DD 214: Block-by-Block Review Worksheet
Check your DD 214 draft against your records, block by block, using the revised (2022) block numbers, and list what to fix before you sign.
What this worksheet covers
Name, rank, and unit prefill from your service profile.
Member data
- 1Name (Last, First, Middle)
- 2Branch and Component
- 3DoD ID Number
The revised form uses the DoD ID number in place of the SSN.
- 4Serial Number
New on the revised form. Usually blank for enlisted; used for officer serial numbers where applicable. Confirm with your separations office.
- 5aGrade, Rate or Rank
- 5bPay Grade
- 6Date of Birth
- 7aMilitary Service Obligation Termination Date
The date your total 8-year military service obligation ends.
- 7bReserve Status for Obligation
Where you'll serve out any remaining obligation (e.g., IRR).
- 8aPlace of Entry Into Active Duty
- 8bHome of Record at Time of Entry
Your HOR when you entered this period of service. It's used for travel entitlements, not your state of legal residence.
- 9aLast Duty Assignment and Major Command
- 9bStation Where Separated
- 10Command to Which Transferred
- 11SGLI Coverage
- 12Specialty
Each MOS/rating/AFSC held, with its title and years/months in it. This is what employers read, so make sure titles are complete.
Record of service
- 13aDate Entered AD This Period
- 13bSeparation Date This Period
- 13cNet Active Service This Period (Yrs/Mos/Days)
- 13dTotal Prior Active Service
- 13eTotal Active Service
- 13fTotal Inactive Service
- 13gForeign Service
- 13hSea Service
- 13iInitial Entry Training
- 13jEffective Date of Pay Grade
Awards, education, and leave
- 14Decorations, Medals, Badges, Citations and Campaign Ribbons Awarded or Authorized
Every award with devices and numerals, badges, tabs, unit awards, and campaign credits. Compare against your award orders, not just your ERB/ORB.
- 15Uniformed Service Education
Military schools and courses with length in weeks and completion month/year: PME, MOS courses, and functional schools.
- 16Days Accrued Leave Paid
Must match your final leave balance sold back (the career limit is 60 days of sold leave).
- 17Member Was Provided Complete Dental Examination and All Appropriate Dental Services and Treatment Within 90 Days Prior to Separation
If no, get the dental exam before separation. It affects VA dental eligibility.
- 18Retirement System Option
- 19DD Form 214-1
New block on the revised form, tied to the DD Form 214-1 companion used for Reserve Component service. Confirm the exact entry on your draft with the separations office.
Remarks and signatures
- 20Remarks
Continuations and required entries: prior service periods, deployments with dates, time lost, bonus recoupment notes, and service-specific statements. Check that every deployment/imminent-danger-pay area is listed. It matters for VA claims.
- 21aMailing Address After Separation
- 21bNearest Relative
- 22Member Requests Copy Be Sent to (State) Director of Veterans Affairs
- 23a–bMember's Signature / Date
Sign only after every discrepancy on this worksheet is resolved.
- 24a–cOfficial Authorized to Sign: Name, Grade and Title / Signature / Date
Special additional information
- 25Type of Separation
- 26Character of Service
- 27Separation Authority
- 28Separation Code
- 29Reentry Code
- 30Narrative Reason for Separation
- 31Dates of Time Lost During This Period
Review notes
- Discrepancies found and corrections to request
Worksheet only (not on the DD 214): each block that's wrong, what it should say, and the document that proves it.
How to fill out the DD Form 214 (review worksheet)
A working copy for checking the DD 214 your separations office drafts. It follows the revised DD 214 blocks (published February 2022, used by all Services since 2025) so you can compare line by line and catch errors before you sign. When: When your transition center or S1 gives you the draft DD 214 to review, usually 30 to 60 days before your separation date. Start gathering records (ERB/ORB/RSR/SRB, award orders, transcripts) a few months earlier.
Step by step
- Pull your records: ERB/ORB (Army), OMPF, JST, award orders and certificates, school DA 1059s or equivalents, and your last leave statement.
- Enter what each block should say according to your records, block by block.
- Compare against the draft. Pay closest attention to 12 (specialty), 13 (record of service), 14 (awards), 15 (education), 16 (leave), and 25–30 (separation data).
- List every discrepancy with the document that proves it, and take the list back to the separations office before you sign block 23.
What a strong one looks like
- Awards: every medal, badge, and campaign credit with the right device counts. Missing awards are the most common error, and fixing them later takes a DD 215 or a board.
- Block 22: say yes if you want a copy sent to your state's veterans affairs office. It helps with state benefits.
- Keep several certified copies. You'll need the member copy (with blocks 25–30) for VA home loans, GI Bill, and federal jobs.
Common mistakes
- Signing before errors are fixed. Corrections after separation take months (DD 215 or a board for correction of records).
- A wrong separation code, reentry code, or narrative reason. These affect reenlistment and some benefits.
- Accrued leave paid (block 16) that doesn't match your final leave balance.