May COT is quickly approaching. I know of only 3 of us here who are in. Who else is going?
I still haven't commissioned, should be soon obviously.
I can't get on base to get all my uniforms, but I have a friend who can take me to do it. Does everyone have their stuff?
As I organize to close up my house for my renter, I am stressing about it getting moved before I leave for COT. I can't get to TMO before my orders.... kind of freaking out about that. I know I can have someone else do it for me, but it would have to be a friend, as I have no family here.
So many questions and lists in my head!
I'm out running to make sure I can keep up once I get there; it's a great stress killer.
At some point I'll find the US code that says you're entitled to a CAC. I had it because I took a copy of it with me when I went to get one. I actually found the US Code myself and I can't remember how I found it - probably Googling for something else. It was hilarious when I went to get one because the woman at Seymour was pretty rude about it and after she talked to AFPC (and found out I was right) she was suddenly my new best friend, all smiles and full of cuddly questions....what a jerk, really.
It's funny how some of the civilian employees get so territorial and find it hard to believe that someone else might actually know something they don't. (I've been a GS employee as well and saw it firsthand....funny when they get thrown a curve because they have no idea what to do with it.)
Specializes in ED. ICU, PICU, infection prevention, aeromedical e.
I think the PX and commissary need to work on their attitudes and customer service, from the few times I went there. I went with my friend who has access, so I just went on her card. Much easier. lol. I have no ID.
Question: DEERS. What is it? I have to get my son's ID and medical set up. I guess I'll just have to mail him the paperwork and they can go to Luke to get it?
yeah, see, this is maybe another one of those issues w/wording that might be making folks somehow confused as it applies to either reserve or active side....
BUT
what exactly are people referring to as an active reserve card?----green/blue or otherwise---. I've heard this occasionally on mildoc sites as well so I know that i am missing something.
As I've only ever been in the participating reserve, the only ID I've ever been issued(or more pointedly even seen) is the regular white CAC and I'm sure I possessed it long before i eventually made my way to COT. I guess I wonder if everyone's on the same page when hearing/giving advice surrounding ID cards?
When you're not active duty, but you're an officer in the Reserves, your ID card looks like the OLD ID cards did. Since you're commissioned, it's blue. Enlisted's are green, and dependents' are tan. They did away with the DD Form 2 for active duty in 2003 when CACs came into being.
Also, when enlisted folks separate from the active service but become members of the INACTIVE reserves, they're given a green DD Fm 2 as identification, and it expires when their inactive commitment ends. Retirees have a blue one with no expiration date, and retiree dependents get one that requires renewal every five years until the person reaches the age of 75, when it becomes indefinite (unless they remarry to a non-military member at some point and lose benefits, in which case they obviously lose their ID card).
DEERS - Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System. Take ALL of your required documentation to COT (or to the base where you get your reservist card) for your dependents. You need a birth certificate for each kid and a marriage license for your spouse, and your spouse needs two forms of government issued ID (there's a list out there somewhere of possible documents - you'll have two of them, don't worry). You take all of that and your documentation for yourself, along with your orders, to the base ID desk. Each member of your family over the age of 10 will get a completed DD Form 1172, which you will then use to get them an ID card.
DEERS is the Feds' way of making sure people are eligible for medical and other military benefits. Everyone in the service and their dependents are listed in it.
I think the PX and commissary need to work on their attitudes and customer service, from the few times I went there. I went with my friend who has access, so I just went on her card. Much easier. lol. I have no ID.
Question: DEERS. What is it? I have to get my son's ID and medical set up. I guess I'll just have to mail him the paperwork and they can go to Luke to get it?
Your question's answer is yes - I did go over that earlier but I know you had a lot on your mind. You'll mail him the signed DD Fm 1172 and he'll take it on base to get his ID card with the proper identification.
When you're not active duty, but you're an officer in the Reserves, your ID card looks like the OLD ID cards did. Since you're commissioned, it's blue. Enlisted's are green, and dependents' are tan. They did away with the DD Form 2 for active duty in 2003 when CACs came into being.
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Ok, so I guess we are definitely all NOT on the same page here.
Not trying to be rude, Carolina, 'cause you do such a great job helping everyone out here and it's highly appreciated.
(And I guess with that said I should add an apology for not being around more for those looking into reserve side and flight nurse Q's, etc)
Anyway, AFIK, there are no color coded reserve ID cards. Not that I've seen since 2007 anyway. We all have white CAC--they all look the same.
Ok, so I guess we are definitely all NOT on the same page here.
Not trying to be rude, Carolina, 'cause you do such a great job helping everyone out here and it's highly appreciated.
(And I guess with that said I should add an apology for not being around more for those looking into reserve side and flight nurse Q's, etc)
Anyway, AFIK, there are no color coded reserve ID cards. Not that I've seen since 2007 anyway. We all have white CAC--they all look the same.
I can assure you there are. I have had three different ones and so has my husband. And they've been around for about forty years. Active duty and active reservists use CACs. Inactive reservists (the IRRs and the Select Reserve), civilians, and dependents have colored ID cards.
They're not CACs. A CAC is different. These ID cards look like this (see below):
This is actually a scan of someone's old active ID card I found online. When I was active duty, this is what we got.
In 2003, the DOD started the issue of CACs, so-called "white" ID cards. These old-style ID cards, like the one in the pic I attached, are now given to all inactive reservists, retirees, and dependents. CACs are only given to ADs because they hold our service records on them (allegedly) and they permit access to DOD computer systems.
Inactive ID cards: The enlisteds are green (I still have my old inactive reserve enlisted card, which I'm not about to scan, and I can assure you it looks EXACTLY like the one pictured except it says "US AIR FORCE RESERVE, INACTIVE" where this guy's says "US ARMY ACTIVE"), and are given as I said - to inactive reservists. Most of the inactive reserves are comprised of enlisteds whose active commitment has ended and they still owe a period of inactive time. When you commission as an officer, before you go active duty, you are a member of the INACTIVE reserve and can get a blue ID card. Once you're eligible for Tricare, you can get a white CAC - but even that is reissued at COT because your encoding on the chip changes.
Trust me - I know what I'm talking about. And I'm totally correct. As a former AF cop I've seen thousands of them, and I've had five - no, six - different types of ID cards in my life: military dependent, active duty DD Fm 2, IRR (so called Inactive Reserve) DD Fm 2 Enlisted, DD Fm 2 Officer, Reservist CAC and now an AD CAC. Go to your Pass and ID section and ask them if you don't believe me.
Also - note from the Air Reserve Personnel Center website noting the annual muster as required by IRR members, referencing the GREEN reserve ID card:
ID CARD: Airmen should have a DD Form 2 (reserve)(green), U.S. Armed Forces of the United States Identification Card, which identifies them as a member of the Reserve. If they do not have the Green ID card, it is optional to get a green card at a later date. (The GREEN card replaced the red ID Card). Airmen must bring a driver's license (or other appropriate picture identification). According to AFI 36-3026(I), Dec. 20, 2002, Issuing and Controlling Identification (ID) Cards, Airmen do not have to comply with Air Force grooming standards. A uniform is not necessary for the photo, but please wear light colored clothing. Airmen must also know their blood type. They will need an ID card to enter the BX/Commissary or other areas on the base.
As you can see, at one time Inactive Reservists got a red ID card. Now it's green, and looks like the one below.
Note = IRR is what they NOW call what used to be known as the Inactive Reserve.
Finally - a pic of what I"m talking about. The DD Fm 2R (the R denoting RESERVIST) they're showing is an officer (Navy LT) and is therefore BLUE, the enlisted ones are GREEN.
They're definitely colored, although active reservists and those who need access to DOD computer systems WILL have a CAC, for those who don't or who are INACTIVE (IRR, Select Reserve, anyone here who gets an ID before COT who doesn't bother with a CAC), their ID is definitely colored. And for the folks here, their Reservist card will be blue because they're officers, and I know this because mine was.
Any dependent who gets one of the Reservist dependent cards (it's pink) will have to get a new dependent AD card (it's tan) - they're totally separate cards.
If you get an active Reserve ID card, like AF Nur said, it's a blue officer one, and it will eliminate a lot of trouble. You are an officer in the USAF Reserves and you ARE entitled to shop in the commissary. As I said, people are running into people who can't think outside the box and who aren't with it enough to check their own rule book.
Ah, so perhaps the issue is with the casual and interchangeable use of 'active reserve' here, then in another post just calling it a "Reserve card" and now with the above clarifying of "IN-active reserve".
While to those who maybe aren't so expert on all the ins and outs of the greater AF it might seem weird that those simple phrase changes could possibly make not just any but ALL the difference in the world----I'll take your word for it that you should know so I'm not sure why it was so difficult to clarify.
But we're agreed, this statement you made earlier was incorrect:
"When you're not active duty, but you're an officer in the Reserves, your ID card looks like the OLD ID cards did. Since you're commissioned, it's blue."
Yikes. I politely suggested your ID info could be confusing to others here who have zero frame of reference because it simply wasn't accurate as it stood. No need for defensive posturing---'specially after I greased the wheels beforehand with a compliment. Sheesh...
Ah, so perhaps the issue is with the casual and interchangeable use of 'active reserve' here, then in another post just calling it a "Reserve card" and now with the above clarifying of "IN-active reserve".
While to those who maybe aren't so expert on all the ins and outs of the greater AF it might seem weird that those simple phrase changes could possibly make not just any but ALL the difference in the world----I'll take your word for it that you should know so I'm not sure why it was so difficult to clarify.
But we're agreed, this statement you made earlier was incorrect:
"When you're not active duty, but you're an officer in the Reserves, your ID card looks like the OLD ID cards did. Since you're commissioned, it's blue." No, this is a true statement. When you're not active duty, but you're an officer in the Reserves, your ID card does look like the old ID cards per the photograph - unless you qualify for a CAC. Before I got a Reservist CAC - before I knew I qualified for one - I had a blue Reservist officer DD Fm 2R. This is the card others here are calling a "reservist ID card". Not once have I gone back on that statement.
Yikes. I politely suggested your ID info could be confusing to others here who have zero frame of reference because it simply wasn't accurate as it stood. No need for defensive posturing---'specially after I greased the wheels beforehand with a compliment. Sheesh...
It's a Reservist ID card regardless. No, the ID card is blue and looks like the old blue officer active duty cards. You only get a CAC if you're (A) entitled to medical care, and/or (b) need access to DOD computers. Not all Reservists - IRRs, Selects, or otherwise - qualify for a CAC and therefore they get a standard DD Fm 2R.
It's not a casual use. It's the correct use. If you're not active, you're part of the IRR or the Select. The way the Reserves are set up is COMPLETELY confusing, as most non-Reservists will tell you.
Not defensive posturing, really, and it wasn't intended to come across that way (though being told I was wrong when I know otherwise truly upset me and that probably did translate incorrectly in the printed word). And my information is completely accurate. I used to issue IDs from Pass and ID in the MPF as a cop. Since the information was questioned, I need to ensure people know what's going on. I've explained all this before and it's not caused a whole lot of confusion before now.
So if I was emphatic or just an out and out rude jerk, I apologize. :)
OMG----maybe you just should've said "I'm talking about the IRR or inactives" when it was brought up. That was two lengthy educational posts that could have been spared. lol
My intent was to understand why things were getting so mixed up as a gentle reminder that there are quite a few direct accession new reserve 46Fs heading out to COT now as well and the advice given clearly wasn't of the one size fits all 'total force' variety.
It's not a casual use. It's the correct use. If you're not active, you're part of the IRR or the Select. The way the Reserves are set up is COMPLETELY confusing, as most non-Reservists will tell you.
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You're wrong.
Unbelievable
Please figure out a way to deal with that without disrespecting a huge component of the Air Force.
I now understand that you are COMPLETELY confused as well. Perhaps you could educate yourself rather than further spread innacurate information----simply because it's so confusing to you.
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carolinapooh, BSN, RN
3,577 Posts
At some point I'll find the US code that says you're entitled to a CAC. I had it because I took a copy of it with me when I went to get one. I actually found the US Code myself and I can't remember how I found it - probably Googling for something else. It was hilarious when I went to get one because the woman at Seymour was pretty rude about it and after she talked to AFPC (and found out I was right) she was suddenly my new best friend, all smiles and full of cuddly questions....what a jerk, really.
It's funny how some of the civilian employees get so territorial and find it hard to believe that someone else might actually know something they don't. (I've been a GS employee as well and saw it firsthand....funny when they get thrown a curve because they have no idea what to do with it.)