What started as a normal trip to the commissary for groceries soon turned into a nightmare on Friday March 21. I loaded my cart and proceeded to the checkout, handed the cashier my coupons and military ID as is protocol. Wrote my check and the cashier asked for my ID again. I told her she had not returned it because I was writing a check (they keep it until transaction is final) upon searching my person and purse twice with help of an employee it was not in my possession and we then started checking the register and surrounding area for the missing ID. I want to add at this point I have never lost my ID before even in all our travels overseas I have guarded it as if my life depended on it and it does. The security of our American bases depends on it. The cashier could not find it and did apologize, but in the end I left the store without my ID. The cashier had given it back to the lady in front of me or the lady had mistakenly picked it up (maybe not mistakenly).

If we had moved quicker we may have caught the lady before she actually drove off. I would like to thank the very kind bagger (I was so upset I did not get her name) who suggested I go to DEERS while still on base and then walked me over there. I want everyone to know that you must never trustingly hand over your military ID. Stay with it and get it back after they glance at it, then re-present it at the time you pay if needed. This trip has cost $560 (not including $135 for Easter dinner spent) to protect my credit and safe guard all my accounts, also this locks down many opportunities that may have been offered me for credit by this action I was forced to take to protect myself and family due to the negligence of one cashier. My goal is to let people know of this occurrence and to never ever let it happen to them. I have reported the ID lost/stolen with military police, but if the lady that was in front of me would please return it we would be very grateful.

Tammy Kelly

Oak Harbor