U.S. Army Europe updates installation access policy, procedures

Officials at the U.S. Army Europe Office of the Provost Marshal announced changes to controls for installation pass holders and modified procedures that are the result of an update to the USAREUR installation access directive.

Officials stressed that the procedures for authorized ID card holders have not changed in the update to Army in Europe Regulation 190-16, which governs access to USAREUR installations.

“The regulation now requires individuals who are signed in to be escorted at all times while on the installation and then signed out when they leave,” said DuWayne Bredvik, physical security officer at the USAREUR Office of the Provost Marshal.

People with sign-in privileges are now personally responsible for the people they sign onto an installation.  

Bredvik added Force Protection Condition Bravo is now the standard threat level that applies to most installation pass categories, such as contractors.

In the future, sponsors of installation pass holders will have to justify why their applicants require access during times of crisis or attack — FPCONs Charlie or Delta. Access to installations during those FPCON categories is limited to essential personnel, as designated by their job descriptions.

The revision also means that host-nation military and government officials, NATO military members and visitors will have to renew their installation passes every two years instead of the current requirement to renew every five years.

Bredvik said that a records review showed many individuals with active installation passes had not entered an installation in more than a year, but that those passes are designed for those who require recurring access on a regular basis.

Another change requires citizens of Cuba, Syria, Sudan and Iran to get approval from a garrison commander to enter installations under that commander’s control.
For example, if a Defense Department family member’s parents are visiting from Iran, the family member must visit the local Installation Access Control System office before those visitors arrive to coordinate signing them onto the installation or obtaining a visitor pass. The IACS office staff will forward an access request to the garrison commander for approval.

The U.S. Department of State currently identifies Cuba, Syria, Sudan and Iran as state sponsors of terrorism. The State Department’s list of state sponsors of terrorism can be found online at travel.state.gov/visa/temp/info/info_1300.html.
A new standardized access roster, AE Form 190-16f, and a new application form for installation passes, AE Form 190-16a, are also part of the changes to access policy, officials said.

People with sign-in privileges are now personally responsible for the people they sign onto an installation.