Access into the Washington Navy Yard’s Building 197, where a shooting rampage in Washington left at least a dozen people dead Monday, includes a security clearance check and vetting by contract-hired “visitor control technicians,” contract records show.
Authorities have identified Aaron Alexis, 34, a Navy veteran, as the dead gunman. While it’s unclear how Alexis got into the building Monday morning, the Associated Press reported that he may have used someone’s identification.
In April, the Navy hired Kansas-based contractor Transtecs Corp. for “visitor control office support services” at the Washington Navy Yard, according to the government’s online procurement database.
While there’s no indication that Transtecs’ work has come under question in the shooting, contract records related to the company’s hiring do shed light on the sort of vetting the Navy requires to get into Building 197, which houses the Navy’s Sea Systems Command.
A 30-page task order on the company’s website says Transtecs provides the labor to support the ID badging system and associated equipment at the building.
A person who answered the phone for Transtecs Monday said the company declined to comment.
Entry into the building includes a check of the Joint Personnel Adjudication System to verify an individual’s clearance level prior to authorizing access, the task order shows.
“The contractor shall utilize the government furnished Picture Perfect Access Control System to issue visitor badges and code Control Access Card (CAC) badges permitting entry,” the task order also states.
“The contractor shall code all CAC’s and visitor badges after the vetting process is completed authorizing access into specific or all NAVSEA buildings, as appropriate.”
The company’s website lists multiple federal agencies as clients, including the Navy, Air Force, Army and Defense Logistics Agency.
1 Comment
It’s a shame these stories keep cropping up. I hope the future looks brighter than it has been looking.