“The more things change, the more they stay the same.” That old saying will come to fit many policies and procedures as Edwards progresses through realignment.
One such policy concerns foreign visitors. Charlene Baker of the Foreign Disclosure Office offers the following guidance. “As a reminder all foreign visitors must be approved by the Foreign Disclosure Office before access to Edwards AFB is granted.”
Depending on the varying purposes or requirements of the visit, Baker indicated there are really just two types of visit – “Official” and “Unofficial.”
“Official” visits are coordinated through “government-to-government” channels and with the Foreign Disclosure Office.
Examples of “official” visits are those by foreign exchange officers, foreign liaison officers or foreign personnel attending U.S. Air Force training. Official visits would also include foreign visits to various Integrated or Combined Test Forces.
Baker added that “Unofficial” visits are “non-government-to-government”.
Unofficial visits by foreign family members or friends from foreign lands, tours, foreign personnel attending graduation, promotion ceremonies or media events are examples.
Here all foreign visit requests require a 30-day advance notice. Requests not meeting the 30 days advance notification are referred to the 412th Test Wing FDO for resolution.
Requesting a foreign visit is simple. All one needs to do is provide the full name of the foreign visitor (first, last, middle), their date and place of birth (city and country), the person’s passport or ID number. Requestors should also give a short justification or purpose of the visit. The dates the visit will happen, who the sponsor is and their phone number, and the sponsor’s organization office phone number are also required.
For additional information, call the Foreign Disclosure Office at (661) 277-1811 or 277-1831.
