Beginning March 23, public visitation to Naval Air Station Pensacola, including its areas of interest, will be closed to the public on weekdays, NAS Pensacola announced Friday.
NAS Pensacola issued the release March 20, saying that only holders of Department of War cards will be allowed on base Monday though Friday until further notice.
“Naval Air Station Pensacola remains vigilant and will take appropriate actions to ensure the safety and security of our service members, civilians, contractors, and their families,” said NAS Pensacola Commanding Officer Capt. Chandra Newman. “We constantly assess a variety of factors to determine what measures we institute or modify to protect our installations, our people and their families.”
Non-DoW cardholders will still be able to access the National Naval Aviation Museum and Pensacola Lighthouse on Saturday and Sunday with all previous restrictions still in place, including getting a background check at the Visitor Control Center.
Since non-DoW cardholders will be restricted from base access on weekdays, this also means the public will be restricted from future Blue Angels practices that are only held on weekdays.
The Blue Angels first practice in Pensacola is scheduled for March 31.
What to expect at the Visitor Control Center
To access the base, visitors must enter the VCC by using the left lane approaching the installation at the main gate on Navy Boulevard. Everyone over the age of 18 must present a valid, government-issued ID such as a U.S. passport or REAL ID.
Once you enter the VCC, all visitors will undergo a background check and receive a visitor pass. You will then need to leave the installation and reenter via the west gate entrance at the end of Blue Angel Parkway.
All vehicles and visitors are still subject to security searches throughout the process.
“Visitors are encouraged to plan and allow extra time to transit through the security process,” a previous NAS Pensacola news release said. “Although visitation is encouraged, installation operations take precedence.”
This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: NAS Pensacola restricts public visitation to weekends only
Reporting by Benjamin Johnson, Pensacola News Journal / Pensacola News Journal
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