Air Force Discontinues Use of Base Decals

[jimmydeanno]

I bet the number of motorists driving on a military base without registration, license or insurance is far lower than outside the installation.  I'm thinking it's partly due to the higher level of enforcement via the base decal.  I could be wrong, just sayin'.

The likelyhood of someone driving on base unregistered is null.  They do not let you drive on base with an expired tag.  Inspection, yes, if it is an out of state.  My registration expires next month and their already reminding me that if it expires, I can't get on base.

Now, combine that with a state that REQUIRES insurance and your base sticker program is useless.

As was said in the article, there are plenty of cars for sale everywhere that have DoD decals on them that are still valid.  So what is the point if someone can buy the car and just drive on base?

Here and there they also ask to see my driver's license AND my ID.

[mikeylikey]

As was said in the article, there are plenty of cars for sale everywhere that have DoD decals on them that are still valid.

AND the seller should be HEAVILY penalized.  An official reprimand if still in the service, or a HUGE fine if the service member has been discharged.

[afgeo4]

As was said in the article, there are plenty of cars for sale everywhere that have DoD decals on them that are still valid.

AND the seller should be HEAVILY penalized.  An official reprimand if still in the service, or a HUGE fine if the service member has been discharged.

I'm not sure it's against the law to sell a vehicle with DoD sticker still on and not sure the person may be fined if he/she is now a civillian even it if is illegal. Remember, not all rules are laws.

[Hawk200]

Well where I am at they have a "DoD decal line" and a "everyone else" line.  Now my line is being flooded with  "everyone" else, to include visitors and people who have to stop and ask the guard how to get where they are going.  BLAH

That's an Air Force installation? It's only Air Force bases that are eliminating the decal, not anyplace else.

[Dustoff]

As was said in the article, there are plenty of cars for sale everywhere that have DoD decals on them that are still valid.

AND the seller should be HEAVILY penalized.  An official reprimand if still in the service, or a HUGE fine if the service member has been discharged.

I'm not sure it's against the law to sell a vehicle with DoD sticker still on and not sure the person may be fined if he/she is now a civillian even it if is illegal. Remember, not all rules are laws.

In the military, regulations (or instructions) can have the force of law.  Even if a member has been discharged, they can be reinstated (involuntarily) and are then subject to the UCMJ (can you say Leavenworth)

Now for a base decal that might be a bit extreme, but if it was YOUR former vehicle that the terrorist utilized I suspect that folks would be calling for YOUR head on a stick.   

Jim

[Dustoff]

And that decal is an accountable item, like a military ID card.  It is only issued to you while you are stationed there (wherever that is) and is supposed to be returned when you leave.  As I recall, turning in your decal is one of the items on the out-processing list. 

Jim

[mikeylikey]

Well....turned my AF issued Decal into Security Forces this afternoon.  No worries. I drove the five minutes over to the Air National Guard Base (which shares most of the same facilities as the AF-Reserve base) and re-registered my vehicle and guess what?  I got a brand new DOD Decal, and AF stickers to go along with it.  It seems from what was explained to me that, YES the AF is getting rid of base decals, but NO the Air National Guard is not.  So, when re-registering with the rent-a-cop at the air guard station, all he needed was my insurance card and CAC Card.  No actual vehicle registration paperwork was even done except for him scribbling the decal number down on a piece of paper next to my name.  No addresses, no phone numbers, no work or unit locations.  I did have to explain to him that the location sticker was to be blue (for Officers) not the red one (for junior enlisted) that he tried to give me.  What was he thinking.....trying to embarrass me like that. 

Good thing I got a new sticker, I start a weeklong trip to Wright-PATT and on through to Fort Sill next week.  I would have hated to get temporary passes at each location I stopped at for not having a DOD Decal.  Saved me some time!  I highly reccomend it to everyone to go get a Decal if you are loosing your AF issued ones!

[Becks]

Yeah this is old news that been kicked around for a while.  Pretty sure the 22-20s will still be around for a while.

[Grumpy]

I live just outside the gate to Pendleton and our squadron meets at an Army Reserve Bldg on Pendleton, talk about inter-service cooperation.  Anyway, Pendleton has us register our vehicles so I have my SNCO sticker on my window.  Should have seen the looks I'd get when they saw me wearing Major's leaves and I'd show them my DD Form 2 that said Master Sergeant.  I'd just tell them I was a "Sergeant Major" then have to explain about CAP.  Worked great for getting a conversation going and possibly recruiting some new senior members.

In August I went onto Vandenberg AFB and they scanned the back of my retired ID card before letting me on the facility.  Is that what is going to take the place of the decal?

I'd hate to be working that gate come shift change.

[flyguy06]

I am visiting Las vegas and went onto Nellis AFB with my rental car. I asked where I could go to get a guest pass and the guy said they didnt require one anymore. Then I read this article. Interesting. Thats the first I have heard of this.

[Stonewall]

The article back in what, March, that said the AF will no longer require decals starting in May and hoped other branches would follow their lead....

My ANG base still issues and requires decals.  The navy bases in Jacksonville has no intention of getting rid of decals.

Someone in my unit said the two army posts in the area aren't issuing decals anymore but I certainly haven't seen a lack of decals on vehicles.  If I were told it wasn't required anymore, I'd mine off.

[SAR-EMT1]

So my question is, will this make it easier or harder for CAP members to get on base?

In the past Ive seen (non prior service) CAP members with decals, (both Officer and Civilian)
Whether they needed them or just thought they looked good I dont know.
Then again I've read here on this forum of CAP members getting base ID cards. - Never seen one or heard of one elsewhere-

[Stonewall]

Up in National Capital Wing, non-military members of CAP had one helluva hassle getting on to Bolling AFB.  They'd give wing members decals, blue (officer) decals to boot.  But depending on who was guarding the gate, whether it be Army National Guard or AF Security Police, every entry was a different experience.  One time, the Chief of Staff as coming on base for a wing sponsored event at the officers club and couldn't bring his wife and daughter, a cadet, on because CAP members weren't allowed to sponsor people on. 

All this hassle, but drive 20 minutes into Maryland to Andrews AFB where they house Air Force One and they recognized CAP with no problem, allowing everyone from cadets driving themselves to parents coming to pick up cadets access.  They have contract guards at the gates at Andrews these days, which is a good idea if you ask me.  Whether contract guards know what they're doing or not is beyond me, but everywhere I've been from Andrews to Kings Bay Navy Sub Base, the guards have looked and acted professional.  They physically hold, look at, and confirm identity of each ID with every person in the car.  Since the government is probably paying something like $25  (wild guess) per guard, I'd say the security company doesn't want to screw it up.

[floridacyclist]

On any given military installation there are as many as 200 people who have lost their driving privileges for one reason or another.  Call it DUI, too many traffic tickets, suspended licenses, uninsured vehicle or for some medical reason, they can't drive.  How do you identify these people as they attempt to come on base?  They don't have a decal.  That's how.  People who are not allowed to drive on base are not issued a decal or it is "scraped" by base police.  This does not mean they can't come on base, but rather, they can't drive on base.

They take away their dependents' driving privileges too?

[Stonewall]

On any given military installation there are as many as 200 people who have lost their driving privileges for one reason or another.  Call it DUI, too many traffic tickets, suspended licenses, uninsured vehicle or for some medical reason, they can't drive.  How do you identify these people as they attempt to come on base?  They don't have a decal.  That's how.  People who are not allowed to drive on base are not issued a decal or it is "scraped" by base police.  This does not mean they can't come on base, but rather, they can't drive on base.

They take away their dependents' driving privileges too?

If it's a single sailor/soldier/airman, it's not a big deal, obviously they just scrape that of the military member/violator.  I've seen some bases that put an "S" or "D" on the decal that identify them as a spouse or dependent, so if you show them an active duty CAC card, it'll send up a flag.  Like any system, it's not 100% free of flaws or ways to circumvent the law, but it isn't uncommon to see spouses driving their husband to work due to this process.  In the military, as you know, we also have the power of the command.  It's not like you get a ticket, DUI, or arrested and your chain of command doesn't find out.  Get your driving privileges suspended on base and your first sergeant, chief, commander learn that you're driving anyway, and you should get reprimanded.

[Grumpy]

I had an incident with the Coast Guard.  Doing a motorcycle trip along the California Coast a buddy of mine (at that time a Coast Guard Res Lt jg) tried to stay in the family camping area.  On day shift, we came aboard and paid our bucks at MWR for a camp site and set up our camp.  We Left base to get dinner in town and came back later that evening.  Because I didn't have a DOD sticker on my bike he refused to let us in.  I had everything else you need but they wouldn't let me have a visitor's pass.

When we pushed the issue telling them that we'd been already been let on, paid our money and had a camp set up, they called the OD and some CWO investigator out and made a big deal of it.  They finally let escorted us to our camp site.  The next morning they got us out of the sack, escorted us to the OD and held us for three hours while they put my buddy through an interrogation.  (They wouldn't talk to me, I was retired enlisted swine).

Not only that but my buddy was an Active Duty Highway Patrol Sergeant and I was a  active Deputy Sheriff, not like we were terrorist you know.  I'm just glad that on that trip we didn't have our weapons with us, we'd still be in confinement.

I've found that if it ain't written in black and white and heaven help me if there is a gray area because they can't make a decision.  But God bless them, if it's combat they're right there and I wouldn't want some other country's military protecting us.

[Eclipse]

I had an incident with the Coast Guard. 

Every base I've been on has required that every vehicle that gets in has some kind of decal or day pass.

They were probably just as concerned as to how yo got on at all, unnoticed.   The hassle after head cooled, though was silly.

Were these civilian contractors or Military people.   We've foudn the majority of our "issues" are when a civilian gets in between us and the RealMilitary®.

[Grumpy]

No, they were military.  Just idiots.  Like I said, we both had military ID, insurance, registration, the whole bit.  It went up to higher headquarters and when my friend got back he had to explain again but nothing ever came of it.  He retired a Lt Cmdr and as a sergeant from the CHP.

We were mostly concerned that the MWR took our money and our gear was on base and we weren't.

[mikeylikey]

All this hassle, but drive 20 minutes into Maryland to Andrews AFB where they house Air Force One and they recognized CAP with no problem, allowing everyone from cadets driving themselves to parents coming to pick up cadets access. 

HAhah......1997-98 there was a guy named Jeff Klotz.  He was a CAP member and a PRETEND Air Force Reservist.  He made his own ID cards, his own orders and had himself assigned to the unit that worked on Air Force One.  He even promoted himself from AF Captain to Major and had a promotion party at the O-Club.  He was caught after he took vehicles from Andrews and weapons from Mead for the PAWG Summer Encampment.  He spent 6 months in Federal Prison.  I think if he would have done all that after 9/11 he would be rotting away for life in Guantanamo.

OK AF......lets not learn from your mistakes.

[Grumpy]

Egad, I hope this DD Form 2AF is real.  It was issued to me at Camp Pendleton you know.