One of the countless challenges faced by U.S. soldiers in the Iraqi war zone is distinguishing enemy fighters and terrorists from innocent civilians. In Fallujah, A group of U.S. Marines has implemented a high-tech biometric ID badging system as a way to help alleviate this problem.

The biometric ID system, known as the Biometric Automated Toolset (BATS) was originally intended to identify individuals brought to military detention centers, but it is now being utilized as a way to provide ID badges to all residents in the city of Fallujah. With a badge system in place, it’s easier to identify who is coming in and out of the city. Badges are required in order to pass through entry control points (ECPs) which are manned either by Marines or Iraqi police. The intent is to prevent terrorists and other threats from entering the city posing as residents.
Iris scanning and fingerprinting allows the Marines to quickly access information on a shared database containing thousands of records. Available data includes the person’s name, place of residence, job, date of birth, and any known involvement with terrorist activities. Besides simply entering the cardholder’s badge number, another way the system can be utilized is to run fingerprints swept from the scene of an incident. If the fingerprints come up in the system, that individual’s threat status is adjusted to reflect potential involvement.
While the ID cards are not mandatory, a high percentage of Iraqis have willingly participated in the program since its inception in June, realizing that its ultimate goal is to help restore peace to the area.