Pentagon Replaces ID Card For New Smart Card

The U.S. Defense Department began to issue the integrated circuit (IC) chip-based `common access cards` to about 4 million military personnel including active military and civilian employees from 29th.

The smart card functions as an identity card such as pass access and, computer and internet user identification as well as on-line transaction functions. And sooner or later, military facility inspection function will be added.

Soldiers can get the card within 10-15 minutes after saving their digital photographs and fingerprints and choosing the personal numbers for authorization from 900 ID card service centers through internet.

It is one of merits of the smart card that it enables one to understand the current situation of personnel when the event like 9.11 Pentagon terror takes place.

The smart card has been used as identity card by some large groups in the United States such as the Sun Micro Systems. But it has not been publicized because of the privacy concerns. Some parts of the military forces have also expressed their concern that too much information is saved on a single card.