Washington, D.C. – Leaving for boot camp is stressful enough. Now, new military recruits won’t have to worry about paying an extra fee at the airport just to get to basic training.
The Department of War announced a partnership with the Transportation Security Administration to ensure recruits who don’t have a REAL ID can still pass through airport screening without paying the $45 fee tied to TSA’s ConfirmID program, which rolled out Feb. 1.
Under ConfirmID, travelers must present a REAL ID at security or pay $45 to proceed using a standard ID. The War Department’s Office of Personnel and Readiness moved early to prevent that requirement from becoming a last-minute obstacle for recruits shipping out to initial training.
Even better for recruits: TSA is also providing “white glove treatment” during screening—an expedited, more convenient process described as similar to the support given to veterans traveling through the Honor Flight program.
And the program is already showing results.
U.S. Military Entrance Processing Command conducted a site visit at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport and observed recruits departing from Chicago MEPS moving through screening without issues, including applicants without REAL ID-compliant identification.
“Putting our recruits first is a priority,” Undersecretary of War for Personnel and Readiness Anthony J. Tata said. “These young men and women have volunteered to serve our nation. When they are shipping out to basic training, we want them focused on the fight, not worried about what type of ID they have or whether they will need to pay a fee to make it there.”
Tata said the department’s responsibility begins the moment recruits sign up, calling the initiative an example of innovation and cross-government collaboration.
“The department identified a challenge and partnered with TSA to put in place a solution, bolting over the bureaucracy to provide thousands of new recruits with the white glove treatment they deserve,” he added.
A senior TSA official echoed the priority of easing recruits’ travel, noting the agency’s veteran workforce and its role in helping new service members begin their careers without unnecessary friction.
“TSA is honored to be a part of the journeys young men and women take to reach initial military training and begin their service in America’s armed forces,” said Mike Turner, TSA’s assistant administrator for domestic aviation operations. “We are committed to ensuring recruits can stay focused on what lies at the end of their travels, serving America, instead of worrying about how they’ll get there.”
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“By leveraging the pre-vetting processes [that] we already have in place, TSA will assist America’s newest service members in reaching their training safely and smoothly,” he added.
With airport screening simplified and the ConfirmID fee waived, recruits can keep their attention where it belongs: on the next step—earning the title—whether or not the nail clippers rumor turns out to be true.
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