DD 214 Forms
What is a DD 214 Form?
A Defense Department 214 Form (DD 214 Form) is a document produced by the United States Department of Defense. The Department of Defense automatically issues the DD 214 Form to military personnel when they retire, separate, or are discharged from active duty. The DD 214 form details the status of the veteran at the time they became inactive, and explains whether they left honorably or because of dishonorable misconduct.
The DD 214 form is a fundamental document to the VA Loan process. Without a DD 214 form, our VA Loan company cannot process your VA Loan application. The government of the United States requires the DD 214 form as proof of qualification into the VA Loan program. Veterans and their spouses can use this form to receive VA Loans as well as additional benefits for veterans.
How to Obtain a DD 214 Form
No additional processes are required to get a DD 214 form for veterans themselves, since they automatically receive the document at the time of separation, retirement or discharge from active duty in the military.
Spouses who have not remarried, parents, children and siblings can acquire a DD 214 form from The United States Department of Defense as well as the National Archives at: http://www.archives.gov/research/index.html. You can download the DD 214 from the National Archive onto your computer.
Additional Copies of DD 214 Forms
Though all military personnel receive DD 214 forms when they become inactive, they often get lost or misplaced. Additional DD 214 forms can be obtained without much difficulty from the United States Department of Defense and the National Archives. DD 214 copies are usually free for veterans, though spouses and family members may be required to pay a small fee. If certain documents don’t fall under the fee waiver, the United States Department of Defense will notify you with the amount and reasons why the fee waiver doesn’t apply.
The Standard Form 180 (SF 180) at the United States Department of Defense is what you use to request a DD 214. The SF 180 can be found at http://www.archives.gov/research_room/obtain_copies/standard_form_180.pdf. Be sure to fill out both the front and back sides of the SF 180. The back side has additional information and instructions on how to proceed. Upon completion of the SF 180, just fax or mail it back to the address specified on the form.
Information Required on the DD 214 Form
- Full name at time of service
- DOB
- Service Branch
- Dates of Service
- Social security number
- Service number
Unfortunately, a fire in 1973 at the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis damaged destroyed and damaged a number of military records and documents. If you think your documents could possibly have been destroyed in the fire, you should also include the last unit of assignment, the place of discharge, and the place of entry into the military if you know that information. You are also required to sign and date the request. If you are a deceased veteran’s next-of-kin, you need to provide proof of death as well. Proof of death can come in the form of a published obituary, funeral home documentation, or a copy of the death certificate.
Because the DD 214 form is such a critical part of the VA Loan process, veterans or spouses who decide to apply for a VA Loan should apply for the DD 214 form right away if they do not already possess it. The time it takes to receive a requested DD 214 can vary according to the Veterans Administration’s workload and number of veterans in line ahead of you. Therefore, obtaining the DD 214 form should be first on the checklist of all veterans, spouses and family members looking to get a VA loan. So be patient and request your DD 214 very early on in the VA loan process.