What a base pass can get you

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Saphfire D. Cook
  • 355th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
DAVIS-MONTHAN AIR FORCE BASE, Ariz. --  Bringing a guest on base for any reason requires a base pass. So before you can take your in-laws to the base exchange or show your airplane-enthusiast brother around Heritage Park, you have to make a stop at the 355th Security Forces Squadron Visitor Control Center.

The center is located outside the Craycroft gate and is open Monday - Friday from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Saturday - Sunday from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.

"Anyone with a DOD ID card can sponsor a guest onto the installation," said Airman 1st Class Nate Parsons, 355th SFS security clerk.

The standard base pass is issued for seven days. These passes are usually given to off-base residents.

"The majority of our passes are issued to people who live off base and want to bring a guest onto the installation for a few hours," Airman Parsons said.

To obtain a base pass, the sponsor must show their DOD ID card and provide the clerk with their social security number. Their guest must have a current state or federally issued ID card, provide their SSN and, if they are driving on base, present vehicle registration and proof of automobile insurance. Children 15 years of age or younger can enter the installation without a pass.

The longevity of a base pass can vary depending on where the sponsor lives.

Any Airmen living in the dormitories can only sponsor a guest for 24 hours. Airmen living in base housing can sponsor a guest for no more than 30 days.

Visitors utilizing FAMCAMP, D-M's recreational vehicle grounds, can receive a 30-day pass if they have a lot number. If not, they are given a standard seven-day pass.

"One of the rare passes we issue are to non-military students who have a course on base," said Airman 1st Class Josh Yanetsko, 355th SFS security clerk.

These students do not need a military sponsor. They must bring in a birth certificate, passport or proof of citizenship. The clerks also need to see their course list and registration and proof of insurance if they are driving on base. These passes can only be issued seven-days before the course begins and are only valid an hour before and an hour after the class.

The center processes about 300 passes a day.

"It may take extra time out of your day, but this process protects the people who live on base," Airman Yanetsko said.

To contact the Visitors Center with any questions or concerns, call (520) 228-1962.