The Marine Corps has officially put an end to vehicle decal requirements years after other military services ditched the stickers that many complained could leave troops and their families the targets of terror attacks. After much debate and years after other military services already made the change, the Marine officials Corps on Monday put an end to vehicle decals once and for all.
Marines and their families will still be required to register their vehicles at their home station, but they'll no longer be required to display decals on their cars in order to gain access to bases. Officials announced the policy change Monday in administrative message 245/16, signed by Lt. Gen. James Laster, director of Marine Corps Staff.
Marine spouse Kristine Schellhaas, founder and editor of USMClife.com, which provides information about duty stations, schools and area activities, said the move was long overduebase information and the like. Schellhaas was hacked by Islamic State group supporters earlier this year while her husband was deployed to Al Asad, Iraq, as a military adviser.
Even though the FBI and Naval Criminal Investigative Service took steps to protect her and her family, driving around in a vehicle with a military decal made her nervous.
"There was still that nagging feeling I had driving out into the local community, knowing that I had this target on my car," she told Marine Corps Times. "We didn't know if I was specifically targeted because my husband was overseas in Iraq and they saw his nametape, or if it was just coincidence because of my active work in the Marine Corps community.
"Nevertheless, I couldn't take the decal off my car without breaking a Marine Corps order — this one little sticker was causing concern for my and my family's safety." "Earlier this year my husband deployed to Al Asad, Iraq as an advisor. While he was gone, I was hacked by IS supporters. The FBI and NCIS came to my home and while they did everything in their power to help me on the home front, there was still that nagging feeling I had driving out into the local community, knowing that I had this target on my car.
The Marine Corps is the last service to ditch vehicle decals. The Air Force was ahead of the game, having axed them vehicle decals in 2007 in light of security concerns. The Army followed suit in 2011, and the Navy did the same two years later.
Marine families were particularly vocal about removing the requirement last year after ISIS released the names and addresses of 100 troops, urging sympathizers to carry out attacks against them.
Still, the Marine Corps required the stickers as a way to support traffic management, vehicle registration requirements and Clean Air Act mandates. A review of more affordable options was ordered by the Marine Requirements Oversight Council in August 2012. Though the issue of safety continually trumped all discussion, the Corps continued to require decals — and punished drivers who lacked them. This brought much complaint from Marines and family members who received repeated DoD warnings to conceal military affiliations.That requirement continued them even after Corps refused to rescind the requirement even after a March 2015 change to Pentagon policy said vehicle decals no longer serve a useful purpose and are incompatible with the requirement to conduct 100 percent identification card checks. Since Because bases already require a 100 -percent ID check at all gates, Pentagon service officials said decals were not only unnecessary, but wasteful. A 2007 Air Force fact sheet called the decals "an expensive duplication of state registration and licensing." Navy officials in 2013 said the service would save $750,000 annually by cutting the decals.
The feedback from the Marine community has been overwhelmingly positive, Schellhaas said while some may choose told Marine Corps Times on Thursday. Some want to keep the sticker on their vehicle out of pride, but most are relieved happy to remove the outward military affiliation from their cars. So far, In addition, mandatory ID checks have gone smoothly at Camp Pendleton and lines are manageable.
"I feel better knowing that they are safeguarding our military families," she said.
Identification checks will continue at military base checkpoints gate, and spot checks of vehicle registration can be expected. So far, Schellhaas said she hasn't noticed any backups getting through the gate at Camp Pendleton in California.
"I feel better knowing that they are safeguarding our military families and applaud the Marine Corps for their actions," Schellhaas said.
All drivers still While given the green light to remove military decals from their vehicles, Marines and families are still required to register their automobiles vehicles at their home station, according to the new rules, which are contained in Marine administrative message 245/16 and signed by Lt. Gen. James Laster, director of Marine Corps Staff.Drivers must maintain a a valid state driver’s licensestate registration certificate, proof of insurance, registration and a safety inspection sticker (if required by the state in which the vehicle is registered), according to the MARADMIN. Those who fail to register vehicles can face citation, loss of driving privileges, impoundment and/or other adverse personnel or administrative actions. Temporary vehicle registration will continue to be executed as an element of visitor validation checks.
