Card office dealing with lots of people Published Sept. 25, 2007 By Corey Dahl 21st Space Wing Public Affairs PETERSON AFB, Colo. -- It's not easy working in the Common Access Card office. But the staff deserve sympathy - and patience - from their customers. Issuing a CAC card is more complex than it seems. Making the CAC card itself is fairly simple. The process usually takes just about a half hour to complete, mostly because of an encryption process that takes at least 12 to 15 minutes - longer if the computer network, based on the East Coast, is lagging. Base IDs, which are not encrypted, go a little bit faster, so they take just a few minutes to complete. So what causes the wait time to escalate? Mostly, it's the sheer volume of people filtering in throughout the day. Working with just four machines, the CAC card office handles IDs for hundreds of people a month. In July alone, staff issued 1,750 IDs. "When people get angry, they get angry with us, even when it's something we can't really control," said Master Sgt. Greg Trumpfheller, superintendent of customer service for the card office. Sometimes delays occur because the office handles multiple other issues for the base community, such as special leave accrual, commissary shopping privileges and passports and visas - all complex and lengthy processes in their own right. On a good day, when the line is short, people complain that the issuing process takes about a half hour. On a bad day, when lines are long, the process can take hours, and people may be tempted to yell. A lot. Some days, Sergeant Trumpfheller said, especially when a lot of servicemembers are changing stations or if several customers in a row don't have their paperwork in order, the office's waiting room is standing room only. "Our wait time can range anywhere from 20 minutes to four hours," he said. "The waiting really depends on who's in front of you - how many customers we have and the type." The office is working on moving people through faster. Priority days started a few months ago, allowing certain types of personnel to move to the head of the line on their designated day. The office is also looking at adding two customer service employees to staff a desk in the waiting room, where they will deal exclusively with customers. Until then, though, the CAC card office would like people to bear with them. And - most importantly - be nice. "It's not a convenience, unfortunately, but it really isn't up to us," Sergeant Trumpfheller said. "The wait is dependent on a lot of other things, so don't treat us like punching bags - we're just here to help." Tips for getting in and out of the CAC card office quickly - Come on your priority day. For military, that's Mondays and Wednesdays; for civilians and contractors, Tuesdays and Thursdays; and Fridays for dependents and retirees. Designated groups get priority on these days, moving ahead of other groups already waiting. - Have all your paperwork in order. Anyone receiving a card needs to bring a current military or civilian picture ID. Servicemembers who have lost their cards need a letter from their first sergeant or commander for a re-issue. - Plan ahead. Servicemembers and civilians can renew their cards up to 30 days in advance; family members and retirees have 60 days. - Any questions or concerns can be directed to customer service at 556-1716.