Fort Belvoir has updated its gate access control policies, introducing new measures for deliveries, identification requirements, and visitor passes. These changes aim to enhance security and streamline entry procedures for various groups.

Have you been affected by the recent changes at Fort Belvoir? Share your experiences with us.

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• Deliveries entering the installation that currently have or are holding existing sponsorship privileges, will be searched and continue without delay. Deliveries such as, AAFES, Quest Fuel services, Pepsi, Coca Cola, UPS, FedEx, and DHL.

• All U.S. Military and DoD Civilian CAC holders that do not work or reside on the installation will NOT need a sponsor to escort them on the installation.

• Individuals with DoD IDs and CACs that have expired are still required to produce 2 forms of identification to get a pass and will be required to have a sponsor escort them on the installation.

• Parents who no longer possess a dependent ID card bringing a child on post who has a dependent ID for the purpose of medical or school services will need to get cleared for a 24 hour pass from the Visitor Control Center to proceed to the hospital for the medical appointment or school.

• All FCPS busses, substitutes, and employees will continue coordinate with the school liaison to attain their passes from the Visitor Control Center.

• All REX, Fairfax Connector and Metro Access buses will continue services on the installation with their current passes. Coordination will continue with the Visitor Control Center to obtain passes moving forward.

• Contractors cannot sponsor another individual on Fort Belvoir.

• Veterans Health Identification Card (VHIC) are still allowed on the installation. The VHIC will need to be registered at the Visitor Control Center and will be valid for access not to exceed 3 years.

Individuals without DoD IDs/CACs transporting the VHIC personnel to the Hospital will need to be cleared for a 24 hr. pass from the Visitor Control Center.

• All moving companies entering the installation providing services will need to have a sponsor once they have already been vetted through NCIC at Tulley search lanes.

• Families that receive in-house medical care from nurses, home health care aids, therapists, etc. are allowed access. The family will need to sponsor them for the duration of the treatment for up to one year. The sponsor is also responsible for collecting the ID upon termination of care.

• Residents and patrons hosting ceremonies/events on the installation will need to coordinate with the Visitor Control Center to submit their list of attendees to be pre-vetted NLT 14 days prior to the event or arrival on the installation. A sponsor will be required.

Insidenova.com: Fort Belvoir announced Friday it is limiting access to the Army base in Fairfax County to those with Department of Defense identification, their minor dependents and those with sponsored passes. Read More

Insidenova: “Actor and musician Gary Sinise and celebrity chef Robert Irvine teamed up to give thousands an unforgettable experience at Fort Belvoir for Memorial Day weekend.”

“Sinise and the Lt. Dan Band travel to military bases across the country to perform free of charge to service members, veterans and their families. And on May 25, they took stage in front of the garrison headquarters.”

The U.S. Army announced today that the National Museum of the United States Army will reopen on June 14, the Army's 246th birthday. The museum, which is located at Fort Belvoir, Virginia, opened in November 2020, but was closed temporarily due to the coronavirus pandemic.

"June will be a month of celebration as we recognize Army Heritage Month, the Army's birthday and the reopening of the Army museum," said John Whitley, acting Secretary of the Army. "As the museum tells the history of our American Soldiers and honors their accomplishments and sacrifices, we will also reflect on their more recent service to our nation, including their contributions to COVID-19 and disaster-relief efforts, and the protection they provide us all."

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Fairfax County officials just launched a tourism plan that could impact commerce in Prince William County in an indirect way, solidifying the global economics theory on a smaller scale.

While there is a river boundary between the two counties, the main elements in Fairfax County’s plan are within easy access to key river crossings, making it an easy trip if taken during the right time of day.

Fairfax County’s plan was launched in late February when Mount Vernon District Supervisor Dan Storck created the Tourism Task Force at the National Museum of the U.S. Army.

The museum was scheduled to open June 4, but its timeline has been delayed due to the coronavirus.

“The museum will open when the conditions can ensure the health and safety of the museum visitors and staff, and the museum is ready to begin daily operations,” said a statement on the museum’s website.

The museum built on an 84-acre site right off the Fairfax County Parkway, close to the Richmond Highway intersection, at 1775 Liberty Drive, Suite 400 in Fort Belvoir. The 185,000 square-foot museum facility will use tanks, helicopters, weapons, and technology to tell the 240 years of Army history, similar to the Marine Corps museum in Quantico.

This massive undertaking is led by a joint effort between the U. S. Army and non-profit organization, the Army Historical Foundation (AHF).

“The National Museum of the United States Army will certainly be a tourist highlight of Fairfax County, which has been a great partner on this project. We also expect the entire National Capital Region and Commonwealth of Virginia to also benefit once the Museum opens,” said retired U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Roger Schultz, President of The Army Historical Foundation.

The new military museum will bring increased interest to existing destinations in Northern Virginia and the Richmond corridor, including Prince William County.

“Prince William County shares a regional vision to elevate the quality of life, by harnessing tourism and economic development opportunities showcasing the many Northern Virginia cultural, recreational and visitor attraction assets. We do this through fostering partnerships including the Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail, the Northern Virginia Tourism Partnership, NOVA Economic Development Alliance, and other regional collaborations,” stated Ann Marie Maher, Prince William County’s Director of Tourism.

Museum tickets must be reserved in advance, but they are free.

The Workhouse Arts Center recently opened a suffragist museum that will act as another magnet for tourism along with the resident artist attractions, live presentations, and a unique living quarters built in former prison buildings.

In addition, the attractions in southern Fairfax County include George Washington’s Mount Vernon Estate, Mason Neck Park, bicycle facilities at Fountainhead Regional Park, and along the GW Parkway, a planned ski slope on a landfill in Lorton, historic Woodlawn, and Frank Lloyd Wright’s Pope-Leighey House.

These are all within close proximity to the Occoquan River and Prince William County.

“It is our vision that this collaboration will accelerate South County economic development and provide new opportunities for residents and visitors alike,” Storck said.

Tourism in Fairfax County has created around 30,000 jobs and brought in nearly $6o million locally, according to a press release.

Officials at Quantico Marine Corps Base are on alert and warn of longer than normal traffic delays for those attempting to get aboard base on Monday.

MCBQ Traffic Advisory
Travelers can expect delays at all entry points. Base law enforcement personnel will be conducting 100% ID checks of all individuals. Expect an increase in vehicle inspections and longer wait times when entering the base.
Please have IDs ready. pic.twitter.com/rcX6uh2KYX

— MCBQuantico (@MCB_Quantico) January 5, 2020

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It’ll be slow going tomorrow at Fort Belvoir, too.

The heightened security comes after a U.S. drone airstrike killed Iranian General Qassem Soleimani on Thursday, the head of Iran’s elite Quds military force and one of the most powerful figures in the Islamic Republic, in Baghdad.

FORT BELVOIR — The National Museum of the United States Army is now accepting applications for volunteers to provide visitor support when the Museum is open.

Ms. Zelpha Anderson, Chief of the Visitor Services Division, says she is looking for individuals who are passionate about the U.S. Army and sharing the stories of the men and women who have worn the Army uniform throughout our nation’s history.

There will be a variety of volunteer opportunities, such as visitor services, special events, tours, education, outdoor activities, and administration.

Through the application process, interested volunteers will have the opportunity to share their skills, interests, and abilities to help match them to a volunteer position.

The Museum anticipates approximately 750,000 visitors annually and will be open every day of the year except Dec. 25.

“The Museum will be a premier travel destination and will offer an assortment of programs and events in addition to touring the historic galleries, and we will need a robust volunteer force to ensure an outstanding visitor experience,” said Anderson.

Anderson says her goal is to gather a group of 300 volunteers who are trained and ready for the Museum’s opening in 2020.

The volunteer application is available now; interviews will begin late this summer, and training will begin in the fall.

The Museum staff also has a goal of developing a volunteer corps that will reflect the diversity of the Army and of their visitors and encourages all to apply.

“You don’t need a specific degree or work experience to be a volunteer,” emphasized Anderson. “What we need is you.”

To learn more about volunteering at the Museum, or to apply, visit online or call (800) 506-2672.

Alyson Satterwhite believes, "A School Board that is constantly distracted by politics is not able to focus." A long-time school board member in Prince William County, she was the first to file candidacy for Chairman of the Prince Willam County School Board for the upcoming November 2018 Special Election. Satterwhite is duking it out with Interim School Board Chairman Dr. Babur Lateef and retired Woodbridge resident Stanley Bender, who are also on the ballot.

Below, find Satterwhite's responses to our Project: Election questionnaire.

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With every new year come new inventions and discoveries, new risks and areas of opportunities. As even the most private and sensitive areas of our business and personal lives become digitized, new cybersecurity and IT threats arise. IT expert Chris Albright of CMIT Solutions of Centreville considers ransomware, IoT hacking, machine learning, and insufficient IT and cybersecurity to be the largest IT threats of 2018.

Ransomware

Globally, ransomware attacks grew by 56 percent in 2017, with the WannaCry attack being the largest of all time. Ransomware includes any kind of cyberattack in which a business or individual is required to pay a monetary fee in order to regain full access of their computer, breached data or Cloud. There is currently no way around regaining access without paying the ransom — and no guarantee that if you pay, the breached data won’t be compromised once paid. Most ransomware attacks are automated, so it is rare that you currently or will ever be able to determine who is behind your data or computer breach. Payments are often a few hundred dollars paid via cryptocurrency which is extremely difficult to track.

IoT Hacking

There are many personal and professional benefits to creating an in-house Internet of Things (IoT). As convenient as your smart devices or custom network may be, each come with unique IT risks. This goes beyond standard mobile devices to IoT hacks for pacemakers, defibrillators, heart monitors, video cameras and any internet-connected electronic device. This also includes the increased risk for hacking into home or office automation features.

Machine Learning

Intelligent chatbots and machine learning algorithms that get smarter with each interaction create a whole new set of IT threats. This includes the in-depth personal and business data gathered by the artificial intelligence (AI) we implement to boost productivity. For example, Amazon Echo, Siri or Google Assistant can now help us complete a long and growing list of virtual tasks. While AI can be used for a variety of legitimate and productive purposes, it can also be used to help hackers learn how to improve their hacking techniques. On the flipside, AI will be simultaneously used to detect bad bots, malicious AI and machine learning.

Insufficient IT and Cybersecurity

Training, education and a proactive IT and cybersecurity plan is the best way to minimize internal and external risk factors. Unfortunately, few families have an IT plan in place, and businesses with an IT security plan often fail to update the plan with the frequency required to remain secure. With the number of bring your own (BYO) devices, shared devices, internet-connected gadgets and IT threats evolving at a rapid place, it is essential that everyone have an IT plan in place. This includes everything from secure hosting, network security, mobile device management, data and Cloud security, in-house IT policies and procedures, and managed IT services.

The threats above are far from the only IT security concerns you should have your eye on but are some of the greatest IT threats of 2018.

CMIT Solutions of Centreville provides a strategic approach to IT consulting that improves the performance of your business technology in the most cost-effective way possible. Assisting businesses across Northern Virginia, CMIT Centreville can help you achieve the fastest return on your technology investment. Call 703-881-7738 today to see how CMIT Centreville can help your business stay in business.

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