Military

Defense Department Expands ID Card Renewals by Mail to US-Based Retirees, Dependents

Published January 16, 2024 at 5:42pm ET

Military retirees and their dependents based in the U.S. may now renew their military ID cards online and receive them by mail, relieving them of a trip to the on-base ID card office.

The Defense Department announced Tuesday ^[2] that it's expanding a pilot program that began in 2023 ^[3] and initially allowed certain dependents' Uniformed Services Identification cards, or USID, to be renewed by mail.

Portions of the renewal process have previously been available online. However, the pilot program allows online ordering from start to finish. While in the past the renewed card had to be retrieved in person at a local ID card facility, it will instead be delivered by mail under the pilot program.

After first offering the renewals by mail to dependents whose sponsors held a Common Access Card -- generally active-duty dependents -- the DoD will now allow the renewals for additional USID holders ^[5], who include U.S.-based retirees, their dependents and reservists.

Out of the 4.5 million IDs of all types that the department issues every year, about 1 million are the USIDs of people based in the U.S., according to the news release announcing the pilot program expansion.

The opportunity is only for people who already have a USID and need to renew it. Those applying for the first time will still need to go to an on-base office of the Real-Time Automated Personnel Identification System, or RAPIDS.

Further expanding the new renewal process to USID holders outside the U.S. in the future is "in the works," according to the news release.

Sponsors and cardholders may request renewals at the ID Card Office Online website ^[6]. At the site, the sponsor must verify the dependent's identifying information and digitally sign a new Form DD 1172-2 to receive the renewed ID by mail.

Eligibility requirements:

The USID card being renewed is active (not expired).
The card recipient has a photo in the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System ^[7] (DEERS) taken in the last 12 years.
The card recipient has an email address saved in DEERS for communication.
The card recipient has a physical address (not a post office box) saved in DEERS in the continental U.S., Alaska or Hawaii.

The Defense Manpower Data Center will create and mail the new card, emailing both the sponsor and cardholder when it has done so. An email will also be sent if the online renewal wasn't successful.

Once the card arrives, the sponsor must log back in to the ID Card Office Online website to acknowledge receiving it. Since military ID cards are considered government property, users are asked to return their old, replaced ID cards either by dropping them off at a local ID card office or by mailing them to:

DMDC- DSC Attn: USID Card Returns 2102 E. 21st Street N. Wichita, KS 67214.

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Austin Is Released From Hospital After Complications From Prostate Cancer Surgery He Kept Secret

WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin ^[1] was released from the hospital Monday, after spending two weeks there to treat complications from surgery for prostate cancer ^[2] he kept secret from senior Biden administration leaders and staff for weeks.

He is expected to work from home as he recovers.

Austin, 70, was admitted to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on Dec. 22 ^[3] and underwent surgery to treat the cancer, which was detected earlier in the month during a routine screening. He developed an infection a week later and was hospitalized Jan. 1 and admitted to intensive care.

Doctors said he remained in the hospital due to ongoing leg pain resulting from the infection and so he could get physical therapy.

President Joe Biden and senior administration officials were not told about Austin's hospitalization until Jan. 4, and Austin kept the cancer diagnosis secret until Jan. 9. Biden has said Austin's failure to tell him about the hospitalization was a lapse in judgment, but the Democratic president insists he still has confidence in his Pentagon chief ^[4].

During Austin's time at Walter Reed, the U.S. launched a series of military strikes ^[5] late last week on the Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen, targeting dozens of locations linked to their campaign of assaults on commercial shipping ^[6] in the Red Sea. Working from his hospital bed, Austin juggled calls with senior military leaders, including Gen. Erik Kurilla, head of U.S. Central Command, and White House meetings to review, order and ultimately watch the strikes unfold over secure video.

The lack of transparency ^[7] about Austin’s hospitalization, however, has triggered administration and Defense Department reviews ^[8] on the procedures for notifying the White House and others if a Cabinet member must transfer decision-making authorities to a deputy, as Austin did during his initial surgery and a portion of his latest hospital stay. And the White House chief of staff ordered Cabinet members ^[9] to notify his office if they ever can’t perform their duties.

Austin's secrecy also drew criticism from Congress members on both sides of the political aisle, and Rep. Mike Rogers, an Alabama Republican who is chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, said he has opened a formal inquiry into the matter. Others openly called for Austin to resign, but the White House has said the Pentagon chief's job is safe.

It is still unclear when Austin will return to his office in the Pentagon or how his cancer treatment will affect his job ^[10], travel and other public engagements going forward. Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks has been taking on some of his day-to-day duties as he recovers.

Marine Corps Sgt. Richard Binder > U.S. Department of Defense > Story

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Medal of Honor Monday: Marine Corps Sgt. Richard Binder

Richard Binder, an immigrant to the U.S., wanted to defend his adopted nation during the Civil War, so he joined the Marine Corps. His actions in combat would earn him the Medal of Honor.

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