Current US military service members and service academy students are automatically signed up for the TSA Precheck under a little-known DOD-TSA agreement. Photo by Daniel Lobo/Flickr.
Active Duty, Guard and Reserve service members and service academy cadets are now automatically registered for TSA Precheck express screening at US airports — but that advantage does not extend to everyone with a military ID.
Defense Department civilians must opt in to the program — while military retirees, veterans and spouses are not eligible.
“Eligible DoD travelers have voluntarily provided information enabling TSA to make a risk informed decision and allow access to the TSA Precheck lane,” TSA Press Secretary Jenny Burke told Air Force Magazine in an email response. “This information enables us to issue these travelers a Known Traveler Number (KTN).”
Current service members and service academy students are automatically signed up for the TSA Precheck under the DOD-TSA agreement.
“Their DOD ID numbers – a 10-digit number that should be on the back of your Common Access Card – serve as their Known Traveler Numbers,” a Nov. 8 DOD release reads.
To use the program, they should enter that number when booking their tickets.
Current DoD civilians also qualify for this fast-track, though they must manually opt-in to take advantage of it. “Civilian employees must opt into the program using milConnect website at https://milconnect.dmdc.osd.mil/milconnect/,” the release said. “Their DOD ID number is also their KTN.”
Retirees, veterans and spouses are not covered under the agreement because DoD cannot vouch for them in the same way they can for those currently employed by the department. They can sign up for Precheck like any other US resident, paying $85 for a five-year clearance.