your views
The “Black Hull” Coast Guard fleet does the daily work [that] allows safe navigation of our shallow water and inland waterways. Manned by relatively junior officers and experienced warrant officers, this fleet of working ships [has] no spokesman in the Coast Guard hierarchy. Many of the active buoy tenders and construction tenders are older than the 110s and 210s Papp mentioned, and word has it there is no Coast Guard plan on the table to replace these very old and hard-working ships. Why not?
—Cmdr. J.D. Magnino, USN-Ret. via email


 


ID Card Reform Needed
Your Washington Scene item in the January 2012 issue on permanent ID card reform [“2012 Goals,” under “Retired Pay and Survivor Issues”] struck home. I have a son who was declared permanently disabled by the March AFB [Calif.] hospital when he was 20. That was 22 years ago.


He received ID cards up until last year without the hassle of [Defense Finance and Accounting Service] regulations. Now I am going through the process of applying for his ID card renewal.


It is like being on a bureaucratic [ride on the] MTA [from a song made popular by the Kingston Trio — Editor]. Once you get into the process, there doesn’t seem to be a way out or anyone at the base level to help with the detailed application process. It is not a high priority for them. So far I have spent about five months gathering information to satisfy their requirements. I am still working to get them the extra information they have requested. I am 74 years young and may or may not be around for the next application.


18 MILITARY OFFICER APRIL 2012

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