SSN Justification Memo

DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY
DEFENSE FORENSICS AND BIOMETRICS AGENCY
2800 ARMY PENTAGON
WASHINGTON, DC 20310-2800
REPLY TO
ATTENTION OF

DAPM-FB

MEMORANDUM THRU Army Privacy Office (AAHS-RDF), 9301 Chapek Rd, Fort
Belvoir, VA 22060-5605
FOR Defense Privacy, Civil Liberties, and Transparency Division, 4800 Mark
Center Drive, Alexandria, VA 22350-3100
SUBJECT: Justification for the Use of the Social Security Number (SSN) - Defense
Biometric Identification Records System (DBIRS), DITPR # 9533

1. Purpose. This memorandum satisfies the requirements of DoDI 1000.30, “Reduction
of the Social Security Number (SSN) Use Within the DoD,” requiring justification to
collect and use the SSN. The Department of Defense is required to minimize the
collection and use of the SSN as a unique personal identifier for individuals.
2. System Description and Operation. DBIRS, or the DoD Automated Biometric
Identification System (DoD ABIS), matches and stores biometric data and limited
biographic data of foreign nationals collected by global U.S. forces during the course of
military operations. Data may also be collected for use in field identification and
recovery of persons (or their physical remains) who have been captured, detained,
deemed missing, are prisoners of war (POW), or are personnel recovered from hostile
control (generally U.S. persons but may include mission partner personnel). DoD ABIS
information may be used to issue identity credentials to DoD personnel, administer
military detainee operations, and provide reports to the Secretary of Defense on
detainee operations. DoD ABIS interfaces and shares biometric data with the Federal
Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) Next Generation Identification (NGI) and also exchanges
data with other federal authoritative biometric databases. Records are primarily in
electronic form, although paper records and reports are also generated.
3. Use Justification.
a. Law Enforcement (LE), National Security, and Credentialing. The SSN is
required for LE purposes to share information with FBI and other LE mission partners.
In addition, the information is utilized for the Military Accessions Vital to the National
Interest (MAVNI) population. DoD ABIS contains the MAVNI population set and
includes SSNs for this category of individuals. As the SSN is the primary identifier
based upon the Electronic Biometric Transmission Specification (EBTS) standard
currently in use by DoD for continuous evaluation (CE) efforts, removal of the SSN from
DoD ABIS would hinder CE. Homeland Security Presidential Directive (HSPD) 24
established a Federal framework for applying biometric technologies and the sharing of

DAPM-FB
SUBJECT: Justification for the Use of the Social Security Number (SSN) - Defense
Biometric Identification Records System (DBIRS), DITPR # 9533

data in agency identification and screening processes, which includes biographic data
such as the SSN. Nearly every law enforcement application with which DoD ABIS
interfaces reports and tracks individuals using the SSN as a primary key. These LE
applications include, but are not limited to, the following: state criminal histories,
National Crime Information Center (NCIC), Next Generation Identification (NGI), and
other FBI records.
b. Security Clearance Investigation or Verification. The initiation, conduct,
adjudication, and verification of background investigations and security clearances
requires the use of the SSN, which is the identifier linking together all of the
investigatory aspects of an individual identity throughout the vetting enterprise.
4. Supporting References. There are no forms used for input of the SSN and no forms
generated. DoD ABIS includes identity records established to support automated
identification, authentication, and verification. DoD ABIS interfaces with Defense
Manpower Data Center (DMDC) systems which use the SSN in their databases. Input
for DoD ABIS is EBTS specific files, and the outputs can be a variety of Extensible
Markup Language (XML), Text, or EBTS formats. The system category of records
includes the SSN. The SSN, along with other personnel data information, is securely
collected, stored, and managed in accordance with the enclosed DoD ABIS SORN
(A0025-2 PMG (DFBA)).
5. SSN Collection Authorities. Primary authorities related to the collection of the SSN
for law enforcement and security clearance purposes include the following: HSPD-6,
Integration and Use of Screening Information; HSPD-11, Comprehensive TerroristRelated Screening Procedures; HSPD-24 Biometrics for Identification and Screening to
Enhance National Security; and National Security Presidential Memorandum 9,
Presidential Memorandum on Optimizing the Use of Federal Government Information in
Support of the National Vetting Enterprise.
6. Risk Mitigation. Most records do not contain SSNs, and the risk has been mitigated
in the remaining cases. The SSN is not included in customer response data, even to
include the requesting customer. If required in rare instances, the SSN would be
requested along with other related data and would be separately approved for release.
While there is an enduring requirement to maintain the SSN in limited circumstances,
specific actions have been taken to reduce vulnerability and misuse within the system.
7. Conclusion. DoD ABIS (system name DBIRS) and its successor system, the
Biometric Enabling Capability (BEC), contain a limited number of SSNs for operational
purposes, and I find this risk to be acceptable.

DAPM-FB
SUBJECT: Justification for the Use of the Social Security Number (SSN) - Defense
Biometric Identification Records System (DBIRS), DITPR # 9533

8. My point of contact for this action is Mr. Russ Wilson at (703) 571-0388 or
russell.l.wilson6.civ@mail.mil.
Digitally signed by

KRIZAY.GLENN KRIZAY.GLENN.D.107450
0850
.D.1074500850 Date: 2019.02.27
12:54:02 -05'00'

Encl

GLENN D. KRIZAY, SES
Director, Defense Forensics
and Biometrics Agency