Biometric Devices: An Increasing Presence in the Military

A recent article posted at globalsecurity.org documents much of the military’s previous and planned use of biometrics for defense both on and off the battlefield. It’s no secret that the military has been using biometrics for some time now in combat and warfare, helping combat troops tell friends from enemies, and identifying potential security threats at wartime. But only years ago biometrics was considered sort of a novelty. “It was something very new, and the capability wasn’t fully understood,” says Myra S. Gray, director for the Army’s Biometrics Management Agency, in the original article, “It was kind of an add-on to the mission. Now it’s an integral part of the mission because people have seen the value that it brings.”

Biometric applications like fingerprinting, iris recognition, face recognition, palm scanning, and voice matching are beginning to help in fields outside the military, for example in the intelligence and law enforcement industries. It has become a useful tool when it comes to vetting people in combat when they transition from the battlefield to areas of higher level security. It can help to keep military facilities safe and access-specific. The article states that every member of the military, their family, and any Defense Department civilian employee now carries a common ID card with their fingerprints embedded.

Numerous military bases have started using biometrics. For example, Eglin Air Force Base in FL uses a system that scans hand prints of veterans receiving treatment from the Veterans Affairs clinic, identifying and confirming them for access to the hospital on base. Officials at Fort Belvoir, VA have begun using iris scanning technology to regulate access to sensitive areas on site. The Navy will frequently use biometric technology to confirm the identity of soldiers and civilians as they board from foreign vessels.

The Defense Department has major plans for the expansion of biometrics throughout the military as it becomes quicker and more accurate. The technology is well on its way to becoming more reliable and less obtrusive (for example, new iris scanners that can scan larger groups of people on-the-move through security areas and the like).

Biometrics, they say, can help to streamline any sort of record keeping and information sharing, which is extremely significant for fields ranging from financial to medical.

Biometrics Shows Increasing Promise On, Off Battlefield

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2. Biometric Devices: Criticism Growing Against Scans in Airports
3. Biometric Devices: Military Studies and Your Brain on Ultrasound
4. Biometric Devices: Ear Scanning, An Alternative in Airport Security
5. New Biometric Devices in Hospitals
6. More Intrusive Biometric Devices Make Appearance at Airports
7. Can Biometric Security Balance Between Safety and Efficiency?
8. A Glimpse at the History of Biometrics
9. The Rising Importance of Voice Recognition in Biometric Devices
10. Biometric Security: Crime Fighting Goes Minority Report