People have been complaining about Fort Sill's visitor pass requirement since the government instituted the practice around ten years ago.

Is it a pain? It can be.

Was it better when a clean driver's license sufficed? Absolutely... but that's the nature of security. With no less than a hundred miles of fenceline, we can't have criminals walking through the front door, right?

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Most of the ire comes from the process of getting a pass at the visitor's center. It feels like it's understaffed, but odds are everyone tends to go in at the same convenient times. All the same, they have made some huge improvements.

Instead of going through the process with a couple of workers, they installed an automated pass machine at some point in the last few years. You slide your license in, answer a few questions, and your pass prints out on what appears to be McDonald's receipt paper.

Now we have the next step in the evolution of convenient security, your military installation pass can be applied for online.

Here is the link to pre-register for your visitor pass.

At the link above, you can register and apply for your pass in only a few minutes. You only need your driver's license and your own personal details. Tell them when you'll be visiting, and if my experience is on par with the average, I received approval in about five minutes.

The best part is, with this method, your driver's license becomes your pass. They'll just scan it at the gate when you go in, like in the old days.

I don't know if your experience will be similar to mine, I have one of those new Real IDs that have been so controversial. Whether it'll work with the older style is something you'll have to find out yourself.

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