Photo By Chad Menegay | Security Officer Keith Young, a Department of the Army security guard, inspects a...... read more read more
FORT LEE, Va. — The frontline security personnel who control installation access here at Fort Lee are responsible for more than simply scanning identification.
As they help stand watch over the community, their duties include inspecting commercial vehicles, vetting criminal background checks and detecting potential threats at access control points.
“We are essentially the first defense with protecting all of the people on the installation, so it’s important that we are well versed and well rounded to be able to spot threats, to be able to accurately read someone’s background check to tell if they’re a threat or can’t access the installation,” said Department of the Army Security Officer Violet Nathan.
Fort Lee security guards are in regular communication with the Provost Marshal Office and have trained with civilian police and military police at the range and on active shooter exercises.
These guardians, if there were a crisis such as someone trying to run the gate, are prepared to react swiftly and defend the installation.
DASGs use M17pistols and train with M4 rifles as well, Nathan said.
“You don’t ever want to have to draw your weapon, but it’s critical if you do need to use it and going through the levels of force,” said Fort Lee DASG Lieutenant Cindy Canterbury.
One way Fort Lee DASGs have proven their professionalism is by showcasing commitment.
DASGs have worked through government shutdowns as essential personnel, through hazardous weather conditions, through irregular work shifts and through periods of limited staffing.
Canterbury, who has served as a Fort Lee DASG over a decade, said this commitment is born out of a culture of teamwork and community.
“The guards I’ve worked with have become like family, as well as the Soldiers, you get to know them,” Canterbury said. “We work as one unit.”
Soldiers who assist at the installation access points undergo a two-day class of eight hours each day led by a senior Fort Lee DASG on how to properly vet individuals attempting to enter Fort Lee. There is always a DASG with them as they help with installation access.
“Everyone we work with is professional,” Canterbury said. “If there’s someone with a warrant or driving without a license, there’s always someone right there who has your back. You don’t have to wonder. They cover you while you’re taking care of everything. You’re never alone.”
DASGs practice vigilance and follow through on standard operating procedures even in cases of, say, a parent who is wanting to attend a military class graduation and hasn’t yet done what is necessary to secure installation access, Nathan said.
“My main focus is access control,” Nathan said. “When you know the lines are backed up or the gates are moving slow, a lot of times we’re taking precautionary measures and keeping someone off that shouldn’t be on. Sometimes they’ll try to hide people, and they have dark tints, things like that, so you have to ask them ‘roll your window down, so I can see in your vehicle.”
DASGs check for fraudulent documents, license suspensions, vehicle registration expirations and vehicle defects that could make a vehicle undriveable.
“We also inspect commercial vehicles to make sure no one is trying to bring on any contraband or smuggle any prohibited items or people in,” Nathan said.
Nathan, who is relatively new to being a DASG in terms of experience, said her overall awareness is already much higher now because of her job here.
“I understand situations and fully assess before just jumping out there to talk to someone or be overly friendly,” Nathan said. “Sometimes you have to be extra cautious with what people are telling you because they could be just trying to say something to get through.”
All DASGs are National Crime Information Center database certified and undergo Virginia state terminal training for Virginia Criminal Information Network background checks certification through the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services.
According to the Fort Lee Directorate of Emergency Services, DASGs at the Visitor Control Center have in the past three months denied 157 people: 13 registered sex offenders, five people convicted of murder, 21 persons with active warrants and 26 people convicted of drug crimes (to list offenses among the most grevious).
“We all have access to do federal backgrounds, so we rotate in and out of the Visitor Control Center,” Canterbury said. “Some of the senior officers will train some of the newer ones coming on until they’re comfortable, and the junior officers are never left alone until they’re completely comfortable.”
Aside from the regular Army Training and Leader Development courses such as risk management and security practices, advanced career-long professional development opportunities are offered, such as physical security courses and certifications.
They are all CPR and First Aid qualified, and DASGs undergo a mandatory annual fitness assessment, a Physical Ability Test of push ups and timed run or walk.
DASGs must pass annual medical exams of physical, mental, and emotional stability. They must pass security screenings and maintain eligibility for a Secret clearance. They operate under AR 190-56, often armed with non-lethal weapons (riot batons, pepper spray) and lethal weapons.
They are also armed with the customer-service-oriented Operation Excellence training.
“We remain professional during conflict, remain patient because not everyone knows the procedures on a military installation,” Nathan said. “It’s important to have understanding for, say, civilians who don’t work here and who don’t know the ins and outs.”
It is an honor to provide professional customer service and balance that with the responsibility to provide safety for the individuals who live on the installation, Nathan said.
“To be that first level of safeguard for the residents on the installation, the families and everyone who works here, I think is an important job,” Canterbury said. “We’re the first line of defense, the first face people see.”
For installation access information, including gate hours and to apply for an installation access pass online, visit: home.army.mil/lee/access
| Date Taken: | 03.25.2026 |
| Date Posted: | 03.25.2026 12:18 |
| Story ID: | 561289 |
| Location: | FORT LEE, VIRGINIA, US |
| Web Views: | 17 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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