

You’ll also find the individual’s operative specialty(ies), service statement dates (including any foreign service time), and any decorations/awards or wounds received. This expansive section includes the date and location for entry into service, termination date for reserve duty and home address. No date of induction indicates voluntary enlistment. Look for the individual’s Selective Service Number (which the government used for draft purposes), along with where the individual registered. The DD Form 217AF indicates the person is being discharged from the Air Force. Note that those Honorably Discharged or receiving a General discharge typically transferred to that service branch’s reserves. For example, the class of discharge or separation indicates the circumstances surrounding the person’s discharge: Honorable, General, Bad Conduct (i.e., court-martial) or Dishonorable (for an offense such as rape or murder). Here, you’ll find information on why the government issued this form.

Note that the person’s name has been redacted for privacy. Louis destroyed most Army and Air Force personnel records from the mid-20th century-making DD-214 forms critical in documenting military service.īelow is a DD-214 form from 1963, with annotations that will help you understand information in each column. (Those who served in the Army National Guard or Air National Guard received separate documentation.) A fire in 1973 at a National Archives center in St. The form replaced the WD AGO Forms and NAVPERS (Naval Personnel) discharge documents. The Department of Veterans Affairs and employers used the document as proof of military service for veteran benefits and employment purposes, respectively. The form includes a verified record of the service member’s active and reserve duty, making it a valuable genealogical record.

As the document’s longer name implies, each service member received a DD-214 upon his or her discharge from the United States Armed Forces. Family Tree Templates and Relationship Chartsīeginning in 1950, the Department of Defense issued DD-214 forms, also called Certificates of Release or Discharge from Active Duty.

Best Genealogy Websites for Asia and the Pacific.Best Geography and Historical Map Websites.Best African American Genealogy Websites.Best US and Canadian Genealogy Websites.Surnames: Family Search Tips and Surname Origins.Preserving Old Photos of Your Family History.How to Find Your Ancestor’s US Military Records.
