MAY 19, 2025 – In an effort to improve the quality of life for military personnel and their families, the Defense Manpower Data Center has expanded its online uniformed services identification card issuance system to include overseas service members and dependents.
Online issuance and renewal of ID cards initially launched as a pilot program in 2023 to streamline the process and allow sponsors to remotely request cards online. The cards are printed by the Government Publishing Office and securely mailed to the recipients, eliminating the need for in-person visits to ID card facilities.
Shirley Bush, deputy program manager for the DMDC’s Real-time Automated Personnel Identification System and Common Access Card program, highlighted the impact of the capability and noted that it has already reduced in-person ID card transactions by over 300,000 since its inception.
“From my own experience, this capability significantly improved my family’s quality of life,” said Bush, who served in the Army Signal Corps and remains a military spouse. “When my husband was stationed at Fort Knox, [Kentucky], and I was in Dallas, he was able to complete my USID card application online, and the card arrived at my home without the hassle of finding a local RAPIDS site.”
Bush emphasized that feedback from users has been overwhelmingly positive, with 96% of participants rating the online system as valuable and efficient.
“As the deputy program manager for [ID Card Office Online], I’m proud to be part of a team that directly benefits my family and thousands of others,” she said. “It’s incredibly rewarding to see real-time impacts on our military community.”
The recent expansion allows service members and dependents residing at Army, fleet, or State Department post office addresses overseas to use this convenience, further demonstrating DOD’s commitment to modernization and efficiency, key goals emphasized by President Donald J. Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
Hegseth underscored this priority during a meeting with industrialist Elon Musk in March.
“We … [must] … rapidly field emerging technologies [to] remain the strongest and most lethal force in the world,” he said.
Any automated process that helps the warfighter focus on their core purpose — lethality — is welcome, and IDCO is doing its part, according to Bush. She noted that the system is not only helping families but the Defense Department as well.
“When service members are overseas, renewing an ID card often meant costly trips to central locations,” Bush explained. “By extending IDCO overseas, we’ve eliminated unnecessary travel, saving taxpayer resources and enhancing operational readiness.”
Regarding safeguards designed to protect personally identifiable information throughout the process, Bush said cards are only mailed to addresses already validated in the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System.
“Security is paramount,” she said. “Sponsors must log in using their CAC or DOD credentials, and cards are shipped to verified addresses only. They remain inactive until receipt confirmation, ensuring our personnel’s information stays secure.”
Looking forward, Bush shared that DMDC is planning additional enhancements, including allowing service members and dependents to upload updated photos directly into the system and potentially expanding services to locations without direct military postal services.
“These enhancements will further eliminate barriers,” she said. “And we’re continually assessing new ways to support widowed spouses who currently require a sponsor’s authorization, expanding photo upload capabilities and examining options for delivering ID cards to service members in areas outside standard APO and FPO regions.”
Bush added that these future enhancements align directly with broader DOD strategic goals, emphasizing administrative modernization and personnel readiness.
“If you’re saving hundreds of thousands of man-hours and reducing operational disruption, that’s modernization at its core,” she said. “This program directly contributes to administrative efficiency, operational readiness and improved quality of life for service members and their families.”
By Army Maj. William Shinego, DOD News