Table of Contents

  1. What is the DD214?
  2. Receipt of the DD214: Who Gets One, Who Doesn't, and When
  3. What's the Point of the DD214?
  4. DD Class 214 and Veteran Funeral, Cremation, and Burial Benefits
  5. Requesting a DD214 Grade: The Procedure and How Long information technology Takes
  6. Avoiding DD214 Scams
  7. Correcting a DD214 Form Regarding Military Service
  8. The DD214: A Vital Document for Those Discharged from the Military

The DD214 form is an important certificate for veterans and their families when it comes to leveraging benefits associated with military service, including funeral-related benefits. This article provides everything vets and family members demand to know about the DD214, particularly in conjunction with funeral or burial benefits.

What Is the DD214?

The DD214 is formally called the DD Form 214. Since January i, 1950, the Department of Defense force has issued these forms to veterans upon discharge. If there are certain actions you'd like to take regarding your armed services history, information technology is likely that you'll demand this form. The form acts to record that the vet was officially discharged from his or her service, and it also records the manner in which the discharge occurred. Types of discharge include:

  • Honorable
  • Dishonorable
  • Full general
  • Other than honorable

The but type of belch that volition disqualify you from VA burial benefits is a dishonorable discharge. If you are discharged "other than honorable," you nonetheless have a right to benefits, making the type of discharge very important.

What Data is on the DD214 Form?

The grade is also sometimes referred to as the Report of Separation, as it documents the armed forces personnel's separation from active duty condition. In improver to discharge situation, the written report might include data such as:

  • When and where the veteran entered agile duty service
  • When and where the veteran left active duty service
  • The vet'south domicile addresses both when joining the service and departing from it
  • The vet's last rank and/or consignment
  • Service credited to the veteran, both domestic and strange
  • Job specialties, didactics, decorations, awards, and citations related to military service

Long vs. Short DD214 Belch Forms

Ane of import note about the DD214 is that the authorities issues two versions of the grade:

  • Brusk class (as well called the deleted Form of Separation or edited Form of Separation)
  • Long form (also called the undeleted Course of Separation)

The difference between the two is that the long form contains information about the service member'south discharge. That could include a narrative virtually the situation surrounding the belch and a "course" that rates the discharge in a positive or negative light. Employers, government agencies working with vets and benefits organizations often ask for the long form because belch condition is relevant to the conclusion at paw. When seeking funeral benefits for a vet, it's a expert idea to take a copy of the long form.

Receipt of the DD214: Who Gets I, Who Doesn't, and When

Every veteran is supposed to receive both a short and long copy of their class when they are discharged from the military. Copies of the grade are too sent to federal and country agencies, including the U.Southward. Department of Veteran Affairs. The original re-create of the form is typically housed with the armed services branch for which the veteran served temporarily. Later a certain amount of time, it's moved to a permanent federal archive.

Not every person associated with military service volition have a DD214. If you lot're in the active or inactive reserves, you are technically non fully separated from your service. The same is truthful for anyone in the National Guard or those who oasis't completed their service or been formerly discharged.

How do I go my DD214 after being discharged?

When you lot are discharged officially, the office from which you are discharged will either provide your class to you personally or adjust to have it mailed to you.

What's the Point of a DD Form 214?

The DD214 form serves a purpose other than formalizing the stop of your armed forces career on paper. Information technology's too a necessary document if you desire to take certain deportment based on your armed services history. Some situations that might call for presentation of the form include, but aren't limited to:

Seeking Employment

Your future employers might want to know about the condition related to your armed forces discharge. Certain government employers and private contractors for government agencies may not be able to hire someone who was dishonorably discharged, for case. Even in the private sector, your DD214 proves you are a veteran, letting yous apply with companies looking to back up or hire vets.

Reenlisting in the Military

If you e'er want to return to military service, your DD214 form is your best recommendation. It's what tells the military if yous are able to exist rehired; certain statuses on the form do mean you can't reenlist.

Seeking VA Benefits

The Department of Veteran Diplomacy provides a number of benefits for former armed forces service members, including assistance in purchasing new homes and medical intendance. Whether or non you authorize for these benefits depends in role on your discharge condition, which the DD214 can ostend.

Funeral, Burying, and Cremation Benefits for Vets

The VA also provides certain funeral benefits and reimbursement programs for partial funeral and burial expenses. The DD214 and an appropriate discharge condition is required for these benefits too.

DD Form 214 and Veteran Funeral, Cremation, and Burial Benefits

The VA provides a number of funeral benefits for vets, but you need the DD214 to access them. In some cases, you might need to expedite a copy of the form to receive the benefits in time, though information technology'southward still possible you lot could await vi to 8 weeks. One mode around the upshot is to work with your provider to schedule a memorial service following a cremation or burial. Memorial services are less time-sensitive, allowing families to include appropriate vet-related benefits in a service after the grade is received.

In some cases, vets might take an equivalent form that provides the same information as the DD214. This is especially truthful for service members who were discharged before 1950; even later on 1950, other forms were in apportionment that detailed discharge status and military service, such equally the War Department Adjutant Full general Part Class 53-55.

If you're planning alee for end-of-life matters and you haven't been discharged from the armed forces all the same, y'all obviously won't have a DD214. You can provide a re-create of your armed forces ID or other proof that you lot are active-duty military to the funeral provider y'all're working with.

Who Is Eligible for VA Military Cremation and Burial Benefits?

You are eligible for the benefits equally long as your DD214 reflects whatever discharge status other than dishonorable. The funeral and burial reimbursement benefit also comes with some requirements, such as being eligible for VA pension payments, or passing abroad in a VA hospital. Those conditions are listed in particular by the VA.

Requesting a DD214 Form: The Process and How Long Information technology Takes

DD214 forms should be treated like Social Security cards or nascence certificates. For example, it's a good thought to keep it in a fireproof condom or filing cabinet along with your other sensitive personal documents. Paperworkdoes get misplaced, damaged, or destroyed, however, which is why the National Personnel Records Center will provide replacement forms.

You can request a re-create of your own DD214 form online via the National Archives. The next of kin for a deceased vet can also utilize the online organization to request the form; the government considers side by side of kin to be an single surviving spouse, parent, kid, or sibling of the deceased. You can also transport a request via post or fax by completing the SF-180 form to request war machine records.

All the same y'all request the form, the NPRC volition need certain data to find the correct record. The information it requires includes:

  • The veteran'southward complete proper noun, service number, date of nascence, place of birth, and Social Security number
  • The branch the vet served with
  • Dates of service

The request must also be signed by the vet or his or her next of kin.

It'due south gratuitous to asking a DD214 copy be returned to yous via mail, fax, or the online portal. You tin also pay a service to go to the NPRC to deport the research immediately, which can speed up the process. If you program to employ such a service, check out the section below on avoiding retrieval scams.Nearly people who request the document themselves receive it in approximately six to 8 weeks.

Reasons for Delays in Receiving a DD214

In some cases, receipt of a DD214 copy tin exist delayed, even if you pay for a research service. A mutual delay is associated with a fire that occurred in 1973. That fire destroyed many records associated with Airforce and Ground forces vets, and the loss of those records tin can make getting a copy of your grade more difficult. The National Archives recommends that you provide additional information, including concluding unit of assignment, place of belch and where y'all entered the service, if you believe your records might have been compromised by that fire.

Another common reason for delay is that the vet never registered with the VA. That means that the records might not be on file with the VA and federal employees may have to search other locations. If you were recently discharged from the military and you use in the incorrect location, you might have to reapply for a re-create of your DD214.

Emergency Needs

The government does realize that some DD214 requests may exist more time-sensitive than others, and you lot can let the agencies know about deadlines or urgent reasons for your request in the comments section on the request form. For example, the NPRC volition try to prioritize requests for DD214 related to funeral arrangements.

Of import Numbers to Know:

  • Fax your DD214 request (via Standard Grade 180) to 314-801-0764 if y'all have an urgent request
  • Telephone call the customer service team at 314-801-0800 for answers to questions or possible same-day service

Avoiding DD214 Scams

Inquiry groups and firms — both legitimate and otherwise — merits that they can think your DD214 re-create faster than you tin through the standard process. Information technology's tempting for families that desire closure or need to finalize funeral arrangements or manor finance matters to purchase into this claim. Notwithstanding, some of these organizations only accept your money and consummate the exact aforementioned process you would.

Earlier you pay an organization to think your form, make sure you're paying for something you can't do yourself. Look at ratings and reviews regarding the company on sites similar the Better Business organisation Bureau. If yous don't see testify that the visitor tin do something more than, such every bit go in person to the NPRC in St. Louis, MO, so consider handling the thing yourself.

Remember, you should e'er recall twice virtually dealing with any online service that requests your personal information. To request a copy of your form, you take to paw over alot of sensitive information.

Correcting a DD214 Form Regarding Military machine Service

In some cases, the information on your DD214 form may be incorrect. If errors are general and clerical in nature — a name is spelled wrong, some numbers are transposed — you tin can ask for a correction to the document. The government bug a corrected form, which is called the DD215. That certificate is exactly the same as the DD214 other than the corrections, and yous can apply information technology in the same style y'all use the DD214.

If you lot want to seek a change of your dishonorable discharge status on your DD214, and so you volition accept to entreatment it. It's fairly rare to win such an appeal, only if yous were dishonorably discharged in the by because of homosexuality, you may take a practiced chance of winning an appeal today. In some cases, if a veteran has changed substantially since being dishonorably discharged, he or she tin request a Character of Service Determination. This tin can shed a more than positive calorie-free on the belch, simply it doesn't necessarily change any access you lot might have to benefits.

The DD214 used to include an SPN number. This was a code that reflected the nature of a discharge, and they were frequently subjective in nature. While they don't impact VA do good status at all, employers and others might make decisions based on those codes. You lot can apply to take the SPN number removed via the same channels you would request a new form.

The DD214: A Vital Document for Those Discharged from the War machine

The DD214 is a vital document and should exist treated with the same care Social Security cards, spousal relationship licenses, and nascency certificates are. If you do lose your DD214, a re-create tin exist requested. Since the form is and so disquisitional in accessing benefits, it's a expert idea to check at present: do you lot have the form? If non, consider requesting it now before it becomes an emergency for yourself or your loved ones.

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