Uber wouldn’t have permission to come in. Secure parts of bases require CAC cards (ATM machine!) for all vehicle occupants (which was fun when generals would come in, have their cac card scanned and was good… but the driver wouldn’t scan good [didn’t have clearance to come in]. “Sorry sir, you’re going to have to walk, or wait for the Sergeant of the Guard to show up with his golf cart… Your driver needs to leave IMMEDIATELY.”). When standing gate guard on a secure airfield I never cared about the vehicle plates. It was always the CAC card and if the under car scanner went off. The validity of your car’s registration didn’t matter in the slightest to us.
Although that may have changed at this point… I’ve been out for a while.
The main post guards probably would care.
Edit: Oh funny side story. That’s the one time I was able to draw my own rifle on a General too… He was coming in to speak to some Colonel, but never got the clearance (probably was just visiting post and wasn’t from there). He got uppity… I did what the Rule of Engagement specified I do (which does lead to eventually point my rifle at the driver and/or engine block and if they still fail to comply… shoot). Specialist me just doing my duty. He finally got the message after placing a few phone calls acting like I was going to jail… Was interesting to see that amount of ego on someone who probably orders his own people to do the same shit. I reenlisted for 3 more years after this trying another unit/job out to see if the Army was really that dumb… Out of the 4-5 units I was in… only 1 was worthwhile IMO. It basically is that dumb… Mad respect to those who deploy and do the job, I know that it sucks (as it sucked for me). But the leadership… man the leadership could use some pruning. Make it worthwhile for the people that are actually good to stick around rather than letting dumb asses fail upwards so much.
Did you ever transfer to a job that wasn’t MP / SP? Because if not then I might know why everyone around you was so dumb. lol
I had a really good experience in the Army (many, many years ago) but that was because my leadership was also really good. I have heard a lot of horror stories that made me understand how lucky I was.
The reenlistment for for different MOS, but I was never an MP… I was placed on guard detail because the MP unit was unavailable to handle the detail for whatever reason, we did it for 4-6 months or something like that if I recall correctly, I remember it being more or less the full Summer… which sucked because the A/C units in the booths sucked.
It was when I was put into the last pathfinder unit in the Army that I found leadership that wasn’t dumb, but then after our deployment it was scheduled to be disbanded… so I just didn’t re-up… The only worthwhile unit going away was a big clear blinking notification sign in my life to walk the fuck away.
I have to fully be on board that it’s pure luck if you get a unit that actually doesn’t suck. I’ve had commanders order me to do illegal shit (which is why I was transferred around a bit, can’t get me in trouble for following UCMJ and the other bajillion manuals covering my job). When I finally got to a real unit that knew what their mission was. Everything magically became smooth as butter.
Last pathfinder unit in the Army? Damn things have changed. We had a squad of pathfinders in every HQ company in every infantry battalion in my division when I was in. I guess they just use drones now or what? Crazy.
Hey I didn’t make the term… “CAC card” was basically how 99% of everyone referred to them. They probably still do. But I think the reason we did was because “CAC” as a stand alone term is awfully close to another word that would be highly unprofessional don’t you think? It’s one of those things you think about in basic training after they issue you the card for about 30 seconds before you stop questioning shit because they’re screaming at your face (which I hear has changed a few years ago…). So maybe they have more like 5 minutes to think about these days.
It’s important to pull your CAC out every time you get up from your desk 😉
I think it depends on the base and the branch (I was in the Navy). I know in Virginia we regularly took cabs to the parking lot, but we had to show our IDs at the gate. In South Carolina we had cabs take us to the road right next to the base and it was maybe a hundred yards of open space from there to my room. In New York you could get right to the parking lot. However, in Connecticut no cars got past the gate with a civilian inside.
However, that’s been two decades and one of those was a training base. I’ll admit I could be way the hell off these days.
Uber wouldn’t have permission to come in. Secure parts of bases require CAC cards
Active duty military can drive for Uber and they would have common access card cards.
Just because you have a CAC card, doesn’t mean you’re authorized into the area. As my story stated… I’ve turned away Generals before.
I guess I could have clarified that the general’s drivers were also military… I guess I just kind of assumed most people would have known/figured that out.
