DoD Employees Don’t Need to Replace Cards Yet

DoD officials have said there is no need for employees to request replacements for the “common access card” used by DoD civilian employees. DoD like other agencies has started a transition to a card that is designed to ultimately be usable government-wide for access to buildings, secured areas, computer networks and in other secure settings. Unlike most other agencies, however, DoD already has a standardized card that meets many of those same goals, although only internally to the department. Officials said at a press conference that employees do not need to trade in their current DoD cards for new cards but instead should hold onto them until they are up for renewal, at which time they will get the new cards.