BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — The Veteran ID card printing service is back in operation at the Kern County Vet Center after being inactive for nearly three years.
- Veteran ID card service reinstated at the Kern County Veterans Affairs Vet Center after nearly three years of inactivity.
- New ID printing machine funded through local collaboration, led by District 2 Supervisor Chris Parlier and Supervisor David Couch.
- ID cards help veterans access benefits, including discounts at local businesses and official recognition of service.
The Veteran ID Card service is back up and running at the Kern County Veterans Affairs Vet Center, thanks to new funding that enabled the purchase of an updated ID printing machine.
“Kern County really does a great job of honoring their veterans, and this card is just another step in that recognition,” said District 2 Supervisor Chris Parlier.
After nearly three years without a functioning ID printer, the Vet Center is once again able to issue veteran ID cards. These cards provide official recognition and can help veterans access benefits, including discounts at local stores and restaurants across Kern County.
“The old machine was donated and was broken, and they didn’t have the availability or the funding to get a new one,” Parlier said. “And I said, ‘Let’s change that.’”
A veteran himself, Parlier received one of the first cards printed with the new machine, which was made possible through a collaboration with Supervisor David Couch and the Vet Center team.
“There are a lot of times veterans have barriers to benefits, and it could be because of not having some identification,” said Jose Lopez, Kern County Veterans Service Director.
Lopez said it was difficult watching veterans come in asking for help without being able to provide them proper recognition. That’s no longer the case.
“To purchase and operate something like this costs several thousand dollars,” Lopez said. “Then there are ongoing costs replacing the film, replacing ID cards and we hope to be able to continue to fund this for the duration of our careers here.”
Leonard Gabriel, a Navy veteran, was among those who came Thursday afternoon to receive their new Kern County veteran ID cards.
“I figured, let me get one anyway in the event that it speeds up the process of my military retirement,” Gabriel said.
With Memorial Day approaching, Gabriel said it’s encouraging to see the service restored and hopes others will take advantage of it.
“I hope these guys take advantage of it, because a lot of them probably don’t have a card—a military card,” he said.
The new veteran ID cards have no expiration date, providing veterans with lasting proof of their service.
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