Military retirees and some spouses or dependents whose next-generation Department of Defense identification cards have an “INDEF” expiration date continue to face problems using their IDs to traverse Transportation Security Administration checkpoints at U.S. airports.
And a potential solution under consideration at TSA — that the agency drops the IDs, known as USIDs, as acceptable forms of identification when stricter travel requirements are implemented next year — is sure to irritate those who like using their military IDs instead of a state driver’s license or passport for travel.
Nearly a dozen military retirees have contacted Military.com in the past two years with concerns that their ID cards marked INDEF, meaning they have an indefinite expiration date, don’t work with TSA screening technology in airports across the country.
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Former service members have run into the issue at Chicago O’Hare International, Seattle-Tacoma International, Orlando International, Tampa International, San Diego International and elsewhere.
According to TSA press secretary R. Carter Langston, the problem centers around USIDs that lack an expiration date. The “INDEF” designation cannot be read by the TSA’s Credential Authentication Technology. When the CAT unit does not detect an expiration date, the CAT screen will display an “EXPIRED” alert,…
