In a swift response to recent public safety threats, military bases across North America have reinstated a program designed to streamline base entry for visitors. This move comes just a week after a temporary suspension due to increased security concerns following attacks on New Year’s Day.
According to Capt. Mayrem Morales, a spokesperson for U.S. Northern Command, the Trusted Traveler Program has been reactivated. The program allows personnel with Common Access Cards or Defense Biometric Identification System cards to escort visitors onto bases, significantly reducing wait times at entry points. “U.S. Northern Command (USNORTHCOM) has returned the use of [the] Trusted Traveler Program subject to installation commanders’ local policy,” Morales confirmed in an email to Military.com. This decision follows enhanced force protection measures prompted by attacks in New Orleans and Las Vegas.
The suspension of the program had led to longer lines at base gates as visitors were required to obtain base passes and undergo full identification checks. Service members shared images on social media depicting the resulting congestion.
The security ramp-up followed two tragic incidents. Army veteran Shamsud-Din Jabbar drove a rented truck into a crowd on Bourbon Street in New Orleans, resulting in 14 deaths before he was fatally shot by police. Meanwhile, Master Sgt. Matthew Livelsberger, an Army Green Beret, detonated an explosive near the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas and died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound prior to the explosion.
Despite these incidents, it remains unclear how the Trusted Traveler Program could have prevented them, as both attackers had the necessary credentials to access military bases.
“These measures, which cover installations, facilities, and units within the USNORTHCOM Area of Responsibility — including the continental United States and Alaska — were implemented as a precautionary step to ensure the safety and security of personnel and installations,” Morales added.
During the week-long suspension of the program, at least one public security alert occurred. On Thursday, Patrick Space Force Base in Florida temporarily closed its East Gate due to an “ongoing investigation” that began around 2 p.m. local time, as announced on Facebook. “For everyone’s safety and security, the area has been closed to ensure the investigation proceeds without interruption,” said Emre Kelly, a Space Launch Delta 45 spokesperson, in an emailed statement. The gate, along with State Road A1A, was reopened by 8 p.m., though neither Patrick Space Force Base nor the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office disclosed details of the incident.
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