Fri, Jan 06, 2012
TSA 'In The Process' Of Reviewing Options For New
Procedures
President Barack Obama signed a bill into law Jan. 3 to
streamline airport screening procedures for service members and
their families traveling on official orders. The Risk-based
Security Screening for Members of the Armed Forces Act gives the
Transportation Security Administration six months to develop and
implement a plan to expedite screening services for service members
on orders and in uniform and, "to the extent possible, any
accompanying family member."
The act, in part, calls for the agency to establish standard
guidelines for the screening of military uniform items, such as
combat boots.
In a statement released Jan. 4, agency officials said they're in
the process of reviewing options for these new procedures in
consultation with the Defense Department. Even before this law, the
agency had several measures in place to aid troops through the
screening process. For example, troops in uniform with a military
identification card aren't required to remove their boots or shoes
unless they set off an alarm, according to the agency's
website.
The agency also seeks to accommodate family members. Families who
would like to accompany a deploying service member to the boarding
gate or greet them upon their return may receive passes to enter
the secure area of the airport, the site said. Family members,
agency officials advise, should contact their air carrier
representative at the airport for local procedures.
The agency also expedites the screening process for Honor Flight
veterans, and partners with the Defense Department to expedite
screening for wounded warriors and their families. The Honor Flight
Network organization transports veterans to Washington, D.C., to
visit their war memorials. Also aimed at expediting screening
procedures, the agency is testing a new program at the airport in
Monterey, CA, In mid-November, troops traveling out of Monterey
Peninsula Airport began presenting their DOD identification to a
document checker for card-reader scanning.
The pilot program is designed to test the technology to verify
service members' status. If successful, it could pave the way for
service members to be included in the agency's expedited screening
program, agency officials said, enabling them to use special lanes
at participating airports to pass more quickly through airport
security. These expedited procedures could involve not having to
remove their shoes, belt and jackets or their laptops from
bags.
Programs such as this one strengthen security, officials said,
explaining that separating out low-risk people, such as members of
the armed forces, allows the agency to focus its resources on
travelers who present a higher risk.
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