<p>10 Feb 2005
Change in Airport Security for Military Families
Effective immediately, families of Military may accompany their departing Military family member to the Airport Departure Gate and remain with them until they board the aircraft. Likewise, family may now await the arrival of their Military family members at the Arrival Gate instead of remaining outside the Airport Security area.
To avail yourself of this new procedure, you must contact (in person) the Airline Ticket Counter of the airline your Military family member is using and obtain a Pass that will permit you to go through the Security Checkpoint and await arrivals and departures as we did in the good ol’days. A Photo ID and passing through Airport Security is required.</p>
<p>As far as I know the policy has not changed. Check with the carrier. We have always been able to get a pass at the ticket counter.</p>
<p>Not in Atlanta - or at least not by our major carrier - We tried numerous times Plebe year (06/07) and were told no, they even called in a TSA who also said no.</p>
<p>It is true, the airports are supposed to allow military family members to go to the gate to meet them.</p>
<p>[TSA:</a> Accommodations for U.S. Military Personnel - Military Family Member Gate Passes](<a href=“http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/assistant/editorial_1880.shtm]TSA:”>http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/assistant/editorial_1880.shtm)</p>
<p>*Family members who want to accompany a military service member being deployed to the boarding gate or greet them returning from deployment at the arrival gate may receive passes to enter the secure area of the airport.</p>
<p>Interested military family members should contact their air carrier representative at the departure/arrival airport for proper local procedures.*</p>
<p>:cool:</p>
<p>It may be the rule but I can tell you it still is up to the individual carrier and if they will not give you a gate pass there is not a thing one can do about it. Been there… Certainly not going to argue with Delta when Mid is standing next to me and is doing nothing more than returning to “college” Hardly the intent of the regulation and makes for an awkward moment when the only thing the Mid can produce is his leave papers from Annapolis, not exactly deployment.
</p>
<p>“Deployed”…big difference. You think after almost four years have gone by this correction/clarification could have been made?
I got the info here:</p>
<p>[Changes</a> in Airport Security for Military Families](<a href=“http://usna.org/security.html]Changes”>http://usna.org/security.html)</p>
<p>…and maybe take it off the “quick links” if it appears to have nothing to do with four years at USNA and can only cause confusion?</p>
<pre><code>Plebe Summer Dates
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<p>No big deal, I realize it’s probably managed by volunteers, but I guess if I wasn’t a skeptic by nature I would have never made the original post.</p>
<p>We were not allowed to go to the gate to meet our mid last Thanksgiving- the airport was very crowded. On the return trip, late Saturday night, the airport was empty, Mid was in his uniform looking very handsome, the clerk gave us a pass to go out to the gate. The policy was explained to us as - they can let you go out to the gate but are only obligated to honor that if it is for a deployment to or return from Iraq or Afghanistan. Our mid told us “chill out.” “Chances are I will be deployed to a war zone soon enough.” He did not want us to make a pain of ourselves to the ticket agents or the TSA. “Conduct unbecoming” in his words.</p>
<p>One parent told us to go to the airport wearing lots of USNA gear and cheer loudly when the mid arrives at the baggage claim.</p>
<p>We have a relatively small Airport. Not a lot of flights. Might make a difference. Other Airports with lots of people might make a security difference.</p>