Military Passports

[ctinct]

Hi, Quick question. Is everyone in the military issued a passport? If not, would a person need one if he/she were going to a place such as Guantanamo Bay, where he/she would never actually set foot foot off the base? Thanks.

 

[lyeag]

No, your active duty ID and orders get you through customs. You have to buy a passport if you want one.

 

[Msslaydbug]

My DH was told he needs to have a passport now by his unit. When going oversees he was told they are now required to have one .....

 

[Meezers]

When I was military I had an ID card and a passport...you were only supposed to be travelling on your ID when on orders....any personal travel was to be done using the passport.

When I became a military spouse I had 2 passports....one issued by the military to use when travelling on orders with husband and one for personal use.

Having been in the military during the height of the cold war I always felt more comfortable carrying a passport...even thought our seats were marked as military on the flight manifest...guess I hoped to be thought of a just another civilian on the flight.

 

[lyeag]

The military encourages you to have one for personal use, but I have never heard of them requiring one. Dh has been to S. Korea and Iraq during the past 3 years and didn't need one.

 

[ToriLammy]

I think it varies from branch of the service to branch of the service and I think the rules may have changed since 9/11 and the increase in Homeland Security. When I was active duty AF I never needed a passport (and I was in during the cold war too) - my ID card, orders and the Status of Forces Agreement with which ever country I was going to was enough. BUT my DH is still active duty AF and he was recently "required" by his unit to get a passport. He's not going anywhere but everyone in his unit must have one "just in case."

To the OP - it really depends on what your friend is doing, when he/she is going and why. If they are trying to decide if they need one they should talk to someone in their personnel office, if they need one thier branch of the military will pay for them to have it.

 

[Dcat2u]

Different branches have different requirements. When I was in the AF we were required to have a passport for Turkey. If it is required the military will issue it and pay for it, also for dependents. I came home from Germany to give birth to our daughter and since she was not on our original orders to go to Germany I paid for her passport to return, had she been born in there they would have issued her one. Passports done for military dependents also expire in 5 years. I keep ours updated for travel purposes and for in the worst case during DH deployments I can get to Germany quick and not have to wait for red tape, unfortunatly I have known spouses that have been held up waiting to get expedited passports to get to Landstuhl.

 

[Longsx3]

We are currently in Germany and DH is AD AF. We both have passports Military Passports(no fee), they same blue ones but with a SOFA stamp and he both have the regular blue travel passports(fee). It is my understanding that all AF members should have a Military Passport issued before coming to Germany but not all do and they typically get one here. If the member wants to travel while on leave they should have a travel passport.

 

[Sleepy]

Before moving here, we were issued No Fee passports by the military. My husband, being the military member, was not issued one. He can get between Italy and America by using his military ID. Now, if my husband wants to travel to anywhere other than those 2 countries, he will need a regular tourist passport. We all have a regular tourist passport. My son and I only use the no fee passport for getting between America and Italy. They contain our Visas. For travel within the country you are stationed, you do not need any special documents.....just your military ID to get you back on base.