EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE — A new legal process at Eglin Air Force Base is dramatically reducing the time it takes for deploying service members to complete critical paperwork, cutting hours-long appointments down to just minutes.

The 96th Test Wing’s legal office has introduced a simplified system that allows Airmen to complete wills and powers of attorney on a single-page document in about 10 minutes. The change is designed to support deployers facing tight timelines and demanding pre-deployment schedules.

Previously, will execution could require more than 10 pages and take hours to complete. Now, thanks to specific federal statutes governing military legal assistance, those same documents can be processed quickly without the need for a computer or printer. The streamlined paperwork can even be completed through a mobility processing line.

Federal law requires all states and U.S. territories to recognize wills, powers of attorney, and living wills prepared for eligible military personnel, regardless of state-specific formatting requirements. That legal flexibility made the new process possible.

Officials say the update is about more than convenience; it’s about mission readiness.

“The new process allows us to quickly take care of the legal needs of our deployers so they can focus on mission accomplishment, not legal readiness,” said Eric Mejia, 96th Test Wing judge advocate general. “It also frees up deployers’ time to complete other pre-deployment tasks, spending significantly less time at the legal office.”

By eliminating bottlenecks in the legal process, Eglin leaders hope to ensure Airmen can stay focused on what matters most as they prepare to deploy.