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One of a Soldier’s many responsibilities is to maintain his or her records. There are many documents that require periodic attention. One of the most important documents every Soldier in the Army will eventually receive is the Department of Defense Form 214, Report of Separation.

This document is a complete summation of their time served in the military, and it records such important information as awards, promotions, combat and overseas service, military occupational specialty and training and schools completed. This document also contains codes used by the Armed Forces to describe a former service member’s reason for discharge and their re-enlistment eligibility.

These codes are known as Separation Designator/Separation Justification Codes, abbreviated as SPD/SJC, and Reenlistment Eligibility Codes, respectively.

There are two versions of the DD Form 214, usually referred to as “short” (edited) and “long” (unedited) copies. The “short” copy omits a great deal of information, chiefly the characterization of service and reason for discharge, thus the “long” copy is generally desired by veterans’ organizations, employers, and law enforcement agencies alike.

If errors in the DD Form 214 are discovered after the original has been delivered and/or distribution of copies of the form has been made, or maybe just to add information not available when the DD Form 214 was prepared, the DD Form 215 will be issued to correct such discrepancies. The distribution of DD Form 215 will be identical to the distribution of DD Form 214 and no action from the service member is required.

The DD214 is used by the Department of Veterans Affairs to determine a veteran’s benefits. Potential civilian employers may also request to see the DD214 when considering hiring veterans. Having a good service record may provide an advantage when being considered for a civilian job.

At the same time, a DD214 could also be utilized when applying for unemployment benefits. Since the DD214 is issued after one is

discharged from active duty,

showing your DD214 with an honorable discharge could be used as proof of loss of income. The DD214 may also have significant sentimental and historic value to Families of veterans and can also provide a deceased Soldiers’ eligibility to certain military honors, which are at no cost to the Family. The funeral director will need to see a deceased

Soldier’s DD214 in order to prove eligibility.

Clearly, the DD214 is an important document, but what can the individual Soldier do to ensure the form captures his or her service? First, throughout a Soldier’s military career, whether it is for one term of enlistment, or twenty years, every Soldier must regularly review his/her personnel qualification records (PQR). The PQR is the Enlisted Record Brief (ERB) or the Officer Record Brief (ORB). Soldiers must also ensure all pertinent supporting documentation such as award certificates, training certificates, reenlistment contracts, and other necessary documents are included in their Official Military Personnel File (OMPF). To ensure your OMPF is updated, one suggestion is to self-audit records annually during the birth month. When discrepancies are noted, request assistance from the S1 in accordance with unit policies. Soldiers must carefully review and verify their DD214 when prepared at the transition point.

Once separated from the military, Soldiers’ records, including DD214s, are sent to the National Archives and Records Administration in the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis, Mo. The NPRC will maintain your military service information and records. Veterans, and next of kin of deceased veterans, are encouraged to use eVetRecs at www.archives.gov/veterans/evetrecs/index.html to submit record inquiries via the Internet.

Replacement copies of DD Forms 214 may be requested through the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis, Mo. Correction of DD Forms 214 may be made through the Board of Corrections for Military Records via the military department concerned.

Maintaining documents are important for the Soldier and their Family. Be engaged, proactive and diligent in reviewing your documents at a minimum annually. If you need more information contact your servicing military personnel office. As always, the III Corps IG is here to help!