The Transportation Security Administration announced that it’s expanding the PreCheck screening program that enables prescreened individuals expedited passage through airport security.

TSA Administrator John S. Pistole made the announcement at the Washington Press Club. Thus far PreCheck has been rolled out at nine airports and 460,000 travelers have gone through the screening process. PreCheck enables travelers to no longer remove their shoes or light jacket and allows them to keep their laptop in its case and their 3-1-1 compliant bag in a carry-on.

Eligible participants include certain frequent flyers from participating airlines as well as members of Customs and Border Protection’s Trusted Traveler programs –Global Entry, SENTRI, and NEXUS – who are U.S. citizens and fly on a participating airline.

By the end of 2012 the TSA expect to be offering passengers at 35 of the country’s busiest airports the expedited screening with TSA PreCheck.

By the end of March, the TSA will expand the PreCheck population to include active duty U.S. Armed Forces members with a Common Access Card traveling out of Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. Service members will undergo the standard TSA Secure Flight pre-screening and if we are able to verify the service member is in good standing with the Department of Defense by scanning their credentialat the airport, they will receive TSA PreCheck screening benefits.

In addition to active duty members of the United States Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and Coast Guard, this evaluation will also include active drilling members of the U.S. National Guard and reservists.

“As we review and evaluate the effectiveness of these possible enhancements, additional changes to the security screening process may be implemented in the future as TSA continues to work toward providing all travelers with the most effective security in the most efficient way possible,” Pistole says.