Bliss is Back: Maj. Gen. James P. Isenhower III
El Paso and Fort Bliss have always enjoyed a symbiotic relationship. Interdependent socially and economically, we’ve grown together through daily interaction since the establishment of Fort Bliss in 1854.
More than half of our soldiers and their families live in El Paso communities, attending local churches and schools. Fort Bliss relies on more than 10,000 El Pasoans who work on our installation.
As the area’s largest employer, Fort Bliss provides El Paso $7 billion in direct spending each year. The cooperative relationship between both communities secures continued growth and development, benefiting all of us.
Three years ago, our relationship changed as we all reacted to the pandemic. From classrooms to boardrooms, our interaction was virtual at best. Businesses shut down. The border was closed, as were our installation gates.
Today, as we emerge from health protection measures, the soldiers, Department of the Army civilians, and families at Fort Bliss send one message to our fellow El Pasoans: BLISS IS BACK.
Over the past several months our leaders have reviewed each pandemic constraint, kept some measures that made sense, but removing most restrictions to support our responsible return to a more normal, pre-pandemic state. These changes allow us to reinvigorate the traditional, sorely missed aspects of our relationship with surrounding communities. The Fort Bliss population returned in force to El Paso by volunteering, shopping, dining, and enjoying El Paso’s culture and hospitality. We invite you to do the same on Fort Bliss, and we’ve made it far easier if you have a Real ID.
Key to our BLISS IS BACK campaign is our integration of the National Law Enforcement Technology System, a new security screening system in place today at each of our gates. This capability provides constant vetting of every potential entrant to Fort Bliss through a national database, updated continually, which enables access to our installation using your Real ID-compliant driver’s license or state-issued ID. If you stop by our Visitor Control Center (VCC) at Buffalo Soldier Gate (24/7, located off Airway Blvd.) or the Chaffee VCC off the 601 Spur, and register your Real ID, you can access Fort Bliss — using your Real ID — for up to three years before you need to re-register. Any adult with a Fort Bliss-registered Real ID can vouch for accompanying minors.
This new, secure access eases entry for you and your family, allowing you to re-experience a myriad of Fort Bliss facilities and events. Freedom Crossing is the largest outdoor mall in the U.S. military. Our museum, rod and gun club, golf course, and Grand Theater are just a few of the forty facilities your family can enjoy. We also welcome you to join us at annual events like our “Run for the Fallen” 5K, our “Pop Goes the Fort” celebration in July, or our Oktoberfest, to name a few. To view a full list of upcoming activities and facilities, visit bliss.armymwr.com/programs/upcoming-community-events-and-programs and home.army.mil/bliss.
Of course, Fort Bliss may need to adjust our security posture on short notice. As a modernization testing center, critical training complex, and a power projection platform for multiple Army units, we will always prioritize safety and security. We commit to keeping you informed if we change our access posture.
El Paso and Fort Bliss enjoy a mutuality that remains undeniable. As we move on from the pandemic together, we look forward to increasing our interaction, learning more about each other, and charting the next path in our collective history. BLISS IS BACK.
Maj. Gen. James P. Isenhower III is the commanding general of the 1st Armored Division and Fort Bliss, Texas.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Bliss is Back: Maj. Gen. James P. Isenhower III
