Friday, March 2, 2012

Military Service Licenses

From USA Today:
"States consider adding military service to driver's licenses"

State lawmakers across the U.S. are crafting legislation that would add military service to veterans' driver's licenses so they will not have to carry official discharge papers to prove their service. It's a shortcut that legislators say could come in handy, from securing state veterans' claims, to simply getting a military discount at a hotel or retailer.More and more servicemembers are returning home from overseas, and they need a more efficient way to prove eligibility for benefits that doesn't involve lugging around discharge papers, according to Jerry Boden, chief of staff for the Maryland Department of Veterans Affairs. "You wouldn't have to fumble through and pull out a piece of paper," said David Mills, 41, of Salisbury, Md., a former U.S. Marine infantryman and Desert Storm veteran. "Going for a discount, or just showing that you have served in the military, it's an asset. It's like being a donor on the back of your driver's license. If it's there, it's great." "It should have been done years ago," said Garlitz, a retired Air Force master sergeant who served during the Vietnam War. A dozen states passed laws in 2011 adding a veteran designation to driver's licenses, according to Boden: Arkansas, Connecticut, Florida, Indiana, Maine, Massachusetts, North Dakota, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas and Utah. States pursuing legislation this year include Arizona, Illinois, New Jersey and South Carolina, Boden said.

^ This is a good idea (as long as it is optional.)It will make things much easier for veterans to receive both benefits and discounts. This should have been done a long time ago. I only wish all 50 States would make this available. ^

http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/story/2012-02-28/veterans-drivers-licenses/53323702/1

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