The Long Blue Line Fall 2025 - Correction

Long Blue Line Readership: This is to advise you of an error in The Long Blue Line regarding the NEXT GENERATION UNIFORMED SERVICES ID CARD, incorrectly stating that: All Uniformed Services Retirees & Annuitants are required to replace their paper-based Uniformed Services Identification (USID) card with a Next Generation USID card by December 31, 2025, including those with a paper-based card containing an extended INDEFINITE expiration date.

See DFAS news at https://www.dfas.mil/RetiredMilitary/newsevents/newsletter/September2025-DFAS-Retiree-Newsletter-News-From-Our-Partners-Uniformed-Services-Identification/ , with the following highlights:

DoD has not issued a mandate for retirees and others with legacy paper-based Uniformed Services identification (USID) cards to have them replaced.  Any articles publicizing a December 31, 2025 deadline are inaccurate.  

Legacy paper-based USID cards with extended expiration dates issued to specific populations – e.g. Reserve Retirees and Former Members eligible for retired pay and benefits at age 60 – as well as cards with indefinite expiration dates issued to retirees, dependents over age 65, and Permanently Incapacitated dependents, will all remain valid until DoD determines when those legacy paper-based cards will be terminated.  The Department intends to execute a positive communications plan formally announcing the termination well in advance of the actual termination date.
 

This correction will additionally be published in The Long Blue Line, Winter 2026.