Fort Belvoir announces increase in gate security amid Iran tensions

January 5, 2020 Transportation
Brick marquee at Fort Belvoir for Lieber Gate. Photo taken in summer time.
Lieber Gate is Fort Belvoir’s 24-hour access point. (Fort Belvoir image)

If you commute to or near Fort Belvoir, you may want to give yourself some extra time. The post announced Sunday that it is increasing security at the post’s access points effective immediately.

“Drivers should be prepared for delays and should adjust arrival times accordingly,” said an announcement on the post’s Facebook page. “To minimize delays Valid ID Card Holders should use designated lanes to access the installation.”

Anyone entering the post without a valid Defense Department issued Common Access Card (CAC), military retiree ID card, DoD family member ID, or Fort Belvoir visitors pass will have to go through additional security checks, the announcement said.

Belvoir’s announcement did not state a reason for the increase in security, but it is comes on the heels of various other restrictions and warnings announced nationwide since the U.S. killed a senior Iranian general in an airstrike on Thursday. Locally, Arlington National Cemetery announced Friday that it was implementing 100 percent ID checks on visitors.

Fort Belvoir’s full announcement from Facebook:

ATTENTION: Effective immediately, drivers entering Fort Belvoir Access Control Points will be subject to increased security measures. Drivers should be prepared for delays and should adjust arrival times accordingly. To minimize delays Valid ID Card Holders should use designated lanes to access the installation.

Travelers and passengers without valid DoD CAC, military retiree ID card, DoD family member ID, or Fort Belvoir visitors pass will undergo additional security checks.

It is recommended that anyone without a valid ID, stop by the Visitor Center at Tully Gate for vetting and issuance of an approved visitor pass.

As a reminder, because of the Real ID Act, if you have recently renewed your driver’s license and did not obtain a Real ID compliant driver’s license (marked with Not for Federal use) it cannot be accepted as a sole source of identity and a second form of ID will be required, i.e. passport or birth certificate.