Presidential letters processed quicker Published Nov. 14, 2003 By Tech. Sgt. David A. Jablonski Air Force Print News WASINGTON -- Airmen and civilian employees can now get presidential retirement letters processed more quickly through an information manager in the legislative liaison office at the Pentagon.People serving more than 30 years on active duty, as civilian employees, or a combination of both, can request a Presidential Letter of Appreciation for retirement from the Air Force office of legislative liaison’s congressional inquiries division, said Monika Krese. She is the sole contact for processing retirement-letter requests. Until Sept. 1, requests were made via facsimile transmission or by mail. Now there is a Web-based application system that cuts processing time from weeks to just a few days at most, she said.“It’s working very well,” Krese said. “It takes only a day or two to get the requests to the White House. It used to take several weeks and two or three people, based on the workload. It’s also very efficient because I can screen and verify applications much faster.”Prospective retirees can register for an account through either the military or civilian personnel flights. Customers enter personal data into that account. Applicants must provide full name, rank, title, years of service, home address, retirement address, retirement date and ceremony date. They must also state their component: active, Reserve or National Guard. Information must then be approved by a military or civilian personnel office and submitted over a military network. The process virtually eliminates applications being rejected by White House staff, Krese said. Still, she said, retirees can plan on a six- to eight-week wait for the White House to process each request. “Retirees should plan early if they want a letter from the president at their ceremony,” she said.