Standard federal ID to replace common access cards

Airman, Spring, 2006 by Sara Wood

WASHINGTON -- A new, standardized identification card is being developed for all federal employees. The new card will replace the common access cards that military personnel, government civilians and contractors now hold. The new cards will look much the same as CACs, with a few changes. The color scheme will be different and more information will be embedded in the card. The added information will be a biometric of two fingerprints, to be used for identification purposes, and a string of numbers that will allow physical access to buildings.

The biggest change will be the addition of wireless technology, which will allow the cards to be read by a machine from a short distance away.

This will make the new cards much easier to use for access to buildings than CACs, which must be swiped through a reader.

A prototype of the new card is being developed and will be finalized in the next couple of months. The cards will be issued starting in October 2006 to all military personnel, government civilians and qualified contractors. In the Defense Department, all employees should have the new cards within three and a half years.

Army Sgt. Sara Wood American Forces Press Service