7/6/2007 — BARKSDALE AIR FORCE BASE, LA (AFPN) — Air Force officials are launching an initiative called SSN for Life, or S4L. "The Air Force has wanted to pursue a single e-mail address scheme for some time," said Capt. Jason Farms, S4L project officer. "By using everyone's social security number as an email address, our members will be able to reach each other anytime and anywhere."

S4L is the first step in eventually consolidating the 14-plus e-mail and Active Directory systems into a streamlined architecture. "Once that is done, it will reduce costs associated with running multiple implementations at the various locations," Captain Farms said. "We're also deploying an anti-identity theft solution to protect the Air Force from a worldwide increase in SSN-based fraud."

The program is projected to save money, jumpstart the consolidation of the service's multiple e-mail systems, and provide senior leaders the capability to e-mail every Air Force member throughout their careers.

Captain Farms explained why the Air Force decided to use social security numbers for email addresses. "If an email address was based on a person's name, it wouldn't always be permanent," he said. "If someone gets married or divorced, then their so-called 'permanent' email address would need to be changed. But that person's social security number never changes."

The first step in this multiple-phase consolidation effort is to give everyone an e-mail address with a universal format. The new S4L addresses will not be base specific, such as first.last@scott.af.mil, but will have the extension of ssn@us.af.mil. This means that every Air Force user — active-duty, Guard, Reserve, civilian or contractor — will use their social security number as an email address for as long as they're associated with the Air Force.

The actual e-mail address will appear as the person's social security number, such as: 123-45-6789@us.af.mil. Dashes are optional, so 123456789@us.af.mil will work just as well. For those working in joint billets or who are currently working at other .mil or .gov sites, an S4L address will be issued as well.

The change for the most part will be transparent to people who use the Global Address List since their name, rank and unit designations will still show. The only thing that will change is their email address, which will be based on their social security number. This month users will receive an e-mail notifying them that their new S4L account has been issued.

While this new address will be active when they receive the notification e-mail, it will not affect their current e-mail address, and in fact, any emails sent to their social security number will automatically be forwarded to the current address. Also, the S4L address will not show up on the GAL until mid-summer when the initiative reaches full operating capability.

The e-mail will explain how people can access an online self-service portal page, and how they'll be able to update their S4L information once fully operational. For most people, updating their personal information will automatically adjust as they move from base to base, but in those cases where it can't, the self-service portal page can be used to forward the e-mails accordingly.

Captain Farms said this effort has been the result of a successful partnership between the Air Force Communications Agency, Air Force Network Operations, software experts at Air Force Cyber Command's 754th Electronic Systems Group, and Microsoft.