U.S.
TSA waives REAL ID and fees for recruits traveling to basic training
Stars and Stripes
February 12, 2026
Incoming trainees stand in the Pfingston Reception Center auditorium in San Antonio Texas waiting for more instructions from PRC staff on April 23, 2024. (Ava Leone/U.S. Air Force)
Military recruits traveling to basic training no longer need a REAL ID nor will they have to pay an airport fee under a new partnership between the Defense Department and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), Defense Department Press Secretary Kingsley Wilson said in a post on X.
“From the moment these brave men and women volunteer to serve our nation, we want them focused on the fight, not about what type of ID they have,” Wilson said in her statement Wednesday.
Under the new process, which began on Feb. 1, recruits from all military branches will receive “white glove” treatment, or expedited security screening, from the TSA at security checkpoints, according to Task & Purpose.
Since Feb. 1, airline passengers without a REAL ID or other forms of acceptable identification have been given an option to pay a $45 fee before being allowed to fly.