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***image1***Lost identification and common access cards are just what terrorists and criminals need to kill Americans or steal their identities, said the U.S. Army Garrison Kaiserslautern’s security director.
“I just don’t think people really understand the ramifications when it (ID/CAC card) is lost,” said Maj. William Hunt, who as the garrison’s Plans, Training, Mobilization and Security director is conscientious of the security for close to 23,000 Army personnel in the KMC.
One of the most frequent threats to this security as well as for the more than 30,000 other Americans who also live and work here is the lost or stolen ID and CAC card, said Major Hunt.
A required class for KMC Soldiers, Department of Army civilians and their family members who report a lost or stolen ID card started this month to hopefully lessen this loss of security. Major Hunt, his staff and officials with the 21st Theater Support Command developed this one-hour class to be held every Saturday at 10 a.m. in Room 211A in Bldg. 3005 on Panzer Kaserne.
They wrote the script so that 21st TSC staff duty officers can uniformly emphasize the importance of a lost or stolen ID as well as identifying the agencies in the community that are working diligently to protect Americans here.
“Absolutely not,” was the reply by Major Hunt on whether or not this class was intended as an embarrassment or punishment to those who lost their ID cards.
The reason the class is held on Saturdays, he said, was so that those attending can solely concentrate on the information being presented instead of having to worry about going back to work.
Previously, personnel who lost their ID cards attended the same briefing as those receiving their initial ones. These briefings were held during the work week.
It is also not an overreaction to a small, insufficient problem, said Elaine Leist, the garrison’s deputy commander. She reads the KMC blotter prepared by the garrison’s Provost Marshal’s Office every day and estimates that five to seven ID cards are reported lost or stolen every work day, and as many as 10 on the weekends. The number of lost or stolen ID cards for Fiscal Year 2006 is 419, and Mrs. Leist said this number is already higher for FY 2007.
“We are very cognizant of the security issue with lost ID cards,” she said. “This class is to reiterate what it means when you lose it, and the impact it has on everybody in the community when an ID card is lost.”
This class is also not intended to impede or detain authorized individuals from receiving ID cards, said both Mrs. Leist and Major Hunt and is also clearly stated in the memorandums for distribution signed by the 21st TSC commanding general and the garrison’s commander in May and June.
Authorized users reporting a lost or stolen ID card will be first issued a new one and then will be required to attend the next class, said Major Hunt.
Sponsors will be required to attend when their ID card is lost or stolen, as well as with family members, ages 17 and younger. These memorandums do not specify for Soldiers to attend in uniform.
