MPF: your first customer service stop

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Montse Belleau
  • 509th Bomb Wing Public Affairs
What do all military members, retirees and their families have in common? They all have Common Access Cards providing them with base access, eligibility for medical benefits, and the ability to take advantage of the base exchange, commissary and MWR benefits.

The Military Personnel Flight customer service section helps not only Whiteman members with their military IDs, but military members in general, their families and retirees.

"Our main focus in the Military Personnel Customer Service Office is Department of Defense Identification cards, official passports, and awards and decorations," said Dave Grover, 509th Force Support Squadron MPF customer service site manager. "We also assist with a number of smaller programs, such as U.S. citizenship applications, SGLI updates, DEERS enrollment and others."

Grover said the Common Access Card is one of the most important documents Service members carry. Without it, most Service members cannot do their jobs, as they are unable to log into their computers.

However, CAC issues are certainly not the only focus of their mission.

"We also identify country entry requirements, brief military members of those requirements, and process the passport and visa applications, which directly affects the mission," said Tina Brant, 509th FSS customer service representative. "In many countries, military personnel cannot enter the country for their TDY or deployment without a passport and/or visa."

In addition Grover said they also help members with dependent applications, name changes, dress and appearance guidance, fundraising and voting programs, naturalization application, family care programs, and updating awards and decorations.

"In a small way, we have touched the lives of thousands of card holders during the last nine-plus years," Grover said."Whether it is mission related with CACs, [or] eligible veterans, or family members renewing their ID cards, we all receive a high level of gratification in what we do."