Base access changes affect thousands locally, millions nationally

— Department of Defense changes mean that identification cards for dependents of some civilian employees — cards that provide access to military installations — are no longer renewed on expiration.

Other recent rule changes mean millions more nationally — and more than 7,000 people in the Dayton area — will soon get access to military bases, however.

“A key Department of Defense publication regarding issuing identification cards has undergone a recent change, and no longer provides the authority to issue ID cards to dependents of civilian employees and dependents of retired civilian employees,” a public affairs office at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base said in an email to a Dayton-area resident recently.

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“As a result of this change, WPAFB stopped issuing ID cards to these groups, and no longer renews those cards upon expiration,” that message added. “Installation access can still be requested and granted through a short-term pass after the completion of proper vetting and identity proofing.”

Questions about the process can be directed to the base’s Visitor’s Center at (937) 257-6264, the message also said.

This change evidently has been in effect for some time. A 2016 article by the 75th Security Forces Squadron, at Hill Air Force Base in Utah, references a similar change, saying the rule change is “omitting authority to issue ID cards to dependents of civilian employees and dependents of retired civilian employees.

“Effective immediately, Hill AFB will no longer issue long-term DBIDS IDs to dependents of civilian employees and dependents of retired civilian employees based solely on dependency,” that 2016 article said. “IDs currently in issue will be considered valid until the expiration date is reached.”

But other rule changes are allowing more people a way on to Wright-Patterson and other military bases.

In fact, some 3 million more people nationally are eligible to shop at military stores as of Jan. 1 this year.

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Starting Jan. 1, all service-connected disabled veterans, Purple Heart recipients, former prisoners of war and primary veteran caregivers will be eligible to shop at commissaries and exchanges, the Military Times reported last year.

On Dec. 16, Wright-Patterson began pre-registering eligible veterans for that access, including the use of the base commissary and military exchange, which offers discounted goods.

The 2019 National Defense Authorization Act allows veterans with service-connected disabilities and their caregivers, Purple Heart recipients, Medal of Honor recipients and former prisoners of war, the option to use some installation facilities and services, Wright-Patterson said in an article last month.

“The population of eligible personnel that reside within one hour of WPAFB is estimated at 7.4K,” Patrick Poth, plans and program chief, 88th Security Forces Squadron, said in that Wright Patterson article. “It is unknown what number of that population already has access to WPAFB.”

Veterans who are eligible need to have a “Veterans Health Identification Card” or VHIC. Primary Family Caregivers must have an eligibility letter from VA’s Office of Community Care.

Veterans must be enrolled in the VA health care system to receive a VHIC. To enroll, call 1 (877) 222-8387 Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m. Eastern. You can also apply for VA health care benefits online at www.va.gov/healthbenefits/enroll, or in person at your local VA medical facility.

For questions about access to Wright-Patterson, veterans may call the Security Forces Squadron Pass and ID section at (937) 257-6264.