The new ID will allow veterans to more easily identify themselves without carrying around discharge paperwork to retailers offering promotional discounts or for other services, VA Secretary David Shulkin said in a statement.
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Veterans who received an honorable or general (under honorable conditions) discharge and meet the minimum obligation for time in uniform, including reservists, may apply for the card, the VA said.
The design of the cards is not finished, VA spokesman Curtis Cashour told this news outlet. But veterans may still apply for the new ID through a website — vets.gov — and clicking on “Apply for Printed Veteran ID-Card” in a blue section near the bottom of the page.
The website allows veterans to create a sign-in account if they don’t have one already.
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Veterans should receive the card within 60 days, the VA said. Delivery status may be checked at vets.gov, and a digital version of the card will be available by mid-December, the department said.
VA is not charging veterans a fee for the card, a spokesman said. Office Depot is donating the printing and shipping of the ID cards once the VA approves an application, Cashour told this news outlet.
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