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Former DOD civilian urges Ohio committee to press Congress to restore retiree ID access
Summary
At a second hearing on SCR 7, Robert Beach, a retired DOD civilian, urged the Armed Services, Veterans Affairs and Public Safety Committee to support reissuing Department of Defense civilian retiree identification cards, saying Real ID changes have left many retirees unable to access military installations.
Robert Beach, a retired Department of Defense civilian, told the Armed Services, Veterans Affairs and Public Safety Committee that changes tied to the Real ID Act have deprived many retired DOD civilian employees of routine access and recognition at military facilities.
Beach testified during a second hearing on Senate Concurrent Resolution 7, introduced by Senator Kaler, which urges Congress to reissue DoD civilian retiree identification cards. Beach described a 29-year civilian career in flight-test engineering at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, including roles as a flight instructor and chief flight examiner. He said flight records show he was airborne for “something over 3,800 hours” and noted that a man-year is commonly calculated as 2,080 hours.
"The reality is we have been dumped from the DOD family," Beach said, arguing that retired DOD civilians who once attended retirements and official functions now must present retirement papers and request visitor access at base gates. He described carrying Department of State diplomatic passports on official assignments and said the loss of recognized ID privileges has been “totally degrading.”
Beach urged lawmakers to view the resolution as a first step toward restoring recognition for “tens of thousands of retired DOD civilians” who have served alongside uniformed personnel. He praised Ohio for taking up the issue and called the resolution a potential model for other states.
Committee members asked a few clarifying questions, including what aircraft Beach flew; he identified EC-130 variants and reiterated that some missions were classified. Chair Johnson thanked Beach for his testimony and for his years of service.
Chair Johnson also noted the committee received written testimony from Christopher Lesniak, Walter Spalding, and Stephen Pauling. The committee concluded the second hearing on SCR 7 with no formal committee action recorded at that time.
