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Your DD-214 is the single most important document from your service — it controls your VA benefits, GI Bill, hiring preference, and more. Here's what every block means in plain English, with the high-stakes ones flagged.
Sources: DoD DD Form 214 (Certificate of Release or Discharge), VA character-of-discharge guidance
Your name, branch/component, DoD ID, rank and pay grade, and date of birth. Verify your rank and pay grade are correct — errors here can affect retired-pay and benefit calculations.
Where you entered active duty and your Home of Record — used for some state benefits and travel entitlements.
Your primary job code and how long you held it. This is what MTT’s MOS Translator turns into civilian careers.
Date entered active duty (12a), separation date (12b), net active service this period (12c), prior service, foreign service (12f), and sea service. These dates drive GI Bill, VA disability effective dates, and retirement math — check them carefully.
Every award and campaign ribbon. Missing awards are common; if one is absent you can request a correction (DD-149) — it can matter for hiring preference and pride of record.
Formal service schools completed (with dates/hours). Useful for civilian credentialing and college credit (ACE).
Whether you contributed to programs and (on some copies) GI Bill eligibility notes.
Terminal-leave / sold-back leave paid at separation.
Free-text: continuation of service dates, deployment/combat-zone service, "member has completed first full term," excess leave, and other entries. Deployment lines here can support combat-related and presumptive claims.
Discharge, release from active duty, retirement, etc. — the category of your separation.
Honorable, General (Under Honorable Conditions), Other Than Honorable, Bad Conduct, or Dishonorable. This is the single biggest determinant of VA benefit eligibility. Less-than-honorable characterizations can often be upgraded — and even "bad paper" veterans may still access some benefits.
The regulation/instruction your separation was processed under (e.g., an Army AR 635-200 chapter). Reference for corrections/upgrades.
A 3-4 character code encoding the specific reason for separation. It maps to your narrative reason (block 28) and can affect reentry and some benefits.
Whether — and under what conditions — you can reenlist (e.g., RE-1 eligible; RE-4 not eligible without a waiver). Important if you plan to return to service or join the Guard/Reserve; some RE codes can be reviewed.
The plain-language reason (e.g., "Completion of required active service," "Disability," "Condition, not a disability"). Employers rarely see this (it’s not on the short copy), but it matters for upgrades and some benefits.
Any time lost (e.g., AWOL, confinement) during the period — affects "good time" and some calculations.
Wrong character of service or RE code?Both can often be corrected or upgraded through your service’s Discharge Review Board or Board for Correction of Military Records. Work with a free accredited VSO — never pay a company a fee to “fix” your DD-214.
Educational summary of the standard DD Form 214 blocks; exact block numbers/labels vary slightly by era and service. Always rely on your actual document and a VSO for decisions. Informational only.