https://armypubs.army.mil/epubs/DR_pubs/DR_a/ARN31519-ARMY_DIR_2021-02-000-WEB-1.pdf
MEMORANDUM FOR SEE DISTRIBUTION
SUBJECT: Army Directive 2021-02 (Access to Army Installations by Foreign Nationals
and Section 621-Eligible Veterans and Caregivers)
1. References.
a. National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019, section 621;
Title 10 U.S. Code, section 1065
b. Department of Defense (DoD) Manual 5200.08 Volume 3 (Physical Security
Program: Access to DoD Installations), 2 January 2019, incorporating Change 1,
18 September 2020
c. Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security (Clarifying Guidance on
Installation Access Credentials), 8 April 2020
d. Army Regulation (AR) 190–13 (The Army Physical Security Program),
27 June 2019
e. AR 600–78 (Army Suitability Program), 25 October 2018
2. Purpose. This directive revises policies for physical access to Army installations
(with or without electronic physical access control systems, or (ePACS)) by
foreign military personnel and dependents, as well as visitors accompanying
Section 621-eligible veterans and caregivers with eligibility to use commissary;
exchange; and Morale, Welfare, and Recreation (MWR) facilities.
3. Applicability. The provisions of this directive apply to the Regular Army, Army
National Guard/Army National Guard of the United States, and U.S. Army Reserve
unless otherwise noted.
4. Background. The DoD Vetting and Security Review conducted after the
6 December 2019 shooting in Pensacola, Florida, recommended limiting access
granted to foreign international military students (IMSs). The Secretary of Defense
directed DoD to restrict installation access for IMSs, requiring them to seek approval by
a security official at each installation they access. Under Homeland Security
Presidential Directive 12 and its implementation standards, foreign nationals shall be
issued a Common Access Card (CAC) clearly identified by a blue stripe behind the
name on the front of the card along with an affiliation color code “B,” for blue. It is not
S E C R E T A R Y O F T H E A R M Y
W A S H I N G T O N
SUBJECT: Army Directive 2021-02 (Access to Army Installations by Foreign Nationals
and Section 621-Eligible Veterans and Caregivers)
2
currently possible to distinguish between a blue-stripe CAC issued to an IMS and a
blue-stripe CAC issued to other foreign nationals. Army commands with foreign national
personnel must take appropriate steps to notify those individuals of the changes in this
directive so they are prepared to meet new installation access control requirements.
5. Policy.
a. Until further notice, automatic registration is disabled for individuals with
blue-stripe CACs and Uniformed Services Identification cards. These individuals will
no longer be able to automatically register at their first visit to installations that had
supported automatic registration.
b. Effective immediately, an access credential that typically is verified and enrolled
by scanning, but does not properly scan because of defect, destruction, wear, or any
other reason, cannot be used to enroll in an installation’s ePACS and cannot be used to
establish identity or fitness. If the individual seeking access presents another acceptable
credential that is verified in accordance with reference 1b, table 2, and that individual is
therefore able to establish identity and fitness, installation commanders may choose to
accept the credential that fails to scan as establishing purpose for 1-day unescorted
access only.
c. Common Access Cards Issued to Foreign Nationals.
(1) Effective immediately, all individuals holding blue-stripe CACs are limited to
accessing only the installations or facilities to which they are assigned or otherwise
have an official reason to access. Army installations that do not have an ePACS will
prevent access by holders of blue-stripe CACs who are not assigned to, or otherwise
have official duty at, the installation.
(2) Blue-stripe CACs establish only identity and fitness. Individuals holding
blue-stripe CACs must establish purpose by means of appropriate documentation
pursuant to reference 1b.
(3) Blue-stripe CACs must always be scanned at the installation access control
point and never verified visually at these installations, even during periods when other
types of CACs are primarily verified visually due to throughput, traffic, or other
circumstances.
(4) Holders of blue-stripe CACs cannot escort or sponsor persons seeking
access to Army installations.
SUBJECT: Army Directive 2021-02 (Access to Army Installations by Foreign Nationals
and Section 621-Eligible Veterans and Caregivers)
3
(5) All foreign nationals on official business will carry their invitational travel
authorization, Visitors International Stay Admission (VISA), applicable international
agreement, or other official documentation on their person at all times while on the
installation, and will present them to installation/site security forces when requested for
determining the purpose for access. Military diplomats, personnel participating in the
Personnel Exchange Program (PEP), and Foreign Liaison Office (FLO) personnel on
official business will carry their certification issued pursuant to applicable international
agreements.
d. Dependent Identification Cards Issued to Foreign Nationals.
(1) Effective immediately, foreign national dependents authorized to accompany
a foreign national assigned to DoD duty (accompanying family members) are limited to
accessing only the installations or facilities on which they live or those that offer them
medical treatment, commissary, exchange, and MWR facilities.
(2) Dependent identification cards issued to foreign nationals establish only
identity. Purpose for installation access by foreign nationals holding dependent
identification cards will be established pursuant to references 1b, 1c, and 1d.
(3) Once the holders of a foreign national dependent identification card establish
purpose at a particular installation, they may be enrolled to facilitate future access to
that installation.
(4) Foreign national dependent identification cards must always be scanned at
installation access control points. Visual verification is not authorized.
e. Multiple Base Access for Foreign Nationals.
(1) Purpose for installation access for foreign nationals requiring access for
official business or medical treatment to more than one Army installation will be
established pursuant to references 1b, 1c, and 1d. Once purpose is established, foreign
nationals may only be afforded access during the time periods identified in the
member’s documentation for each individual location.
(2) Foreign Liaison Office and Personnel Exchange Program personnel.
Pursuant to an international agreement, FLO and PEP personnel may receive explicit
access to multiple installations, which allows them to travel with their host units in the
performance of their official duties, as determined by the responsible contact officer
or commanding officer. Military diplomats and FLO and PEP personnel visiting
installations where not assigned will be required to report to the installation Visitor
Control Center (VCC) with official documentation identifying their purpose for access.
SUBJECT: Army Directive 2021-02 (Access to Army Installations by Foreign Nationals
and Section 621-Eligible Veterans and Caregivers)
4
(3) International Military Students and Country Liaison Officers (CLOs). VCCs
will verify that unofficial/leisure travel for foreign national students to other Army
installations is included in their invitational travel orders or approved in writing by the
responsible International Military Student Office or commanding officer. Foreign
nationals must have the signed letter in their possession and request access at the
VCC. CLOs are assigned to select installations to perform support services for IMSs
from their country. CLO fitness and purpose are established by means of an invitational
travel order and follow all the rules that apply to IMSs.
(4) Military attachés. As diplomats, military attachés have an inherent purpose
by virtue of their accreditation by the Department of State (DoS) and the Military
Departments. Their DoS-issued diplomatic credentials, presented together with a
blue-stripe CAC, represent their purpose, fitness, and identity for access as credentialed
by the U.S. Government.
f. Visitors Accompanying Veterans and Caregivers Eligible Under Section 621 of
the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019.
(1) Veterans and caregivers eligible solely under Section 621 are not
DoD-affiliated and are not permitted to serve as escorts for their accompanying visitors
or to sponsor persons seeking access to Army installations.
(2) Section 621-eligible veterans and caregivers, and Section 621-accompanying
visitors, will be granted unescorted access only to installations where eligible benefits
exist and are made available to them. Section 621-accompanying visitors may access
the installation only when accompanied by a Section 621-eligible veteran or caregiver
who has been granted unescorted access in accordance with reference 1b, and must
remain within reasonable visual contact of that individual at all times.
(3) Veterans and caregivers eligible to use the commissary, exchange, and
MWR facilities solely under Section 621 may bring accompanying visitors with them as
they use these facilities, provided each accompanying visitor meets the requirements
for access in reference 1b.
(4) Once accompanying visitors successfully establish identity and fitness, they
may be enrolled as described in Section 4.5 of reference 1b to facilitate future visits to
the installation with the Section 621-eligible veteran or caregiver.
(5) Conveyed Purpose. Accompanying visitors may access the installation only
when accompanied by a Section 621-eligible veteran or caregiver who has been
granted unescorted access in accordance with reference 1b. Effective immediately, a
Veterans Administration-issued caregiver letter establishes fitness as described in
SUBJECT: Army Directive 2021-02 (Access to Army Installations by Foreign Nationals
and Section 621-Eligible Veterans and Caregivers)
5
Section 3.3 of reference 1b for Section 621-eligible caregivers accompanying a
Section 621-eligible veteran. For veterans with a service-connected disability rating of
zero percent who have income in excess of VA-established limits (and are therefore
ineligible for a Veterans Health Identification Card), a VA-issued Health Eligibility
Center Form 623A identifying their placement into priority group 8E establishes fitness.
6. Proponent. The Assistant Secretary of the Army for Manpower and Reserve Affairs
has oversight responsibility for this policy. The Deputy Chief of Staff, G-1 will
incorporate the provisions of this directive into Army Regulation 600–78, and the
Provost Marshal General will incorporate the provisions into Army Regulation 190–13
within 2 years of the date of this directive.
7. Duration. This directive is rescinded on publication of the revised regulations.
Ryan D. McCarthy
DISTRIBUTION:
Principal Officials of Headquarters, Department of the Army
Commander
U.S. Army Forces Command
U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command
U.S. Army Materiel Command
U.S. Futures Command
U.S. Army Pacific
U.S. Army Europe and Africa
U.S. Army Central
U.S. Army North
U.S. Army South
U.S. Army Special Operations Command
Military Surface Deployment and Distribution Command
U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command/Army Strategic Command
U.S. Army Cyber Command
U.S. Army Medical Command
U.S. Army Intelligence and Security Command
U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
U.S. Army Military District of Washington
U.S. Army Test and Evaluation Command
(CONT)
SUBJECT: Army Directive 2021-02 (Access to Army Installations by Foreign Nationals
and Section 621-Eligible Veterans and Caregivers)
6
DISTRIBUTION: (CONT)
U.S. Army Human Resources Command
Superintendent, U.S. Military Academy
Director, U.S. Army Acquisition Support Center
Superintendent, Arlington National Cemetery
Commandant, U.S. Army War College
Director, U.S. Army Civilian Human Resources Agency
CF:
Director of Business Transformation
Commander, Eighth Army