WASHINGTON, Aug. 22 (UPI) -- Of all federal agencies the Department of Defense is best-equipped to meet the government's Oct. 27 deadline to begin issuing uniform identity cards.
Federal Computer World reported Aug. 21 that the Defense Department has a commanding lead because over the past few years it has issued 11 million Common Access Card, or CAC, credentials.
The new federal regulations are contained in the Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12 (HSPD-12) directive, issued Aug. 27, 2004.
The directive read: "Wide variations in the quality and security of forms of identification used to gain access to secure Federal and other facilities where there is potential for terrorist attacks need to be eliminated. Therefore, it is the policy of the United States to enhance security, increase government efficiency, reduce identity fraud, and protect personal privacy by establishing a mandatory, government-wide standard for secure and reliable forms of identification issued by the federal government to its employees and contractors (including contractor employees)."
Mary Dixon, deputy director of the Defense Manpower Data Center, which manages the CAC and HSPD-12 credential programs for the Defense Department, said: "We've been doing this (with CAC) for six years already, so we have a huge infrastructure in place, and we have to make sure we don't bring that infrastructure down."
