Biometrics Use in the Department of Defense

The long-term strategic success in counterinsurgency operations, such as Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan, involves separating enemy combatants from innocent civilians in the general population. U.S. military forces in Afghanistan are using biometrics to identify enemy combatants and link individuals to events such as improvised explosive device detonations. Biometrics and related biometrics-enabled intelligence are decisive, non-lethal battlefield capabilities that deny enemy combatants the necessary anonymity to hide and strike at will. Biometrics is the measurement and analysis of a person’s unique physical or behavioural characteristics, such as fingerprints, iris scans, facial photographs, or written signature recognition, which can be used to verify personal identity. This book examines biometrics use in the Department of Defense with a focus on additional training for leaders, timely transmission of data, and better standards to share information within federal agencies.