DD-214 Question. Do you get a dd-214 every time you reenlist or just when you get discharged?

Question

My work says they need my first dd-214 when I reenlisted in 1971, but I don't remember getting one. I would think you only get one when you are discharged.
Thanks

Answer 1

Up until 1996, DD214s were issued upon completion of EVERY enlistment... meaning that you were issued a 214 when you reenlisted. Now, continuous active service is accounted for at the end of a military "career"... be it 4, 12, or 25 years... all on one DD214.

If you need a copy of your DD214 from 1971, you can submit the SF 180 (link below) to the National Personnel Records Center and you'll be mailed a copy.

Or you can send a letter to the following address:

The National Personnel Records Center
9700 Page Avenue
St. Louis, MO 63132

It takes a while (up to 6 months) so be patient.

Answer 2

When you finish the active portion of your military career, you get a DD-214. You get your Honorable Discharge when you finish your inactive portion. I served three years active and got my DD-214 upon my ETS date, and my Honorable Discharge five years later.

You may have received your DD-214 in 1971, and it is supposed to be filed with the county clerk's office. If not, contact the VA or your local VFW and see what they can do to get you a copy of your DD-214.

Answer 3

it only took 3 weeks to get a copy of my dd214 , and medical records, from St. Louis. I was in in 1979 till 1983, It's a discharge paper that has your time in service, awards, medals you recieved, and the nature of your discharge, and wheter you are able to reenlist or not as there is a reenelist code .. in example RE-1 , RE-2 , RE-3, or RE-4.. Re-1 means your are eligible for reenlistment and RE-4 means you would never be able to get back in the service at all , even with a waiver. An employer would only want to see the DD214 to see if you were a trouble maker or not, There are 2 diffrent DD214s a long form and short form, The short form leaves out the RE codes, for the reason say you got dishonarbly discharged for drug abuse, the long form would say RE-4 / Drug abuse , the short form leaves out that info to give someone whos conduct was bad to get less discrimination later in life. You should keep your DD214, as you would need it for any VA transactions, for medical treatment, VA benefits etc. You DON"T get a DD214 when you enlist , it's a discharge paper

Answer 4

Each time a servicemember enlists, they are first discharged, but they don't get a DD-214.

DD-214s are for final discharge from active duty. The only reason I have two is due to my leaving active duty in 1993 and being mobilized from the active reserves in 2005, then demobilized in 2006.

Answer 5

You get a DD-214 each time you enlist / re-enlist.
I have two of them and they will only list the date of the particular enlistment, but the total time will include ALL your time. (right side about half way down)

Answer 6

You should ask consr.wimps he is good at forging them, he claims to have one but no one has ever seen it LOL.

Seriously if you reenlisted then you got out twice, so you should have two right ? if you are missing the first one, surely you can apply somewhere to get it replaced.

Answer 7

Why on earth would your employer need a 1971 DD214?

Answer 8

Is this just cons.rwimps in disguise ?

I think you can apply for a replacement see all the fine answers here from the American contingent

Answer 9

I believe you are correct. I got mine when I was discharged. You can get lost ones replaced also.

Answer 10

This guy has never been close to a military base in his entire life! Why do want to talk to him?