What is a DD-214 Form?: A Section-by-Section Look (2023)

FAQs

What are the different types of DD214? ›

There are two versions of the DD Form 214, usually referred to simply as "short" or "redacted" or "deleted" (edited), and "long" or "unredacted" or "undeleted" (unedited) copies.

The report of separation form issued in most recent years is the DD Form 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty. Before January 1, 1950, several similar forms were used by the military services, including the WD AGO 53, WD AGO 55, WD AGO 53-55, NAVPERS 553, NAVMC 78PD, and the NAVCG 553.

Every veteran receives a short and long copy of their DD Form 214 upon discharge from the military. Copies are also sent to federal and state agencies, including the VA. The original copy of the document usually stays at the military branch for which the veteran served.

All Veterans receive coverage for most care and services, but only some will qualify for added benefits like dental care. The full list of your covered benefits depends on: Your priority group, and.

form 214 upon: (i) Discharge for immediate enlistment or reenlistment (optional—at the discretion of the Military Services). However, Military Services not providing the DD Form 214 will furnish the member a DD Form 256, “Honorable Discharge Certificate,” and will issue instructions requiring those military offices ...

Since the DD Form 214 is issued to those leaving the active military as well as to members of the National Guard and Reserves completing their initial active duty for training, possession of this document does not necessarily mean the student is a veteran.

If you served before the military's switch to using SSNs as identification numbers, your military ID number is on your DD Form 214. The military discontinued using service numbers as identifiers on the following dates: Army and Air Force – July 1, 1969. Navy and Marine Corps – January 1, 1972.

Go to www.archives.gov/index.html • Scroll down and select “eVetReces” on the lower right side of the screen • Scroll to the bottom of the page and select “Request Military Records” • Read and follow the step-by-step instructions and provide the requested information • Request either an UNDELETED or DELETED Report of ...

DD-214s can be requested either on-line or by mail. You will receive your DD-214 from the Archives in about about three to four weeks. You must have a working printer attached to your computer if you use the online request form.

How long are you considered a recently separated veteran? ›

Recently Separated Veteran A veteran separated during the three- year period beginning on the date of the veteran's discharge or release from active duty in the U.S. military.

Separations aren't necessarily judged as being honorable or dishonorable in the same way that a discharge would. However, the member would not be given veteran status after receiving either of these designations. This means that they are likely not eligible for any benefits that the US government provides to veterans.

Service members must have served a minimum of 24 months of active duty to be considered a veteran. If the service member becomes disabled because of their time in the service, there is no minimum length of service to qualify for VA benefits.

"As long as you were deployed on active duty for at least 180 days and you didn't get a dishonorable discharge or a bad conduct discharge coming off those orders, then you could be considered a veteran," said Army Sgt.

Under VEVRAA, a veteran may be classified as a ''disabled veteran,'' ''recently separated veteran,'' ''active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran,'' or ''Armed Forces service medal veteran. ''

Since 1957, if you had military service earnings for active duty (including active duty for training), you may have extra Social Security wage credits added to your earnings record.

If you've received an other than honorable, bad conduct, or dishonorable discharge, you may not be eligible for VA benefits.

SSDI and VA disability compensations are not affected by each other, so you may be eligible to receive both. However, you must apply for them separately.

Under current law, a “veteran” is any person honorably discharged, or released under honorable conditions, from active service in the U.S. Armed Forces.

Are you still a veteran if you were dishonorably discharged? ›

If a person was dishonorably discharged, would they be considered a veteran? Yes.

Interested veterans need to present a valid DD Form 214 to a local CVSO to receive a Veteran Status Verification form. Then, the veteran takes the CVSO verification form to a DMV field office for processing. DMV could charge the standard cost of a new, renewal, or duplicate license fee for this enhancement.

If a person has only completed boot camp or never completed basic training, would they be considered a veteran? No, training doesn't count as active duty.

§ 101(2) provides: The term "veteran" means a person who served in the active military, naval, or air service, and who was discharged or released therefrom under conditions other than dishonorable. (E) authorized travel to or from such duty or service. 38 U.S.C.

You can view and download personal health information from your DoD electronic health record if: You get care at military hospitals and clinics. You're a registered user on the TOL Patient Portal or the MHS GENESIS Patient Portal.

As of June 2011, the Social Security Number (SSN) is no longer printed on any DoD ID card. These changes are being made by the Department of Defense to protect the personal identity information of cardholders. ID Card Changes: New ID cards will have a DoD ID Number in place of the SSN.

Generally there is no charge for basic military personnel and medical record information provided to veterans, next of kin and authorized representatives from Federal (non-archival) records. Some companies advertise DD Form 214 research services and will charge a fee for obtaining copies.

Many civilian employers are aware of the long form, including discharge code designations, and may ask for a copy during the hiring process. If applying for a government position, either municipal, state or federal, veterans should expect to be asked to provide a copy of their DD-214.

Member Initials Requesting a Copy of DD Form 214.

As you can see, your DD Form 214 is a one-page synopsis of your career. Some of the most important line items show your total number of days of active duty service, authorized decorations, awards, and campaign ribbons, military education and training, and more.

How can you tell if someone is lying about military service? ›

Please use the Defense Manpower Data Center's (DMDC) Military Verification service to verify if someone is in the military. The website will tell you if the person is currently serving in the military. The site is available 24-hours a day.

The report of separation form issued in most recent years is the DD Form 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty. Before January 1, 1950, several similar forms were used by the military services, including the WD AGO 53, WD AGO 55, WD AGO 53-55, NAVPERS 553, NAVMC 78PD and the NAVCG 553.

How Divorce Affects VA Benefits. Most monetary VA benefits, such as disability compensation and veterans pensions, simply remain with the eligible veteran following a divorce because payment is based entirely on their qualifying military service.

Do I have to disclose an injury or illness that is not obvious during an interview or indicate on a job application that I have a disability? No. The ADA does not require you to disclose that you have any medical condition on a job application or during an interview.

The VA typically only pays disability compensation going back to the date of discharge to veterans who apply for their VA disability benefits within one year of being discharged.

Under federal law, VA disability benefits are not marital property which courts can divide in a divorce. However, the VA disability payments are not invisible to the court, and do count as income when calculating child support or alimony.

Former spouses can retain this benefit if they meet the 20/20/20 rule. Survivor Benefit Plan: Divorced spouses who select former spouse coverage through a military finance center within one year of the date the divorce finalized can become a beneficiary on the veteran's survivor benefit plan.

The actual rule is simple. There must have been at least 10 years of marriage which overlap with 10 years of service. This often leads people to think that if they don't meet this rule (for example, if they were in service for 15 years, but only married for five of them) that they are not eligible to receive anything.

No, there is no Federal law that automatically entitles a former spouse to a portion of a member's military retired pay. A former spouse must have been awarded a portion of a member's military retired pay in a State court order.

If you have a severe medical condition from which VA believes you will never recover, it may designate you as permanently and totally disabled. With this designation, you'll receive VA disability benefits for life (absent a finding of fraud). VA reserves permanent and total disability for the most extreme situations.

What VA disability is permanent? ›

Permanent and total disability is a special classification used by VA when it believes that a veteran's condition is so severe that the condition will never improve. Once you receive this classification, your rating is mostly safe.

The Protected veteran is a status created with an amendment to the Vietnam Era Veterans' Readjustment Assistance Act of 1974 (VEVRAA). This status prohibits discrimination against anyone that identifies as a protected veteran. These veterans receive Affirmative Action-type safeguards from some employers that hire vets.

Does 6 years in the National Guard make you a veteran? Yes, if you spent at least 180 days of that 6 years deployed on federal active duty orders. A 2016 change to federal law expanded the definition of “veteran” for many National Guard members.

DD214 – Service Copy 2

The Service 2 copy is the copy retained by the “service branch” and placed inside the Official Military Personnel File. It is identical in every way to the DD214–Member 4 copy.

What is the difference between DD214 member 1 and member 4? The Member 4 Copy is the original DD214 provided to servicemembers upon separation or discharge from the military\u2014typically along with a Member 1 Copy, which is a shorter version of the Member 4 Copy.

You may also hear the Member 4 Copy called the long-form, unedited, or undeleted copy, while the Member 1 Copy is sometimes referred to as the short-form, edited, or deleted copy because it lacks certain information found on the Member 4 Copy (specifically, the type of separation or discharge and the re-enlistment code ...

What's the difference between a DD214 and a DD215? A DD214 is a certificate of discharge or separation from active duty given to veterans, while a DD215 is a document that corrects errors on a DD214. The DD214 is issued to service members upon their separation from active duty.

Since the DD Form 214 is issued to those leaving the active military as well as to members of the National Guard and Reserves completing their initial active duty for training, possession of this document does not necessarily mean the student is a veteran.

Are you considered a veteran after 4 years of service? ›

Service members must have served a minimum of 24 months of active duty to be considered a veteran. If the service member becomes disabled because of their time in the service, there is no minimum length of service to qualify for VA benefits.

Time of Service. To be considered a veteran, any military personnel must be on active-duty service for at least 180 days. The only exception is if the member sustained a service-related injury and was discharged under honorable conditions.

A DD-214 is important because it provides all the most critical details of a veteran's military service in one document. It is most often used to verify eligibility for veterans' benefits. Disability compensation, VA home loans, GI Bill, and other VA benefits require a DD-214 as proof of service.

Honorable: 78.29 percent. General – Under Honorable Conditions: 6.36 percent. Under Other Than Honorable Conditions: 2.09 percent. Bad Conduct: 0.49 percent.

What is a DD214? The Defense Department issues to each veteran a DD-214, identifying the veteran's condition of discharge - honorable, general, other than honorable, dishonorable or bad conduct. You can find a sample DD-214 which can help you determine if a veteran served in armed combat HERE.

Today's recent retirees and separates often have a problem getting a replacement DD214 because of the transit time it takes to get military records from the final assignment to the National Archives.

A National Guardsman or Reservist who has never been mobilized to active duty will not have a DD214. A veteran may have several DD214s. In the sample (Block 12d), this veteran had prior active service of 10 years, 8 months, & 16 days. He would have received one or more DD214s to cover that time.

Since 1957, if you had military service earnings for active duty (including active duty for training), you may have extra Social Security wage credits added to your earnings record.

If your military service increases your benefit and we cannot get proof of your service, we will ask for your DD-214 or other proof of service before we process your application. In all cases, we add military wage credits to your earnings, not directly to your monthly benefit payment.