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Drivers pulling up at gates on Air Education and Training Command bases will enter bases using the Defense Biometric Identification System where gate guards use hand-held scanners to read the bar codes on common access cards. (U.S. Air Force photo illustration)
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AETC officials to automate entry control
Posted 5/7/2009
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by Capt. John Severns
Air Education and Training Command Public Affairs
5/7/2009 - RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE, Texas (AFNS) -- Drivers pulling up at gates on Air Education and Training Command bases will have something new to greet them later this year -- the Defense Biometric Identification System, or DBIDS.
The most visible part of DBIDS, which has already been introduced at Air Force bases around the world, is the hand-held wireless scanner.
Gate guards can use the scanner to read the bar codes on common access cards and instantly tell who the person is and whether or not they're allowed on the base, said Derrick Austin, the AETC security forces planner charged with implementing the DBIDS system across the command.
The hand-held scanners provide gate guards with an instant, always-on connection to a Department of Defense database. The DBIDS database interfaces with the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System that provides us with an initial data dump of active-duty members, civilians, retired members and dependents within the base ZIP code area. However, additional information must be added locally, such as unit, access rights during higher force protection conditions or phone numbers.
The most significant gain from using the new system will be to installation security. DBIDS will allow guards to develop a standard, interoperable network command wide, said Col. Gerard Jolivette, the AETC security forces chief.
Other instances in which DBIDS will be superior to the current system includes notifying guards about lost or stolen ID cards, individuals barred from base, or persons who are being sought by their commander for an emergency or key response notification, the colonel said. The moment ID cards are reported stolen, or people expected to enter gates who require notification or detention, the information can be flagged in the system, instantly alerting guards.
"DBIDS will result in a significant improvement in force protection," Colonel Jolivette said. "By adding a degree of automation to our entry control process, we reduce the chance of an unauthorized individual gaining access to the base and more importantly, we will add a significant measure of deterrence that is critical to in our reaching the command's antiterrorism and force protection objectives."
DBIDS is not a new system, the colonel emphasized. The database itself has existed since 2001, and the wireless scanners first saw use at installation gates in South Korea in 2002. U.S. Army installations in Europe and Central Command installations started using the system in 2003, and the system first started appearing in the United States in 2005.
Lackland Air Force Base in Texas is the first AETC base scheduled to start using the system. Registration begins in September and is scheduled to continue until February 2010 because of the large retiree and military population in San Antonio. The goal is to make registration convenient for the Lackland AFB community by offering registration at locations such as the fitness center, base exchange, commissary and pharmacy, Mr. Austin said.
Randolph AFB in Texas is slated to begin use of the scanners near the end of the year.
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