DD Form 214 The DD Form 214 , Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty , generally referred to as a " DD 214 " , is a document of the United States Department of Defense , issued upon a military service member ' s retirement , separation , or discharge from active - duty military . History and usage . The first DD Form 214s were issued in 1950 , after replacing the older " WD AGO " ( War Department Adjutant General ) Forms and the NAVPERS ( Naval Personnel ) discharge documents . These documents , in turn , had existed since 1941 . In earlier versions of the form ( 1 November 1972 ) it was called a " Report of Separation from Active Duty " ; the current title dates from 1 July 1979 . DD Form 214 is the capstone military service document , as it represents the complete , verified record of a service member ' s time in the military , awards and medals , and other pertinent service information , such as promotions , combat service or overseas service , Military Occupational Specialty identifiers and record of training and schools completed . DD Form 214 is commonly used by various government agencies , chief among them the Department of Veterans Affairs , to secure veteran benefits , and may be requested by employers should a person indicate he or she has served in the military . This document also contains codes used by the Armed Forces to describe a former servicemember ' s reason for discharge and their reenlistment eligibility . These codes are known as Separation Designator / Separation Justification ( abbreviated as SPD / SJC ) Codes and Reenlistment Eligibility ( RE ) Codes , respectively . DD Form 214 is also generally required by funeral directors in order to immediately prove eligibility for interment in VA cemetery and / or obtaining a grave marker and / or provide military honors to a deceased veteran . On September 1 , 2000 , the National Defense Authorization Act enabled , upon the family ' s request , every eligible veteran to receive a military funeral honors ceremony to include the folding and presentation of the United States burial flag and the sounding of Taps , at no cost to the family . Copies of DD Form 214s are typically maintained by the government as part of a service member ' s 201 file or OMPF ( Official Military Personnel File ) . The 201 file generally contains additional personnel related forms . Available versions . There are two versions of the DD Form 214 , usually referred to simply as " short " ( edited ) and " long " ( unedited ) copies . The edited , or " short " copy omits a great deal of information , chiefly the characterization of service and reason for discharge , thus the unedited ( " long " ) copy is generally desired by veterans ' organizations , employers , and law enforcement agencies alike . Copies . Service members are given the option of accepting the edited , unedited or both copies upon separation . The National Personnel Records Center is the government agency tasked with replacing lost and destroyed DD Form 214s upon request from a veteran . Requested copies are mailed from the Military Personnel Records Center . The most important copy of the DD 214 for the individual is the " Member 4 " copy . It is the standard form needed to obtain benefits such as GI Bill or government employment priority . The " Service 2 " copy contains information as to the nature and type of discharge , and the re - enlistment code . This code is used to determine whether or not the service member can go back into the service . For unemployment benefits , veterans affairs benefits , as well as for several other services , the " Member ' s Copy 4 " is usually needed . An identical copy to the " Service 2 " , the " Member 4 " , is provided directly to the service member upon release from active duty . The military will not provide a replacement " Member ' s Copy 4 " ( it is the service member ' s personal copy ) and any request for a replacement is always honored by providing a " Service 2 " copy . Other versions of the DD Form 214 include the " Member 1 " ( deleted version ) , " Service 7 & 8 " ( carbon copies of the " Service 2 " ) , " Veterans Affairs 3 " ( sent directly to the Department of Veterans Affairs ) , and " Department of Labor 5 " ( provided directly to the United States Department of Labor ) . Most veterans who separated from their service generally pre - 1992 can obtain their DD 214 from the National Personnel Records Center , ( " NPRC " ) . The NPRC has two distinct tracks available to obtain records for veterans . The first is for the veteran to submit a Department of Defense Standard Form 180 ( " SF180 " ) to the facility via mail or fax . The second is to appear in - person at the facility . The National Archives also maintains a list of independent researchers who will physically visit the St . Louis facility to request records in person . Corrections . The DD Form 215 ( " Correction to DD Form 214 , Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty " ) is used to correct errors or additions to a DD Form 214 discovered after the original had been delivered and / or distribution had been made . It is distributed in the same manner as the DD Form 214 . Distribution . A DD Form 214 / 215 is prepared in eight copies and distributed as follows : See also . US Military discharge