JOINT BASE ANDREWS, Maryland –
The 11th Force Support Squadron initiated a program March 16, 2015, to prioritize military members in uniform needing new Common Access Cards between the hours of 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. each day.
"We were receiving a lot of complaints about wait times," said Staff Sgt. Brandon Parker, 11th FSS customer support supervisor. "We figured the best way to keep the mission flowing, especially during the hours when people are out and about, was to establish a military priority time block."
The 11th FSS services five wings, two headquarters and more than 80 tenant organizations with 40,000 military, family members and retirees.
With wait times to receive a new CAC reaching up to two hours, the squadron created the program to dramatically reduce those times, and increase overall efficiency and mission effectiveness.
"We should be able to get people through in 10 minutes or less depending on their situations. This change will make everything smoother, quicker and more efficient to help get customers back to work faster," said Airman 1st Class Jacob Pounds, 11th FSS customer service technician.
The squadron which processed approximately 1,000 ID cards per month in 2014, should be able to get military members their new CACs up to 12 times faster than before, so they'll be able to focus on the mission, instead of waiting in line.
"We've already seen great results in getting our military members back to the fight at faster speeds," Parker said. "We're just doing our part -- supporting the base and its missions."