Military ID Card Retiree Update

Under a new initiative, ID card customers can schedule an individual appointment and circumvent the waiting line. Walk-in customers at ID card facilities can experience wait times of two hours or more during periods of peak demand. Now, civil servants and contractors are now filling customer service roles previously handled by active-duty personnel at Personnel Support Detachments (PSD) and
Customer Service Detachment (CSD) Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS) and Real-Time Automated Personnel Identification System (RAPIDS) sites throughout the United States, Hawaii and Guam. An emphasis on prompt service and customer satisfaction is the focus of this new n initiative. The vast majority of patrons who arrive at a scheduled appointment with proper documentation are in and out in less than 20 minutes. “With a little bit of planning you can save a lot of time,” said Chuck Sexton, assistant program manager for this initiative with Commander, Navy Installations Command. “DEERS and RAPIDS customers with scheduled appointments normally are seen within minutes of their allotted time. And, making an appointment is fast and easy via the online appointment scheduler located at: https://rapids-appointments.dmdc.osd.mil/?AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1
Having all the necessary documents is key to a successful visit to the ID card office. At a minimum, a valid state- or federal-government-issued picture ID is required and additional documents are often necessary to fulfill certain requests. A listing of required documents can be found on the appointment scheduler website or by calling the local office for clarification. Local office phone numbers are listed on the scheduler website. Customer service hours are between 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. local except the Navy Exchanges in Norfolk, Va., and Oak Harbor, Wash., which are open from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Patuxent River, Md., Pass & ID with operations between 6:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Weekend hours vary by location. For further information such as locating the nearest ID card facility and additional details relating to benefits and eligibility, such as FAQs, go to: http://www.public.navy.mil/bupers-npc/SUP-PORT/PAYPERS/ID_CARDS. [Source: Shift Colors Spring 2012 ++]