New policy changes for Friends of Cannon

The Friends of Cannon program has undergone changes as of Oct.,1, but Col. Stephen Clark, 27th Special Operations Wing commander, doesn’t think people who use the program will see much difference.

As part of the new Defense Biometric Identification System, or DBIDS, which affects how everyone will gain access to the installation, Friends of Cannon program members will also need to obtain a DBIDS ID card.

To do so, they must go to the Visitor’s Welcome Center, located at the Main gate off Highway 60/84 and have their information verified. Once this is done they will be given a DBIDS ID card, and then allowed access to Cannon for designated Friends of Cannon events.

“We want people to come in for designated events, said Clark. “We have over 700 community members who are registered as Friends of Cannon. Continual updating of references is a large process. DBIDS allows us to do it much quicker and in a more coherent fashion.”

The colonel said that Friends of Cannon is a unique opportunity because of the great support from the surrounding communities, and Cannon is committed to continuing that relationship.

“We have to balance the Friends of Cannon program with our security needs and DoD regulations,” he said.

Designated events can include, but are not limited to, First Fridays, Sunday Brunches and Cannon Appreciation Day, and will be announced by press releases released through the 27 SOW Public Affairs Office. Events will also be publicized on the base Web site, http://www.cannon.af.mil, under the featured links section.

“These are a great opportunities for people to engage and interact,” said Clark.

For events not designated as a Friends of Cannon event, members who completed the DBIDS registration process will be required to be sponsored onto the installation by a Cannon member. The member must be met at the gate and escorted on base, but the DBIDS ID card will facilitate the access.

“That’s really the one true difference people will see when they come on base outside of a Friends of Cannon event,” said Clark.

The program is intended for people from the local community to talk informally with base leadership and other airmen from Cannon about where the base and community is heading.

Comparing the old procedure with the new one, Clark said, “This is a good compromise.

For more information or questions regarding the recent changes in the Friends of Cannon program, call the 27 SOW Public Affairs Office at 784-4131 or visit Cannon’s Web site, http://www.cannon.af.mil, and look under the featured links section.