Eglin AFB opens new Visitor Control Center as new security measures begin

Collin Bestor, Northwest Florida Daily News
·3 min read

EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE — The 96th Security Forces Squadron (96SFS) has announced that it will open a new visitor control center (VCC) on the Air Force Armament Museum grounds on May 1.

The Northwest Florida Daily News last reported about the new security changes coming to Eglin Air Force Base on April 5, after base leadership announced the change was needed due to the ongoing commitment to safeguarding Eglin's vital national resources.

With the change, all individuals accessing the base now must provide 100% ID verification. Visitor passes are being issued to all dependents over 12, DOD employees and retirees. Previously, all passes were obtained at either the East or West gate VCC and will now be offered at the new VCC at the museum or online.

For the online service, sponsors can apply and track the status of temporary visitor passes, one-year passes and entry authorization lists (EALs) through CAC-enabled and non-CAC-enabled websites.

The online options include:

Short-term passes

For short-term guests, sponsors must submit their DoD credentials and visitors' personal details, including social security numbers. The 96th SFS Pass and Registration Office needs these for background checks. All requests should be made at least five days in advance to allow for processing.

Sponsors will receive email updates when the status of their pass requests changes and can manually check the status if they have app access. Upon completing a request, sponsors will receive specific instructions for finalizing the pass process and must be present when picking up passes.

One-year pass requests

For these requests, only app users can access this feature. Sponsors can choose the type of pass and either generate a Word document for signature by their unit commander or a PDF template to complete with their security manager. The request and signed meme must then be submitted to pass and register for processing, with status updates being provided through the app.

EAL requests

Open to app users, EAL sponsors must have at least 10 visitors listed on the EAL before submission. The EAL is generated automatically and sent to the VCC for processing. Once the pass is validated, sponsors will receive a unique EAL ID and instructions for their visitors to grant them base entry.

Users will also receive a copy of the EAL to prevent unauthorized changes and will be notified once the EAL expires.

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Limitations and benefits

All visitor pass requests can be processed by emailing 96sfs.s5b.passandreg@us.af.mil for foreign nationals.

The superintendent of the 96SFS/S5 (plans and programs) can approve an EAL for fewer than 10 people.

The benefit of online filing is that visitors who have been to Eglin Air Force Base in the past year and received a pass can use the express lane for pass pickup.

More information

The new VCC operated daily from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Outside these hours, from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m., sponsors can obtain passes from airmen at the gate.

This article originally appeared on Northwest Florida Daily News: Eglin AFB opens new visitor control center at Armament Museum