Photo By David Hernandez | For 250 years, the U.S. Army has provided endless possibilities and opportunities for...... read more read more
FORT BUCHANAN, PUERTO RICO- For 250 years, the U.S. Army has provided endless possibilities and opportunities for service to our nation. Personnel working at Fort Buchanan's Visitor Control Center (VCC) are a prime example of service to the nation by offering essential information and safety to the community.
The VCC delivers crucial services, including issuing visitor passes, providing information, verifying identification, ensuring visitor compliance, and conducting background checks. By managing access to the installation, the VCC helps safeguard the installation’s personnel, facilities, and resources.
Lt. Edwin Garcia is one of the guard supervisors at Fort Buchanan's VCC.
"Any individual that needs a visitor pass needs to undergo a background check using the National Crime Information Center (NCIC),"said Garcia, while explaining that depending on the purpose for the pass, the access authorization could last six months.
According to the officer, customers must bring their valid government driver's licenses and social security number to expedite the process.
"Passports are accepted as a valid identification, but it takes more time to input the information in the NCIC system which can delay the process," added Garcia.
Private transportation providers can enter Fort Buchanan without stopping at the VCC. The security guards will manage these cases through the Borinqueneers' Gate. The private transportation providers must have a valid reason to enter, specify the location, and the duration of their presence on post.
Victor M. Marrero, a service member's father, and a Toa Alta, Puerto Rico native, shared his experience while getting a pass to visit Fort Buchanan.
"My son returned from a mobilization. My wife and I needed a visitor pass to get inside the installation with him. That is why we came to the VCC to get our passes. The process is faster and more agile than last year and now it has a 6-month duration," said Marrero.
Marrero also seized the opportunity to give tips to future visitors.
"For future visitors to Fort Buchanan, I recommend bringing all the required documents. Additionally, you might bring something to entertain yourself in case there is a line," said Marrero.
Visitors, contractors, and vendors who wish to access Fort Buchanan must visit the VCC at the Borinqueneers' Gate, which operates continuously Monday through Saturday from 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. to get a visitor pass.
Since it is the only U.S. Army installation in the Caribbean, Fort Buchanan processes between 200 to 400 visitor passes daily.
For more information about Fort Buchanan's VCC, please call (787) 707-3995 or visit https://home.army.mil/buchanan/about/Garrison/DES/physicalsecurity/access-control.
With an annual investment in the local economy of more than $500 million, Fort Buchanan serves a diverse military community of approximately 15,000 active-duty Reserve, National Guard, Marine Corps Reserve, and Navy Reserve members. Fort Buchanan's mission is to serve as a platform for improving readiness and facilitating the deployment of military personnel anywhere, anytime.
| Date Taken: | 01.13.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 01.14.2025 14:17 |
| Story ID: | 489068 |
| Location: | PR |
| Web Views: | 32 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Fort Buchanan’s VCC enables readiness through security, by Carlos Cuebas and David Hernandez, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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