Are You Authorized to Enter?

Published March 24, 2010
By Staff Sgt. Keith Ballard
Minot Air Force Base Public Affairs

MINOT AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. -- It's late and you are returning to base. You present your identification card to the gate guard who pulls out a small, handheld device and scans your card. You sit wondering what they are doing when the guard looks up and says, "Have a nice night." You drive away wondering what just happened.

The system they were using in this scenario is called Defense Biometrics Identification System or DBIDS for short, and personnel requiring access to Minot Air Force Base will soon be required to register for the system. Tentative registration dates are from April 15 through Sept. 30, and on Oct. 1, all unregistered personnel will be directed to the base visitor center before access to the installation is granted.

DBIDS is an access control system used to direct routine access to the installation. It is designed to enhance force protection and identification management by capturing and storing biometric data of personnel who frequently access the base. This program is the largest access control system and the largest use of biometrics in the Department of Defense.

The system will read existing, DoD-issued identification credentials to include dependent and retiree ID cards. For those individuals who frequently visit the base, the program will be able to store their digital photo and biometric fingerprints and generate an ID card for them.

It works by scanning an ID card or DBIDS card with a small handheld computer. The card reader then cross-references and displays all personal identifiable information such as height, weight, sex, age and biometric information against all data stored by the U.S. Army Biometric Fusion Center in Clarksburg, West Virginia.

The system constantly validates all scanned ID cards for expiration dates, invalid card numbers and persons of interest to base police.

"This will improve detection of suspended drivers," said Paul Sullivan, 5th Security Forces Squadron chief of plans and programs. "It will also help the gate guards identify personnel barred from base for whatever reason. This system will provide instant information to the guards instead of them having to check the list of barred persons from base and having to match only names."

In addition to Minot Air Force Base, other Air Force Global Strike Command bases currently using the DBIDS system include Whiteman, Barksdale and Malmstrom Air Force Bases.