The TSA PreCheck program is popular at airports due to the high demand for air travel in the United States, which often leads to long queues at TSA checkpoints.
WASHINGTON—The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) announced on July 2 that members of Gold Star families will be able to register with the TSA PreCheck program for free, while military spouses will receive a discount.
The TSA, a federal agency of the Department of Homeland Security, is responsible for screening all passengers boarding commercial airline flights within the United States. It is the federal entity with which Americans interact the most.
Given the high demand for air travel across the United States, there are often long queues at TSA checkpoints at airports. The TSA PreCheck program allows registered travelers who have passed background checks to be expeditiously screened at checkpoints, and to avoid certain security steps such as removing electronics from bags and removing shoes.
Gold Star families are the parents, spouses, siblings, and children of late U.S. military service members who have died in the line of duty. The U.S. government offers a variety of benefits to Gold Star families in recognition of their relative’s sacrifice. The TSA’s announcement will allow them to join PreCheck and travel more easily while saving them the fee of $85 for a five-year membership.
“We strive to honor those who serve and the families who stand beside them,” acting TSA Administrator Ha Nguyen McNeill said in a statement. She also announced that TSA checkpoints at airports would have dedicated lanes for service members, thereby allowing them to skip queues for identification before physical screening.
In addition to the benefit for Gold Star families, the TSA announced that the spouses of uniformed service members would receive a $25 discount when applying for PreCheck membership. The discount will apply to spouses of U.S. military members—i.e., the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Coast Guard, Air Force, and Space Force—as well as non-military uniformed services, such as the Public Health Service (PHS) Commissioned Corps and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Commissioned Officer Corps.
It is unclear whether the benefits would apply to spouses of reservists.
“This new benefit supports families who frequently travel to reunite with service members or relocate due to duty assignments,” the TSA wrote in its statement.
By Arjun Singh
