Fort Hood

III Armored Corps Mission

On order, III Armored Corps deploys globally and conducts multi-domain operations as part of a combined joint land force to deter or defeat adversaries, support combatant command operations and achieve national objectives.

III Armored Corps Purpose

III Armored Corps provides a combat-credible armored corps ready to deploy, fight, sustain and win in multi-domain operations anywhere in the world.

Garrison Mission

U.S. Army Garrison Fort Hood provides integrated installation support services to include facilities, infrastructure and programs to enable Fort Hood commanders to train and deploy their units and take care of their soldiers, families, civilians and retirees.

Garrison Vision

Fort Hood is the model readiness, training and deployment installation that simultaneously provides realistic and responsive quality of life services to our soldiers, families, civilians and retirees.

Fort Hood Installation Access

***REAL ID standards for military base access effective May 7, 2025***

Implementation of the REAL ID Act began May 7, 2025. Anyone 18 years and older planning to visit certain Federal facilities or fly domestically needs a REAL ID or another acceptable form of identification to enter U.S. military bases, including Fort Hood, or board federally regulated commercial aircraft. Visitors without a REAL ID–compliant credential or acceptable alternative will be denied unescorted access to Fort Hood.

What are acceptable alternative forms of identification for base access?

If you don’t have a REAL ID–compliant driver’s license, you must provide one of the following along with your non–REAL ID driver’s license or state ID:

• U.S. passport or passport card
• Military ID card (Common Access Card, or CAC; DOW retired ID card)
• Enhanced Driver’s License, or EDL

Visitors may apply online for a pass at pass.aie.army.mil.

Fort Hood has recently upgraded to the Army’s Automated Installation Entry, or AIE, at the installation Access Control Points, or ACPs, to enhance security.

What is AIE?

AIE is an Installation Access System that leverages technology to increase security for soldiers, family members, War Department civilians, retirees, contract employees and guests by verifying identity of individuals and ensuring they meet Army-approved access standards against FBI criminal and terrorist authoritative databases.

Access to Fort Hood is restricted to those who have an acceptable purpose or reason to enter the installation. In order to enter, all occupants 18 years or older must have a valid identification. DOW affiliated or federal government ID card holders may enter Fort Hood using any lane at any ACP.

All visitors and non-DOW card holders must visit the Marvin Leath Visitor Welcome Center located on T.J. Mills Blvd.

Entry requirements for all visitors, and non-War Department card holders requesting unescorted Installation access:

• Proceed to the Visitor Welcome Center.
• Have a valid purpose for entering the installation (attend meeting, visit museum, attend job interview, etc.).
• Provide the destination, name of facility, building number, street address or unit name/designation.
• Present valid United States driver's license, state ID, or passport.
• Present valid vehicle registration and valid proof of insurance (only for food delivery or rideshare passes).
• Consent to and undergo an initial criminal history check and periodic background screenings.
• Provide Social Security number and take a photo in order to register in the AIE system.

Upon satisfying the above criteria and vetting requirements, an installation access pass will be issued to the visitor.

The Trusted Traveler Program has been suspended until further notice. In most cases, War Department card holders are considered trusted travelers and are authorized to vouch for the identity, fitness and purpose of co-travelers as long as they occupy the same vehicle. Individuals may be personally accountable for the conduct of those co-travelers in accordance with installation security policies. Authorized individuals should accompany the co-travelers until they depart the installation.

Foreign Visitor Access

Any person other than a US citizen must have an acceptable purpose to enter the installation and must be sponsored and escorted by a DOWID card holder. Escorts must be provided by the organization or individual responsible for sponsoring or otherwise associated with the individual’s visit and must remain within reasonable visual contact of the individuals they are escorting.

Foreign visitors must provide their unexpired foreign passport and valid lawful presence in the United States (i.e., valid visa, ESTA Authorization, resident card, and/or employment authorization card). Border crossing cards are not valid at Fort Hood, as the installation is more than 25 miles from the border.

Commercial Vehicle Access

Clarke Road Truck Inspection Facility (Exit 277 of westbound IH-14) is the primary access point for all commercial vehicles, U-Hauls and vehicles carrying hazardous material and ammunition.

Access Denials

Individuals who do not pass the security vetting process in accordance with DOW denial criteria can request a Fort Hood Access Denial Waiver Application. Upon submitting a waiver application, the Senior Installation Commander will make a determination on whether to approve or deny installation access.

The denied person may request reconsideration using the Access Denial Waiver Process outlined in Army Regulation 190-13. They may request a waiver packet at the Marvin Leath Visitor Welcome Center.

Firearms Registration

Your firearms can be registered in-person at the Marvin Leath Visitor Welcome Center during normal hours of operation, at the Fort Hood Police Department 24/7 or online by completing the Fort Hood Firearms Registration Form at Fort Hood Firearms Registration Form and emailing it to usarmy.hood.id-readiness.list.des-visitor-welcome-center@army.mil.

Please allow up to 72 hours to process and return your completed firearms registration form via email. All personnel, military or civilian, who live on the installation or will possess, transport or carry a firearm on the installation at any time will register with the Directorate of Emergency Services. Firearms will be registered under the owner's information. If the owner is a family member, the firearm will be registered under the family member’s name. All soldiers registering a firearm are required to obtain their unit commander's approval and signature prior to registering.

Newly assigned soldiers in possession of assignment orders must receive a temporary firearms registration with the expiration lasting through the in-processing phase prior to traveling onto post with the firearm. Soldiers that purchase a firearm must receive a temporary firearms registration (not to exceed five working days), pending their commander's approval. Once the commander has signed the firearm registration form, the soldier will return to the Marvin Leath Visitor Welcome Center or the Fort Hood Police Station for permanent registration, which is good for a term of four years from the date of registration.

For more information, refer to the website, because a lot has changed.

Marvin Leath Visitor Welcome Center - Location of Hours of Operation

• Bldg. 69012, located on T.J. Mills Blvd.
• Hours of operation: 5 a.m. to 9 p.m., Monday through Sunday
• Office phone: 254-287-9909

Defense Service Network (DSN) Dialing Instructions

The DSN is the provider of long-distance communications service for the Department of Defense (DoD). Every installation has a special DSN number and the numbers vary by world-wide location. In order to place a call using DSN, the caller must be using a military phone on an installation. Cell phones cannot dial DSN numbers. When dialing a DSN number from a United States installation to another United States installation, it is unnecessary to dial the DSN 312 area code. When dialing a DSN number to/from overseas locations, the DSN area code must be included.

DSN Prefix Guide:

• OFF POST LOCAL AREA
• DIAL 1+ AREA CODE + 7 DIGIT NUMBER
• LONG DISTANCE (DDD) & TOLL FREE
• DIAL 1 + AREA CODE + 7 DIGIT NUMBER

DSN (CONUS):

• DIAL 94 + 312 + 7 DIGIT DSN NUMBER
• DSN (OCONUS)
• DIAL 94 + AREA CODE + 7 DIGIT DSN NUMBER

DSN AREAS Codes:

• 311 — AFRICOM
• 319 — CANADA
• 314 — EUROPE
• 509 — CANADA VTC
• 315 — PACIFIC
• 317 — ALASKA
• 318 — CENTRAL

For 24/7 Fort Hood unit contact information, call the Field Officer of the Day (FOD) at 254-206-1157. For 24/7 Fort Hood services information, call the Installation Operations Center (IOC) at 254-287-2520.