What is a CAC card reader? Why is it so important?

[Craig]

What is a CAC card reader?  Why is it so important?

written for:   Cryptology ~ CTI ~ CTM ~ CTN ~ CTR ~ CTT ~

 

First off, what is a CAC card reader?

The Navy limits what civilians can see when they use the internet on the Navy website. They don't want everyone to know everything. So when active duty sailors want to look at duty stations that are available, or a wide range of other things (ie their medical reconds, dental records, their personnel file, their PFA test scores, future duty stations...etc) they can. All they do is hook up the CAC card reader to their personnel computer, insert their CAC (Common Access Card) which civilains call the ID card,  Once the sailor inserts the CAC card, and their own password, then the server knows beyond a shadow of a doubt, that they are talking to the active duty sailor.

Personnally, I believe a sailor without a CAC card reader is a fool. There is so much info they can find using it. A carpenter is useless without a hammer. A sailor is useless without a CAC card reader. It is an extremely powerful tool that most sailors fail to use.  My nephew is already looking at possible duty stations, and he isn't even in "A" school yet.  They cost ~$20.  Very cheap.  Make sure you don't but the ones at the NEX because they don't work because they don't have the software included.  I bought one at the Microcenter and it worked perfectly.  That web address is in the below link.

 http://www.microcenter.com/single_product_results.phtml?product_id=...

 

For those that have already bought these reader, and if your sailors have problems loading them up (which they shouldn't).   Here is an article that was in the Navy-Times. I guess this guy runs a help desk for those having trouble with their CAC card readers. My nephew said it was so easy to connect up, but what is easy for some, may be hard for others. It's funny, because the guys an Army guy, but I guess the Navy thought it was so good that they wrote about it....

Here's the article, and the website listed is www.militarycac.com

 

For those filling out their dream sheets:

Some of your sailors will have really short "A" schools.  One item in "A"  school is your sailors fill out a dream sheet to put down places that they would like to go.    These dream sheets stay in your record forever and when a new one is submitted, the old one just moves one sheet back in the computer. 

 

One thing you don't want to do is to look like a fool for putting in for some duty station that your rating will never go.  Say you put in for Liberia Africa, the only rating that can go there is the Intelligence Specialist (IS) rating.  So everytime your orders comes up, the detailer will get a laugh and wonder why a Machist Mate (MM) ever put in for something that couldn't have ever been possible.  It doesn't look good, even if the sailor is fresh out of boot camp.  It shows they didn't take the time to see what billets (places) that they could actually go.  Yes, they can use the CAC card readers at their career counselors office but they have 50 others waiting for the same computer.  So just pay the measly $20 for the reader and do it from the comfort of your own barracks room. 

 

Yes, when they finally get to their final duty station their command might issue them one, but by then it's too late.  To me, paying $20 for the possiblity of getting an awesome duty station is worth it.  Heck my kid got 3 years of shore duty in Hawaii, but he knew how to play the game (and he has an awesome father ~ha)  

Go look at this link, I posted everthing about it. 

http://www.navyfamilies.com/bb/viewtopic.php?t=17616

 

[salpetty]

Just want to vouch for the website www.militarycac.com.  The guy is awesome and he is always updating the site to account for any glitches that come up.  And there ARE glitches as everyone's computer is different.  He even has a special page geared toward Navy.  His site was a Godsend when I was installing my reader and I therefore passed it around like a cheap whore to all my sailors!!!

[Craig]

I bet all the women look like this after reading that...

[FireTeamLeaderWife aka FTLW]

We are AF reserve and I of course wish I had read this a Loooong time ago. Could not get the thing to work at home or even at base!
I can't remember how my hubby got his but had NO idea (see pic above) that it had to have software IN it! Luckily, one if his buds just sent us the site with the software...works now! Do I understand what I did? No...but I can follow directions!
He had to go to base to do stuff. 45 minutes one way...not how he wants to spend his day off. Finally can get some stuff done at home!
Our son is Navy. Probably bought his at the NEX. Don't know if he's actually tried to use it yet. But I'll check.
Thank you...again Craig!

[salpetty]

Hey FTLW:  You are in the same PIR goup as me.  I'm actually bought my daughter a CAC reader for her before she left.  I will be bringing her laptop and said reader to give her at the airport.  I also saved the militarycac.com website (along with other helpful websites such as mypay, NKO, etc.) to her favorites. 

 

I was totally in the same boat as you:  Had no idea what I did, but as long as I followed the directions, it all went smoothly. :)

 

[FireTeamLeaderWife aka FTLW]

Hey salpetty!

My son actually PIR'd in May of this year. I am an addicted "veteran" LOL!

That's cool that you did that for her! I am going to check on my sons. He is in "A" school.

Man, it has been sooooo frustrating NOT having a CAC card that works! You need to be able to get into AROWS...and now that Craig has pointed out all the other advantages...

Thing is when we were goin in...the damn thing was "down for servicing" Ugh! Must've kept picking the wrong time of day.

I think I may not have loaded a couple of features...doc readers? So, WHEN I feel like tackling "the beast" I will get my butt back in there. He just came off of active duty so I want NOTHING to do with it for a while! LOL I handled as much paperwork for him as I could while he was gone. Felt he didn't need the additional burden of fighting it out with Travel Pay etc.!

Thanks!

[FireTeamLeaderWife aka FTLW]

Yeah...Craig...exactly! Just looking at the page with all the goobledygock makes me want to run away screaming... or drink heavily...if I drank!

[FireTeamLeaderWife aka FTLW]

Ugh...Craig...I loaded the "gobbledygook" and the CAC will only work so much...can get into the AF Portal...won't let us get into ARROWS-R (AF). Hubby went to base and it worked fine there...so must be our computer. I found some videos on youtube that an AF guy did and will review those. Like I know what I'm doing...trudge...trusge...I REALLY look like those guys up above!

[Krspies - CTN Mom]

My son will be heading off to A school in florida for CTN and I just wanted to check real quick, is this something they use with their computer or is this a card they use in/at/on a device on base?  The reason I'm asking is my son's laptop died before he left for bootcamp and he hasn't gotten a new one yet so I"m not sure if I should go ahead and get him one of these now or wait until he gets a new laptop.

[Craig]

It is useless without a computer.  It needs to be plugged into a USB plug.  I'd wait until he gets a new laptop...

[Krspies - CTN Mom]

ah ok.  that makes sense.  He just arrived in Florida last night.  He said he'd be getting a new laptop in the next couple of weeks so I told him I would buy one and send it to him.  Thanks for the advice.

[mombychoice]

Craig, after reading about the CAC reader card ( can purchase at some of the computer supply stores), does my sailor still need or would really benefit from getting that card if he is now assigned to a frigate? Wondering if that is something we want to get him before he leaves?