VA ID Card

[jsburger]

A little side note on retired military and VA medical ID cards. TSA will accept them as a identifying document. The sign at the TSA podium states you must have a government issued photo ID that has an expiration date. On one of my recent trips I decided to test the theory and gave them my VA card along with my boarding pass and it took the TSA officer a moment to think about it and then accepted it and passed me along.
Paul

That is interesting since all military members retired ID cards have an expiration date of "INDEF". My understanding is that the TSA will accept them. They have in the past but I have not flown in quite a while. Maybe in this context that counts as an expiration date.

[reible]

If you have to be in "DEERS" for the post exchange then I am but I still can't get the ID.

Ed

One thing I think everyone should keep in mind is that DEERS is not a VA data base. It is a DOD data base used by the VA and others, i.e. Tricare health benefits, to verify eligibility. So if ones DEERS record is incorrect it is not the VA's fault. I know that does not help but is is not fair to blame the VA if the problem is ones DEERS records.

Yes, that may all be correct but please remember this: The member has the responsibility of keeping DEERS up to date.

That is absolutely correct. I suspect that some that are having trouble have had missing or incorrect DEERS records since they were discharged and never knew it because this is the first time they have done anything that accessed their DEERS record.

It is also the same problem some have had getting qualified to shop the Exchange on line site. All of the Exchanges use DEERS to verify eligibility.

[reible]

I find this as most things related to the government it is at best a semi-functional system.

I used the GI Bill for school when I got out. That worked fine.

When I applied for SS they wanted my service records, not sure why they needed them but when I applied the lady looked it up in their system and didn't need my paper work.

The next thing was the State of IL now allows your drivers license to carry a veterans stamp. To get that I had to do a couple of things, first was to collect some paper work which included a stamped copy of the DD214. I had only one stamped copy left so I applied for a couple of copies through the appropriate online services. They were able to find my records and get me the copies.

I had to take the copies to the VA office for an official stamp. The VA guy was able to find my records and put the stamp on the DD214 that it had been verified.

Next I took it to the driver license facility where they provide me a driver license with vets designation.

Lowe's using what ever system they use approved my veteran designation and that took seconds........

Now when the post exchange thing came along I had to jump through all sorts of hoops and send in images of my drivers license, DD214, and I think they wanted something else too but I don't recall. It took a long while but they finial decided I was who I thought I was.

So now I can wait until they give me more information so I apply but first I needed the ID.me to access the system?????

For some of us old vets we have no idea what is going on and they don't exactly call or email us telling us about these benefits and when we do find out most of the time we don't seem to be in the system that we need to be or our paper work isn't......... and they can't seem to access what is there already. If I can get a copy of my DD214 should they also have access to it?

Anyway I'm glad John is here to keep us informed.

Ed

[jsburger]

I find this as most things related to the government it is at best a semi-functional system.

I used the GI Bill for school when I got out. That worked fine.

When I applied for SS they wanted my service records, not sure why they needed them but when I applied the lady looked it up in their system and didn't need my paper work.

The next thing was the State of IL now allows your drivers license to carry a veterans stamp. To get that I had to do a couple of things, first was to collect some paper work which included a stamped copy of the DD214. I had only one stamped copy left so I applied for a couple of copies through the appropriate online services. They were able to find my records and get me the copies.

I had to take the copies to the VA office for an official stamp. The VA guy was able to find my records and put the stamp on the DD214 that it had been verified.

Next I took it to the driver license facility where they provide me a driver license with vets designation.

Lowe's using what ever system they use approved my veteran designation and that took seconds........

Now when the post exchange thing came along I had to jump through all sorts of hoops and send in images of my drivers license, DD214, and I think they wanted something else too but I don't recall. It took a long while but they finial decided I was who I thought I was.

So now I can wait until they give me more information so I apply but first I needed the ID.me to access the system?????

For some of us old vets we have no idea what is going on and they don't exactly call or email us telling us about these benefits and when we do find out most of the time we don't seem to be in the system that we need to be or our paper work isn't......... and they can't seem to access what is there already. If I can get a copy of my DD214 should they also have access to it?

Anyway I'm glad John is here to keep us informed.

Ed

Really weird! It seems like you should not have had a problem but maybe something has changed over the years with DEERS. Google DEERS and go to their web site and see what is there if you really want to know.

I access many government web sites regularly because all of mine and my wife's retirement checks come from the government. One site (I don't remember which one) required an ID.me log in which I had never seen before. I guess this is something new that the Government is instituting for added security. As far as I can see it is a Government thing and not some fly by night third party. I don't consider it a bad thing.

I would keep pursuing it but, on the other hand the VA web site says that if you have you're Vet status on you're drivers license you should not need the VA card.

[reible]

A little off the topic but when my wife turned (I think it was) 65 the IL ID she gets no longer expires. She doens't drive so this is the only ID she has. Well the expiration date is 99/99/9999. Need less to say places like the IRS flag that as invalid. For them I've learned to leave it blank, a work around that seems to work.

I don't know if that will work for TSA or not. I hope we don't have to find out. I'm really not into flying anymore.

Ed

[jsburger]

A little off the topic but when my wife turned (I think it was) 65 the IL ID she gets no longer expires. She doens't drive so this is the only ID she has. Well the expiration date is 99/99/9999. Need less to say places like the IRS flag that as invalid. For them I've learned to leave it blank, a work around that seems to work.

I don't know if that will work for TSA or not. I hope we don't have to find out. I'm really not into flying anymore.

Ed

Me either! I have been around the world more than once with the Air Force. C-130's, C-141's, C-5's, KC-10's and a few other smaller aircraft that I don't remember.

[reible]

It has been a few months since my last effort to get a card. Today things went farther then I have ever gotten on their system. I was able to submit my information, dd214, government ID, and a picture. It still has to get approved but baby steps have started again.

Hey I still maybe alive when my card comes!

Ed

[RonKlein]

Ed,

Keep the faith. I submitted my application May 5, and had the card in about 2 weeks. The approval took about a week, and the processing and mailing another week.

Thanks for your service.

Ron Klein

[garys]

That sounds encouraging. I gave up trying because VA just can't make their website work.
Congress ordered them to issue these cards back in 2015. Now, 3 years later, their incompetence is still showing. But, what else can we expect from the Government.
Since a few people are now actually able to navigate their pig sty of a site and get results, I will likely try again.

Edit:
I just tried their site. They are still so F----- Up that they can't find anything. Maybe if I wait another 3 years they will get their act together.
A few months ago they were able to find my information, but they failed after that. Now, they can't even find anything.

[dusty]

That sounds encouraging. I gave up trying because VA just can't make their website work.
Congress ordered them to issue these cards back in 2015. Now, 3 years later, their incompetence is still showing. But, what else can we expect from the Government.
Since a few people are now actually able to navigate their pig sty of a site and get results, I will likely try again.

Edit:
I just tried their site. They are still so F----- Up that they can't find anything. Maybe if I wait another 3 years they will get their act together.
A few months ago they were able to find my information, but they failed after that. Now, they can't even find anything.

Since so many have enrolled successfully, maybe you should check closer to home for the solution for this problem. What do you use as "proof of service"?