.m. and 3:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Beginning Saturday, March 14, the VCC will open with minimum staffing from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., on Saturdays and Sundays. Beginning March 16, the VCC will continue to open Monday through Friday beginning at 8 a.m., but its hours will be extended until 7 p.m., with minimum staffing from 3:30 to 7 p.m.

The access request form may be found online at the “JBM-HH enhanced access control – frequently asked questions” section of our website at: http://www.army.mil/article/142719/JBM_HH_enhanced_access_control___frequently_asked_questions/

Currently, the joint base is unable to accept pass applications online, as once reported, due to the Personally Identifiable Information (PII) the application necessarily contains. Online pass request registration will be allowed at a time when a registrant’s privacy can be insured.
Once a completed, signed form is turned in at the VCC, the joint base requires three business days turn-around time for vetting. Registrants are asked to make a copy of their signed access request form for their records before arriving on base, as copies will not be provided at the VCC. Once approved, a member of the VCC staff will notify the registrant, who will then return to the VCC to have his or her photo taken and be fingerprinted. The AIE pass is issued at this time. Registrants will also be notified if they fail the background check.
There are two types of AIE passes that may be issued: 1) A “sponsored” AIE pass is good for one year. This requires the registrant to be sponsored by someone who has a DoD ID card; 2) A “nonsponsored” AIE pass is good for 60 days. Anyone holding a “non-sponsored” AIE pass is subject to search. Once an AIE pass has expired, the pass holder will be required to re-register by filling out and submitting a new JBM-HH access request form and repeating the vetting process.
For clarification, a DoD ID is one issued by the Department of Defense – the U.S. Army, Marines, Navy, and Air Force – to its active duty personnel and their immediate family members; to Army, Marines, Navy and Air Force retirees and their immediate family members; and to its civilian personnel. This also includes personnel working for the Secretary of Defense. Please know that other federal agencies, such as the State Department and the Department of Homeland Security, and DoD contractors are not authorized to sponsor someone for an AIE pass.

Requirements for bicyclists and pedestrians

From now through April 16, bicyclists (who are not DoD ID card holders and who traverse the Fort Myer and Henderson Hall portions of Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall) will have the opportunity to be vetted and receive an AIE pass following the registration guidelines noted above. In the interim, up through April 16, bicyclists will be allowed access to traverse the base through any of its three operational gates during normal hours of operation:

• Hatfield Gate (Washington Blvd. at 2nd Street Bridge) open 24/7
• Wright Gate (Marshall Drive at North Meade Street) open 5 a.m.–11 p.m.
• Henderson Hall Gate 1 (Southgate Road at South Orme Street) open 5 a.m.–11 p.m. During this time, bicyclists will be required to show a valid, photo ID and follow the joint base’s rules for riding a bicycle on base:
• Wear an approved helmet that meets or exceeds American National Standards Institute or Snell Memorial Foundation Standards for bicycle helmets.
• Obey all traffic signals, signs and devices except when dismounted, at which time the rules pertaining to pedestrians will apply.
• Ride single file when vehicle traffic is present. Bicyclists may not ride more than two abreast.
• Ensure the bicycle is equipped with a front clear reflector and red rear reflector if in operation from one-half hour before sunset to one-half hour after sunrise. Bicyclists will wear a reflective upper outer garment during hours of reduced visibility.
• Do not wear or use headphones, earphones or cell phones while riding a bicycle. After a bicyclist receives an AIE pass, he or she will be allowed access through any of the three JBM-HH gates on the Fort Myer and Henderson Hall portions of the base.

After April 16, any bicyclist who wants to traverse the base and is not vetted will be directed to Hatfield Gate to begin the vetting process.

The vetting, access request and pass renewal processes will be the same for pedestrians who wish to access any of portion of Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall, to include Fort Myer, Henderson Hall and Fort McNair.

All bicyclists and pedestrians will still be required to carry a valid, photo ID along with their AIE pass and may be asked to present the valid ID at any time. Registrants may email questions to usarmy.jbmhh.asa.mbx.des-access-q-a@mail.mil. Please allow up to three business days for an email response. ###

[KLizotte]

I could deal with getting a pass twice a year, but six times a year if you want year round access?! That seems a little insane especially when you consider how dangerous Columbia Pike is to get from PC to S Courthouse Rd. Grrrrrrr

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