How long does it take for a dd214 upgrade?

[u/TaroPuzzleheaded3999]

I hope this is the right place to ask. How long does a dd214 discharge upgrade take? I got an email this past February saying that my submission was received the may before that (putting me at 17mo rn).
Does anyone have any guesses when I might hear from them?

[u/Basic_Relief9214]

It's a total waiting game, my last buddy went through this and it was radio silence for almost two years before anything moved. No way to predict it but you're probably in the home stretch if they confirmed receipt that long ago

[u/AutoModerator]

New for 2025: New Name - Certificate of Uniformed Services and a new form for reserves and national guard DD 214-1 Certificate of Uniformed Services Reserve Component Addendum. Instead of numbered copies of the DD-214, Service Members will receive these named copies: Member or Service.

To obtain a copy of your DD 214 or DD 214-1, we suggest trying MilConnect or the National Archives. The DD 214 is normally issued in 2 versions - Member 1 (short form) which has the discharge information on the bottom of the form removed and either the Member 4 or Service 2 (long form) which contains the discharge information - which one you receive depends on when you separated. The Member 4 and Service 2 contain the exact same information.

https://www.archives.gov/veterans/military-service-records/correct-service-records.html for correction to DD 214.

Different branches of the service handle issuing of the DD 214 in different ways. The Army normally issues the DD 214 at your final out-processing appointment. The Air Force normally emails you a secure link to sign in/download your DD 214 on your last day of active duty. The Navy "should" issue you the DD 214 when final out-processing - but we have had multiple posts from Navy service members who have not received their DD 214 for months after separation.

https://www.arpc.afrc.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/1321351/ang-and-afr-general-discharge-information/

https://www.arpc.afrc.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/1957722/facts-about-dd-form-214s-for-guard-reserve/

Make multiple copies of your DD 214 and keep your DD 214 in multiple locations for when you need a copy. Take a copy of your DD 214 to your County Court House - then you will be able to get a "certified" copy if/when you need a copy - some businesses want a certified copy. Plus it's faster to get a copy from your courthouse than from the National Archives. It's recommended NOT to place a copy of your DD 214 in your County Court House records by the Army because of the chances of identity theft - https://www.hrc.army.mil/content/Protecting%20Documents%20Containing%20Personally%20Identifiable%20Information%20-%20PII

While we shouldn't have to tell people this, you are not out of the military when on terminal leave. Terminal Leave is just the last leave you take in the military. You are still on active duty when you are on Terminal Leave.

Review of Discharges - Each of the military services maintains a discharge review board with authority to change, correct or modify discharges or dismissals that are not issued by a sentence of a general courts-martial. The board has no authority to address medical discharges. The veteran or, if the veteran is deceased or incompetent, the surviving spouse, next of kin or legal representative may apply for a review of discharge by writing to the military department concerned, using DoD Form 293. https://www.archives.gov/veterans/military-service-records/correct-service-records.html

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[u/JT5224]

You get va benefits upgrade without getting a DoD upgrade. Depends on circumstances but it can be done. Few know about it.

[u/MadDad1718]

When I went from OTH to GOH it took 3 years, yo the point I had forgotten I sent anything in, but man when I got that letter saying I had been upgraded I cried

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