Identification cards issued by the Defense Department will continue to be accepted by the Transportation Security Administration for domestic airline travel after the May 7 deadline for travelers who use a state-issued ID to comply with new REAL ID rules.

TSA officials say DoD Common Access Cards, Uniformed Services ID cards and the older DoD ID cards for military family members and retirees are acceptable forms of identification, as are Personal Identity Verification Cards issued to some Defense Department civilian personnel.

With the approach of a deadline for domestic passengers who use a state ID for travel to comply with the REAL ID Act, misinformation has abounded regarding whether DoD ID cards would be accepted at TSA airport security checkpoints. Last week, the official installation Facebook page for Fort Bragg, North Carolina, erroneously posted retiree and family member military ID cards would no longer be accepted.

Read Next: Soldier Found Dead During Training at Fort Jackson, US Army Says^[1]

The post was removed shortly after it was created, but not before some followers noticed. The Fort Bragg public affairs office said Thursday the post was removed after it was found that it contained erroneous information.

"We sincerely apologize for sharing inaccurate information and for any confusion this caused," the Fort Bragg public affairs office said in a statement.

Military retirees and spouses^[2] or dependents with DoD identification cards that have an "INDEF" expiration date have reported facing issues at TSA checkpoints^[3] in some U.S. airports in the past several years and continue to do so, according to emails received by Military.com.

Issues with an indefinite expiration date occur, because the TSA's computer system interprets the "INDEF" date as "expired."

In these cases, TSA may ask for another acceptable form of ID such as a REAL ID compliant driver's license, passport or other acceptable form of ID. If the traveler is not carrying another ID, TSA may conduct a supervisory review of the document and traveler.

TSA officials say travelers can expect delays at checkpoints when the enforcement begins on May 7, especially those traveling with a state identification that is not REAL ID compliant. If a traveler does not have an acceptable alternative, they can expect additional screening "and the possibility of not being permitted into the security checkpoint," according to TSA.

Roughly 81% of travelers already have acceptable forms of identification, the agency said.

President George W. Bush signed the REAL ID Act into law in 2005 to establish minimum security standards for state drivers licenses and identifications as recommended by the commission that studied the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the U.S.

Many states refused to implement the law, citing cost and the lack of federal funding to change their processes. Eventually, however, they began to comply. The deadline was extended several times, including at the start of the pandemic, when work was halted until December 2022. TSA officials said they are committed to begin enforcing it May 7.

"The REAL ID requirement bolsters safety by making fraudulent IDs harder to forge, thwarting criminals and terrorists. TSA will implement REAL ID effectively and efficiently, continuing to ensure the safety and security of passengers while also working to minimize operational disruptions at airports," acting TSA administrator Adam Stahl said.

In addition to REAL ID-compliant state IDs, accepted alternates include U.S. passports or U.S. passport cards, Department of Homeland Security trusted traveler cards such as Global Entry, the Veteran Health Identification Card and more.

A complete list is available at tsa.gov/ID^[4].

The TSA website notes, however, that the "list of acceptable IDs is subject to change without notice," and urges travelers to "check the list again before traveling so you do not arrive at the airport without acceptable ID."

Related: New Defense Department ID Cards Are Finally Compatible With TSA Security^[5]

WASHINGTON — Personnel cuts across the Defense Department will delay plans to hire at least 1,000 more civilians to help prevent sexual assault^[1], suicides and behavior problems within the military, senior defense officials said. But they insist that crucial programs aimed at addressing sexual misconduct and providing help for victims are so far not affected.

The officials told The Associated Press that plans to have about 2,500 personnel^[2] in place to do this prevention work throughout the military services, combatant commands, ships and bases by fiscal year 2028 have been slowed due to the hiring freeze and cuts.

But they said they are looking to spread out the roughly 1,400 people they have been able to hire to date and try to fill gaps as best they can until the additional staff can be hired.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss personnel decisions. Spurred by pressure for budget and staff cuts, they said they are looking for efficiencies to ensure this prevention workforce is the right size and that tax dollars are being spent well.

Their comments come as two senators have written to Pentagon leaders expressing deep concerns that sexual assault prevention and response programs may be targeted for cuts or elimination.

In a letter to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth^[3] and the leaders of the military services, Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., and Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, said they worry about the "mere possibility of significant alterations or termination” of programs addressing sexual assaults and harassment.

They urged Hegseth to ensure that victims of such misconduct will be supported, offenders held accountable and no changes will be made to reduce the Defense Department’s services.

“Even minor reductions risk compromising decades of progress toward ending sexual abuse and harassment in the Department,” the senators said in the letter obtained by The AP. “Prompt action is essential to reinforcing victims’ belief in the words of their leadership.”

The two lawmakers have long fought for improved programs to address sexual assault in the military and more aggressive prosecution of assailants.

Budget and personnel cuts ordered by the Trump administration and billionaire ally Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency^[4] have slashed thousands of jobs across the government workforce and services.

The defense officials acknowledged that hiring delays will hurt efforts aimed at a wider array of problems, ranging from suicides to abusive behavior and other bad conduct.

Plans for a prevention workforce to address that broader spectrum of issues began in 2022, when sexual assaults and suicides were spiking. Officials concluded that they needed a more integrated effort to work with service members who were experiencing pressures tied to work, deployment, home, money and more that could lead to violence.

The defense officials also said that military programs to combat sexual assault were part of a recent wider Pentagon program review to make sure that federal regulations were updated to include the changes made in the past several years. Those included changes to sexual assault prosecutions so that decisions are made by independent prosecutors.

In a statement, the Pentagon noted that the regulations creating the sexual assault and prevention officers were reviewed to ensure they complied with new government efficiency guidance. It said all of the sexual assault-related policies remain in effect.

“The Department remains committed to the Sexual Assault Prevention and Response Program’s goals of providing service members with recovery assistance, ensuring that offenders are held accountable, and ensuring mission readiness," the statement said.

One of the defense officials said that because the military services have taken different approaches to how they staff the new prevention workforce, they may see gaps in different places. For example, in some cases, leaders began building staff by geographic region. Slowing the hiring, said the official, will mean that some regions will have gaps or fewer staff than planned.

As a result, the department will try to fill some of those holes in whatever ways possible, including shifting personnel to cover regions not yet fully staffed by the services.