• Home
  • Military Discounts
    • Military & Veteran Discount List
    • Local Military & Veterans Discounts
    • Apple Military Discount
    • Veteran & Military Cell Phone Discounts
    • Gym and Health Club Discounts
    • Veterans Day Deals & Discounts
    • Veterans Day Free Meals
  • Benefits
    • 10 Veterans Benefits You May Not Know About
    • Top Military Spouse Benefits
    • Medal of Honor Benefits
    • Purple Heart Benefits
    • Veterans Health A to Z
  • Housing & Home Ownership
    • 2021 BAH Rates
    • BAH Calculator
    • VA Loan Limits by County
    • VA Home Loan Guide
    • 5 Benefits of a VA Loan
    • VA Home Loan Tools
  • Money & Finance
    • 2021 Defense Budget
    • 2021 Military Pay Charts
    • 2021 BAS Rates
    • 2021 Military Pay
    • COLA Watch 2022
    • Military Pay Calculator
    • Military Pay Dates
    • VA Disability Rates
  • Jobs
    • Veteran Friendly Employers
    • Military Spouse Employment Preference
    • Veterans Employment and Training Service (VETS)
    • Security Clearance Jobs After the Military
  • Education
    • Veteran Friendly Colleges
    • Online Colleges with Military Discounts
    • Veteran Friendly Colleges Guide
    • Military Spouse Career Advancement Accounts (MyCAA)
    • Monthly Housing Allowance (MHA) for the GI Bill
    • Forever GI Bill
    • School Search
  • Resources
    • How to Get a Veterans ID Card
    • Veterans ID on Driver’s License or ID Card by State
    • Military ID Cards
    • Military Calendar
    • State Veteran’s Benefits

Military Benefits

Military Benefits Information for US Military, Active Duty, Reserve, National Guard, Military Spouses and Military Family

You are here: Home / DD214: Understanding Character of Discharge

DD214: Understanding Character of Discharge

Form DD-214 contains separation/discharge information which can be used by employers for screening veterans, determining eligibility of VA benefits and reenlistment. Here are the seven blocks (box 23-29) that make up the character of discharge on the long or undeleted DD-214 form.

Form DD-214 Character of Discharge Section

SPECIAL ADDITIONAL INFORMATION (For use by authorized agencies only)
23. TYPE OF SEPARATION 24. CHARACTER OF SERVICE (Include upgrades)
25. SEPARATION AUTHORITY 26. SEPARATION CODE 27. REENTRY CODE
28. NARRATIVE REASON FOR SEPARATION
29. DATES OF TIME LOST DURING THIS PERIOD (YYYYMMDD) MEMBER REQUESTS COPY4

(initials)

Note: The short or deleted dd214 form does not contain this section which is the bottom 1.5 inches of the long form DD214. Any employer who is familiar with DD214 will almost always request the undeleted report of separation (the long form). Find out how to get a copy of the long or short form DD214.

7 Characters of Separation/Discharge

#23: Type of Separation. This entry depends on the Character of Service (24).  If block 24 is anything other than Honorable you will typically see “Discharge” or “Discharged”. Other examples include Retirement/Resume Retirement, Discharge, Release from Active Duty or Death. If member was Guard/Reserve and on AD for training you will see “Release from active duty training” or “Release from IADT” or “Released from active duty.”

#24: Character of Service. The “Character of your service” determines your eligibility for VA Benefits. There are 6 types of “discharge of character” listed on military discharges: (1)”Honorable” or “Under honorable conditions”, (2) “General under Honorable Conditions”, (3) “Other than Honorable” (OTH), (4) “Bad Conduct” (BCD), (5) “Dishonorable” (DD), (6) “Entry Level (ELS) or Non-Characterized ” The DD 214 must have a Service Characterization of anything other than dishonorable to be considered a veteran.

#25: Separation Authority. Cites regulations justifying the separation which are tied to branch of service. Example. Army Regulation 600-8-24, Paragraph 2-25A.

#26: Separation Code. This coincides with section #28 (Narrative Reason for Separation) and typically refers to the expiration of a veteran’s term of service, but other reasons include pregnancy, parenthood, disability, hardship and early release to attend school. The separation codes are used in conjunction with blocks 23, 24, and 28. These codes are intended for Department of Defense (DOD) internal use. The DoD no longer releases the definition of these codes however many of the codes have been previously released and are widely accessible by prospective employers. See the Separation Codes and Separation Program Numbers that have been previously released.

#27: RE Code. Enlisted eligibility for reentry, otherwise N/A. See the reenlistment codes for each branch of service.

#28: Narrative Reason for Separation. This coincides with section #26 (Separation Code) and typically refers to the expiration of a veteran’s term of service, but other reasons include pregnancy, parenthood, disability, hardship and early release to attend school.

#29: Dates of Time Lost During This Period. Many will say “None.” Other information would apply to issues such as time absent without leave (AWOL).

#30: MEMBER REQUESTS COPY 4. At the time of separation a service member can request Member 4 version of DD Form 214 which will include blocks 23-30. It is important for service members to request this copy and retain in a secure place. If lost or not requested service members can order a Service 2 Copy which is the same as the Member 4 Copy. A Member 4 Copy cannot be replaced as that copy is typically not saved anywhere.

Eligibility for many VA benefits, including disability compensation and NSC pension, require that you separated from active service with an honorable discharge. Additionally, most individuals and employers want to see an Honorable Discharge indicated in line 24’s Character of Service in the DD 214. This type of discharge also is key to being eligible for a host of veteran’s benefits provided by federal, state and sometimes even local governments. These benefits include, but are not limited to, educational grants and loans, home grants and loans, business loans, and job preference benefits.

Disputing Your Character of Discharge

A less than honorable discharge may result in being barred from benefits or denied for employment. The Departments of the Army, Air Force, and Navy (which includes the Marine Corps), and the Coast Guard each have their own discharge review boards (DRB). The DRBs have the authority to modify or correct any discharge or dismissal from the service, unless it was the result of a general court martial. DRBs, however, have no jurisdiction over medical discharges. If you believe that your character of discharge (e.g., dishonorable, other than honorable, general) was made in error, you may request a discharge review using DD Form 293 (“Application for Review of Discharge or Separation from the Armed Forces of the United States/Application for the Review of Discharge or Dismissal from the Armed Forces of the United States”).

Apply for a Discharge Upgrade

All branches of the military consider you to have a strong case for a discharge upgrade if you can show your discharge was connected to mental health conditions, including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), traumatic brain injury (TBI), sexual assault or harassment during military service, sexual orientation (including under the Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy).

Find out how to get a copy of a DD214.


About The AuthorJoe Wallace is a 13-year veteran of the United States Air Force and a former reporter for Air Force Television News


Related Articles
How to Get a DD-214 Copy How To Read A DD-214 Form
Military & Veterans Discounts Reenlistment (RE) Codes
Separation Codes Separation Program Numbers
Types of Military Discharges Military Discharge Upgrades Policy
Top Questions About Discharge Upgrades How to Get a Veterans ID Card

Popular Articles

New VA Loan Limit Rules

VA Disability Rates

2021 Military Pay

Military Pay Calculator

2021 BAH Rates

Connect With Us

  • facebook
  • instagram
  • pinterest
  • twitter
  • youtube
Military Benefits Logo

Company

  • About
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise
  • Add a Discount
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Disclosure
  • Unsubscribe
  • Do Not Sell My Personal Information

Quick Links

  • Home
  • Military Discounts
  • Benefits
  • Housing & Ownership
  • Money & Finance
  • Employment
  • Education
  • Resources

Join Our Military Benefits Newsletter!

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Connect With Us

  • facebook
  • instagram
  • pinterest
  • twitter
  • youtube
MilitaryBenefits.info Copyright © 2021

Disclaimer: This is a private website that is NOT affiliated with the U.S. government, U.S. Armed Forces or Department of Veteran Affairs. U.S. government agencies have not reviewed this information. This site contains information about GI Bill benefits, VA loans, news and services for military veterans and is not connected with any government agency. GI Bill® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). If you would like to find more information about benefits offered by Veteran Affairs, visit the official site for veterans benefits at Veterans Affairs. The appearance of U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) visual information does not imply or constitute DoD endorsement.

Advertiser Disclosure: Our website contains some affiliate marketing links, which means we may get paid commission on sales of those products or services.