How To Read DD Form 214

Updated: April 28, 2022
In this Article

    The DD Form 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty, is provided to service members who leave active service after 90 days or more. This document, also known as a Report of Discharge, discharge paperwork, etc. is the official record of a service member’s retirement or separation from the United States Military.

    National Guard and Reservists who were never mobilized for active duty will not have a DD-214, but veterans may have more than one DD-214, depending on the nature of their military career. This includes those who have left the service only to return later, those who go into the Guard or Reserve after active duty, etc.

    Do you know how to read a DD Form 214?

    To read a DD Form 214, start by gathering all the documents related to your discharge from the military. This includes copies of records or documents that detail any awards earned during your service. After collecting these records, review them closely to make sure they are complete and accurate.

    Next, look for the Report of Separation form (DD-214) which contains an overview of your military career including the type of discharge, dates of service, decorations, awards and other honors. This document will also include the type of compensation you received for your service as well as any other special considerations that were given.

    When reviewing your DD Form 214, take note of the section labeled “Remarks” which contains further information about your time in service such as deployments or special training. By reading and understanding this crucial document, you can be sure to access all the benefits you are due from the government.

    Remember to make digital copies, physical copies, and keep them available at all times in your important papers storage. This could be a secure cloud storage platform, a personal safe or some other means. Requesting a replacement copy of your DD-214 from the National Archives is possible, but can wind up taking months instead of weeks.

    If you are trying to apply for the GI Bill or some other benefit at the last minute, do not expect your replacement copy to be expedited in time for your submission requirements. You will likely be disappointed, as the writer of this article was when trying to do the very same thing.

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    What DD Form 214 Contains

    Your DD Form 214 (Report of Separation) contains the following information:

    A Report of Separation is generally issued when a service member performs active duty or at least 90 consecutive days of active-duty training.

    The Report of Separation contains information normally needed to verify military service for benefits, retirement, employment and membership in veterans’ organizations.

    Information shown on the Report of Separation may include the service member’s:

    • Date and place of entry into active duty
    • Home address (at service entry)
    • Date / place of release from active duty
    • Home address after separation
    • Last duty assignment and rank
    • Military job specialty (MOS, AFSC, etc.)
    • Military education
    • Awards, decorations, medals, citations and campaign awards received while on duty
    • Amount of total creditable service
    • Foreign service credit
    • Separation information: date and type of separation, character of service, authority and reason for separation
    • Separation and re-enlistment eligibility codes

    Prior to 1950, there were a variety of forms, prior to the DD Form 214. Here are a few of the forms according to The National Cemetery Association:

    • WD AGO 53
    • WD AGO 55
    • WD AGO 53-55
    • NAVPERS 553
    • NAVMC 78PD
    • NAVCG 553

    How to Read a DD Form 214 Block by Block

    The DD Form 214 is broken down into blocks. Each one requires a specific piece of information, starting with the first block for the service member’s full legal name and ending with Block #30. indicating whether or not the service member has requested the full, unredacted “Member 4” copy of the DD Form 214.

    There are other variations on this form, but most users will need the Member 4 copy when submitting benefits claims and other paperwork.

    What follows is a block-by-block explanation of the DD Form 214 from Block 1 to Block 30.

    1. Name: The full legal name of the veteran.

    2. Department, component and branch: This block includes whether the member was active, Guard or Reserve, as well as the branch or branches of service served in.

    3. Social Security number: ex. 123-45-6789

    4a. Grade, rate or rank: Grade or rank held at close-out date of DD Form 214. This data should not be confused with the primary specialty (the military job of the veteran), which is found in Block 11. Grade, rate or rank in this case refers to the service member’s rank (Airman, sergeant, staff sergeant, chief master sergeant, etc.).

    4b. Pay grade: Military pay grades are the equivalent numerical rating for the grade in 4a. A staff sergeant’s pay grade is E-5, which means the pay grade is an enlisted one (hence the “E”) and “staff sergeant” is the rank.

    5. Date of birth: ex. 1960/09/01

    6. Reserve obligation termination date: Most new recruits sign up for an eight-year obligation. Not all of those eight years must be spent on active duty, but when the veteran’s DD-214 shows a Reserve obligation code of “00000000,” it means the veteran has met the full eight-year requirement.

    7a. Place of entry into active duty: The place of acceptance in the current enlistment, commission or appointment of an active service member or for a service member, when enlisted, commissioned or appointed for immediate active duty (address on their AD orders).

    7b. Home of record at time of entry: Hometown city and state upon entry to military service.

    8a. Last duty assignment and major command: Shows where the final duty station was located and what jurisdiction it falls under.

    8b. Station where separated: Military installation where the separation documents were prepared for retirement or separation from the military.

    9. Command to which transferred: Where applicable, ex. U.S. Army Control Group, St. Louis, MO

    10. SGLI coverage amount: Where applicable, ex. $400,000 or an “X” in the none box.

    11. Primary specialty: These codes are service-specific and reflect the veteran’s branch of service. The codes identify the military member’s career field and skill level where reported. Coding will also differ with officer and enlisted personnel, ex. Army: 13A Field Artillery (commissioned officer).

    12 (a-i). Record of Service:

    • 12a: Active Duty (EAD) for the last period of time before the DD Form 214 was published, of continuous active duty, current tour or date ordered into EAD.
    • 12b: Date when separation from AD is effective.
    • 12c: Years, months and days of service between the dates shown in 12b and 12a, less time lost.
    • 12d: Total of all active military service before the current period of continuous active service.
    • 12e: Total of all inactive service –e.g., Guard and Reserve components not on active duty orders, delayed enlistment program (DEP) prior to 1985, Reserve Officer Training corps (ROTC) time between commissioning and day before EAD, disenrolled ROTC up to EAD, disenrolled academy from the time placed in leave without pay (LWOP).
    • 12f: Total foreign service during continuous active military service for the period of time before the DD Form 214 was published.
    • 12g: Time assigned to a ship during the current period of continuous active service.
    • 12h: Date entered active duty for the last period of time before the DD Form 214 was published.
    • 12i: Effective date of active-duty grade held at separation (item 4b).

    Note: c, d, and e are used to help calculate total military service. For example, f. Foreign Service: 10 months, 13 days (time spent overseas for purposes of this DD214)

    g. Sea Service: Sample shows N/A – could be applicable to Navy and USMC service

    h. Effective date of pay grade: Person attained current rank as of 7/17/1997

    13. Decorations, medals, badges, citations and campaign ribbons awarded or authorized: Decorations, unit awards, badges and service awards for all periods of service up to the effective date of the DD Form 214.

    14. Military education: Military professional education and formal in-service training courses such as NCO School, the Community College of the Air Force, senior non-commissioned officer training, basic military training, etc.

    15. Commission/enlistment: Indicating whether the veteran was commissioned through a service academy, ROTC scholarship or enlisted under the loan repayment program.

    16. Days accrued leave paid: Indicating the veteran was or was not paid for unused military leave. “0” indicates zero or negative balance.

    17. Dental block: Indicates whether the veteran was offered a separation examination and treatment completed within 90 days of separation, retirement or release. This is also known as a final-out dental exam.

    18. Remarks: This section contains a variety of information about various aspects of service, including whether danger pay was received, use of the delayed enlistment program, whether the veteran is entitled to certain pay or allowances upon separation, etc.

    19a. Mailing address after separation: Where the veteran wants all future correspondence to be sent after leaving the military. This must be a permanent address or a permanent address of someone who will forward mail to the member.

    19b. Nearest relative: The nearest relative block is meant as a backup for correspondence, in case the service member’s address becomes invalid. An entry of “not provided” may be entered if no other address is available or provided. The information is solely for the purpose of mailing a DD Form 214 and has no impact on benefits or entitlements.

    20. Member requests Copy 6 be sent to: This block designates the state Office of Veterans Affairs the veteran wishes documentation forwarded to.

    21a-b. Member signature and date: Signature and date blocks for official purposes. This block is auto populated with “Member not available for signature” for all DD Forms 214 that are signed with a common access card by the certifying official.

    22a-b. Official authorized to sign and date: Signature and date blocks for official purposes.

    Note: Sections 23-30, “Character of Discharge,” can only be found on long form or undeleted copies of the DD214. Service 2 copy and Member 4 copy are the long-form copies.

    23. Type of Separation: Discharge, administrative separation or other types are listed here.

    24. Character of service: Types of military discharges (e.g.. honorable, dishonorable, etc.)

    25. Separation authority: This block is used to quote the regulations justifying the separation.

    26. Separation code: Used in conjunction with Blocks 23, 24 and 28 for internal use only. See the separation codes and separation program numbers that have been previously released.

    27. Re-entry code: Enlisted eligibility for re-entry to military service. See the re-enlistment codes for each branch of service.

    28. Narrative reason for separation: This block offers a brief explanation for the reasons leaving military service. Can include parenthood, retirement, education, hardship, etc.

    29. Dates of time lost during this period: Any lost-time issues are listed here, including any period of being absent without leave (AWOL).

    30. Member requests Copy 4: A block indicating the veteran’s request to receive the Member 4 version of DD Form 214.

    Form DD214 Sample

    DD214 Samples

    Here are DD214 examples and worksheets. These are examples only and are not intended for completion or use. Free copies of a DD Form 214 (Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty) can be requested online at the federal government’s eVetRecs site.

    Member 1 (short form) DD214 worksheet

    DD214 worksheet Member 4 (long form)

    Member 4 (long form) DD214: Download sample

    Written by Tamila McDonald

    Tamila McDonald is a U.S. Army veteran with 20 years of service, including five years as a military financial advisor. After retiring from the Army, she spent eight years as an AFCPE-certified personal financial advisor for wounded warriors and their families. Now she writes about personal finance and benefits programs for Veteran.com.