DOD INSTRUCTION 1336

1 DOD INSTRUCTION CERTIFICATE OF UNIFORMED SERVICE (DD FORM 214/5 SERIES) Originating Component: Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness Effective: February 17, 2022 Releasability: Cleared for public release. Available on the Directives Division Website at Reissues and Cancels: DoD INSTRUCTION , Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty (DD Form 214/5 Series), August 20, 2009 Approved by: Gilbert R. Cisneros, Jr., Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness Purpose: In accordance with the authority in DoD Directive , this issuance establishes policy, assigns responsibilities, and prescribes procedures for the: Preparation and distribution of the revised DD Form 214/5 Series: o DD Form 214, Certificate of Uniformed Service.

2 O DD Form 214-1, Certificate of Uniformed Service, Reserve Component Addendum. o DD Form 215, Correction to DD Form 214, Certificate of Uniformed Service. Control and publication of separation program designator (SPD) codes. DoDI , February 17, 2022 TABLE OF CONTENTS 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS SECTION 1: GENERAL ISSUANCE INFORMATION .. 3 Applicability.. 3 Policy.. 3 SECTION 2: RESPONSIBILITIES .. 5 Assistant Secretary of Defense for Manpower and Reserve affairs (ASD(M&RA)).. 5 Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Military Personnel Policy.. 5 Director, Department of Defense Human Resources Activity.. 5 Secretaries Concerned.. 6 SECTION 3: DD FORM 214/5 SERIES PROCEDURES .. 8 Handling.

3 8 Issuance.. 8 a. DD Form 214 Issuance.. 8 b. DD Form 214-1 Issuance.. 10 c. DD Forms 214/214-1 Reissuance and DD Form 215 Issuance.. 11 Preparation.. 11 a. General.. 11 b. DD Form 214.. 12 c. DD Form 214-1.. 18 d. DD Forms 214/214-1 Reissuance and DD Form 215 Issuance.. 20 Distribution.. 20 a. DMDC .. 20 b. Uniformed Services .. 21 GLOSSARY .. 22 Acronyms.. 22 Definitions.. 22 REFERENCES .. 25 TABLES Table 1. DD Form 214 Instructions .. 12 Table 2. DD Form 214-1 Instructions .. 18 DoDI , February 17, 2022 SECTION 1: GENERAL ISSUANCE INFORMATION 3 SECTION 1: GENERAL ISSUANCE INFORMATION APPLICABILITY. This issuance applies to: a. OSD, the Military Departments (including the Coast Guard at all times, including when it is a Service in the Department of Homeland Security by agreement with that Department), the Office of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Joint Staff, the Combatant Commands, the Office of Inspector General of the Department of Defense, the Defense Agencies, the DoD Field Activities, and all other organizational entities in the DoD.

4 B. The Commissioned Corps of the United States Public Health Service (USPHS), under agreement with the Department of Health and Human Services. POLICY. a. In accordance with Section 1168 of Title 10, United States Code ( ), the DD Form 214 represents the discharge certificate or certificate of release from all active duty service, to include active duty and full-time National Guard duty. b. Pursuant to Section 570 of Public Law 116-92, the DD Form 214-1, in conjunction with the DD Form 214, represents the standard record of service for members of the Reserve Components. c. In accordance with DoD INSTRUCTION (DoDI) and DoDI , the DD Form 214/5 Series is the official record of separation and characterization of service available on the Directives Division Website at d.

5 The DD Form 214/5 Series will provide: (1) The uniformed services, excluding the Commissioned Corps of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, with an authoritative source of personnel information for administrative purposes, and for making enlistment or reenlistment eligibility determinations. (2) The uniformed services member, excluding members of the Commissioned Corps of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, referred to in this issuance as member, with a clear, concise summary of each discrete period of active service, and Reserve Component service as applicable, with the uniformed services at the time of transfer between Services, release, discharge, transfer to another component of a Service, or other change of status.

6 This includes relevant data regarding the member s service and the circumstances of termination, except as limited in this issuance. DoDI , February 17, 2022 SECTION 1: GENERAL ISSUANCE INFORMATION 4 (3) Appropriate governmental agencies with an authoritative source of personnel information that they require for the administration of State and Federal laws applicable to personnel who have been transferred between Services, released, discharged, transferred to another component of a Service, or have had another change in status. This associated data will be provided electronically to expedite the adjudication of veterans benefits by appropriate governmental agencies such as, but not limited to, the Department of veterans affairs (VA), the Department of Labor (DOL), and State or territory Departments of veterans affairs .

7 DoDI , February 17, 2022 SECTION 2: RESPONSIBILITIES 5 SECTION 2: RESPONSIBILITIES ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF DEFENSE FOR MANPOWER AND RESERVE affairs (ASD(M&RA)). Under the authority, direction, and control of the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, the ASD(M&RA): a. Develops, maintains, and oversees implementation of procedural instructions and guidance for the DD Form 214/5 Series. b. May provide supporting guidance to supplement this issuance. c. Adjudicates requests for exception to policy. d. Maintains and convenes the chartered Separation Standardization Working Group. (1) Chartered in 2015 under the authority of the ASD(MR&A), the Separation Standardization Working Group consists of functional and technical representatives from the Military Departments Manpower and Reserve affairs offices, the Coast Guard, the Joint Staff, the National Guard Bureau, the Defense Manpower Data Center, and the Defense Finance and Accounting Service, and ad hoc members as needed.

8 (2) The working group provides comprehensive review and analysis of separation policies, procedures, and systems and makes recommendations to bring standardization across the Armed Forces. DEPUTY ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF DEFENSE FOR MILITARY PERSONNEL POLICY. Under the authority, direction, and control of the ASD(M&RA) the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Military Personnel Policy: a. Exercises approval authority over requests to add, change, or delete standard SPD codes. b. Initiates update to SPD code matrix on a 5-year cycle. DIRECTOR, DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE HUMAN RESOURCES ACTIVITY. Under the authority, direction, and control of the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness, the Director, Department of Defense Human Resources Activity, through the Defense Manpower Data Center (DMDC): a.

9 Distributes personnel service and separation data to VA, DOL, and State or territory Departments of Veteran affairs , as applicable, to ensure the adjudication of veterans benefits. DoDI , February 17, 2022 SECTION 2: RESPONSIBILITIES 6 b. Is the official distribution source of the uniformed services authoritative and certified service and separation data for all periods of active service that are completed on or after January 1, 2015. c. Acts as DoD s single enterprise distribution point for interagency information sharing of Service personnel service and separation data. d. Through DMDC s electronic data sharing capability, provides authoritative service and separation data in accordance with DoDI and DoD to authorized representatives from the VA, DOL and, if the member elects, the State or territory Department of veterans affairs offices.

10 E. Acts as liaison to the VA, DOL, and State or territory Department of veterans affairs offices to codify their data requirements to ensure the timely adjudication of veterans benefits. f. Develops implementation and management controls for the electronic transfer of DD Form 214/5 Series data to ensure proper protocol and safeguarding of electronically transmitted data are consistent with DoD standards, as outlined in DoD and DoDI SECRETARIES CONCERNED. The Secretaries concerned: a. Provide members who are separated or released from active service a DD Form 214 containing a concise summary of service, as directed in Section 3. b. Provide Reserve Component members who are separated or released from their component a DD Form 214 and DD Form 214-1 containing a concise summary of service, as directed in Section 3.