TSA adds seventh airport to its Pre Check service member expedited screening list

Denver International

Denver International Airport is the seventh airport where active service members can participate in TSA’s Pre Check expedited screening program.

Active duty service members in the U.S. armed forces travelling through the airport can participate in the pre-approved screening program accessed through screening lanes at the facility’s South Checkpoint, said TSA. Eligible service members don’t need to be in uniform to be considered for Pre Check, said the agency.

The program allows eligible passengers to volunteer their background information to expedite screening at participating airports. Pre Check passengers can go to a specially-designated lane where they undergo expedited screening. The process can mean they don’t have to take their shoes, light outerwear or belt off, and can leave their laptops and compliant liquids in their bags. However, TSA has said the process isn’t a guarantee that those screening measures won’t be implemented from time to time.

TSA began expanding the Pre Check program to active duty military members in March of 2012, partnering the Defense Department to streamline security screening processes for service members traveling on commercial aircraft.

In addition to Denver, service members may also participate in the Pre Check program when flying out of Charlotte Douglas International, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International, Honolulu International, Ronald Reagan Washington National, Seattle-Tacoma International and Washington Dulles International airports.

Active duty members of the military can present their Common Access Cards (CAC) to a TSA Officer in front of the TSA Pre Check lane, where it will be scanned to determine if they qualify for expedited screening. TSA uses a CAC card reader and computer connected to a DoD database to verify the service member’s active duty status before they are cleared to receive TSA Pre Check screening benefits.

“We are pleased that Denver is the seventh U.S. airport to offer this benefit to active duty members of the U.S. Armed Forces, including guardsmen and reservists on active service,” said TSA Federal Security Director James Schear, who is also a retired Navy Rear Admiral. “These brave men and women serve their country every day, so it makes sense to grant them eligibility for expedited checkpoint screening.”