New Veterans ID Card to be launched May 30

This may be coming to your State, but as of 30 May it'll commence in Virginia!

The Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and the Department of Veterans Services (DVS) have joined as partners to offer a veterans ID card, and Commissioner Galanti asked me to share information about the card with you. Governor McDonnell will announce the ID card at a news conference at 1 p.m. on May 30 at the McGuire VAMC.

Veterans frequently ask us for an identification card that shows their status as a veteran of the U.S. military. While retired military and veterans with a disability rating from the VA are issued ID cards, these men and women comprise just a fraction of the state's veteran population. The remaining veterans have no way to show veteran status other than by their DD214. The DD214 is the official discharge document and not something most veterans carry with them.

This is unfortunate because thousands of Virginia restaurants and retailers offer discounts and other special promotions to veterans and military, especially around Memorial Day and Veterans Day. Virginia's new veterans ID card will enable veterans to easily show veteran status and also will enable retailers, restaurants, and other organizations to easily verify the individual s status as a veteran. It is a win/win situation for everyone.

Beginning May 30 after the news conference, veterans may apply for the Virginia veterans ID card through these DMV service outlets:

DMV customer service centers

DMV 2 Go mobile offices

www.dmvNOW.com

U.S. mail: P.O. Box 27412, Richmond, VA 23269-0001

Fax 804) 367-1112

You must have a valid Virginia drivers license or identification card. You will also need a copy of your DD- 214 indicating any discharge status other than dishonorable. There is a $10 one-time cost for the card. Virginia Veterans ID cards never expire. You will receive your new Virginia Veterans ID card in the mail within a week.

I hope you will share information about the new veterans ID card with your members. Additional information will be available on both the DVS and DMV websites after May 30, 2012.

This looks like a state initiative, and not one for those outside VA. I would suggest an easier remedy for those folks who neither retired or became s/c disabled via Veteran Affairs. Join a Veteran Service Organization (VSO) like American Legion, VFW, DAV, AMVETS, MOPH, PVA, VVA, etc. Each of these provide an ID, and if the concern is over veteran discounts, these ID's typically are accepted as proof of veteran status. If the concern is over lack of a photo, be prepared to show a driver's license with it. I know they work for Menard's, Applebees, Home Depot, and so on. By joining a VSO, a vet not only gets a nifty ID for use, but also joins in supporting the advocacy that these organizations do for all vets. Just my thoughts on the subject. Or you can shrink the DD-214 down to unreadable print, laminate it, and carry it in your pocket for emergencies. I see those all the time, but most are unreadable....