The Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System or DEERS is a military wide system that all dependents must be enrolled in to be recognized for military benefits.
Being enrolled in DEERS is the first step to obtain a military identification card and access healthcare benefits through TRICARE.
Military members are automatically registered in DEERS. When a soldier leaves for basic training, he will have the option to enroll all of his family members, including his spouse and children, in DEERS. This will be done with social security cards and birth certificates of dependents.
For a spouse, a marriage certificate will be required. These documents must be the originals or certified copies in order to be accepted.
The DEERS enrollment process is fairly simple. If the soldier is unable to complete the process, the spouse can take care of enrollment with the required documents as well as a Power of Attorney (POA).
Once the enrollment is complete, the spouse and any dependents over the age of 10 can go to the closest military ID card office to have military IDs made.
Before visiting a military post to have a military identification card made, call ahead to verify the documentation needed. While it should be standardized, it isn’t always the case.
Some will require a Power of Attorney and all documentation where others will not. It is wise to call first before making the trip.
You can find the closest military ID card location by visiting the RAPIDS site at www.dmdc.osd.mil/rsl/owa/home.
DEERS enrollment also enrolls dependents in TRICARE, the health insurance of the military. If the dependents would like to be enrolled in a plan other than TRICARE Standard, a separate enrollment form will need to be processed.
Dependents can visit the TRICARE office on post or call the TRICARE office in their region to obtain the necessary paperwork to change plans if they desire.
Click here for more information onTRICARE and DEERS.