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I received 3 different DD214s in the course of my career. I am currently in the Reserve and can still access HRC but the only copies there are the "service-2" copies. What's the big deal about the member copy 4 anyway? A civilian employer is asking for it specifically.
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DD214
DD214
Posted 11 y ago
Responses: 24
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The member 4 copy is only issued at discharge. No other archival site has that copy. The National Personnel Records Center will only have the member 1, service 2 copy (imposed on the bottom of the member 1 page). The service two has the discharge type (e.g., honorable, dishonorable, etc.).
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WTF is a DD214 Copy 4? I have alwayed used my Service -7 copy and never had an issue. Where do Iget a new copy?
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CPT Alex Lamb
The Member-4 is only ever given out once, when you initially discharge. If you lose it or it gets destroyed and you have no other copies that you yourself made, it is gone. Forever.
The VA, through EBenefits will provide you your Service-2 which is a legal replacement for the Member-4 and employers and the VA are legally obliged to accept it as well. This process takes legitimately 10 minutes if you're registered.
The VA, through EBenefits will provide you your Service-2 which is a legal replacement for the Member-4 and employers and the VA are legally obliged to accept it as well. This process takes legitimately 10 minutes if you're registered.
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CPT Alex Lamb
The Member-4 is only ever given out once, when you initially discharge. If you lose it or it gets destroyed and you have no other copies that you yourself made, it is gone. Forever.
The VA, through EBenefits will provide you your Service-2 which is a legal replacement for the Member-4 and employers and the VA are legally obliged to accept it as well. This process takes legitimately 10 minutes if you're registered.
The VA, through EBenefits will provide you your Service-2 which is a legal replacement for the Member-4 and employers and the VA are legally obliged to accept it as well. This process takes legitimately 10 minutes if you're registered.
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You can log into eBenefits site and request copies of parts of your personnel file. If you request the DD-214 you should get both the member-1 and member-4 copies. It only took about an hour to get it this way.
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CPT Alex Lamb
Mr. Haman, then you're a seriously special case, Sir. Firstly, the Member-1 is useless for anything other than verifying "yep. This guy served" and literally nothing else. Employers rarely accept it and the VA never accepts it. Secondly, in 99% of cases the Member-4 is only ever given out once, when you initially discharge. If you lose it or it gets destroyed and you failed to make other copies, it is gone. Forever.
The VA, through EBenefits will provide you your Service-2, 7, or 8.
The VA, through EBenefits will provide you your Service-2, 7, or 8.
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SSgt (Join to see)
I did the same thing and it gave me a DD 214 that says "Member 1" and a second page that says "Member 4" at the bottom
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We get this all the time. There are eight (8) original DD214s. Member 1 (the short or deleted form) and Member 4 (the long or undeleted form) are offered to the service member at separation. Generally, once they are issued, they are gone forever.
If the service member requires another copy, then he/she can acquire a copy of only one of the other remaining originals, usually a copy of the original maintained by the service branch itself, usually a copy of Service 2, Service 7 or Service 8. Rarely will the service branch keep a Member 4 or Member 1 copy, since they have their own copies. If the service branch has kept that copy, that's the copy you'll get if you request another copy. The copy issued by the service branch will have the full legal force and effect as the original.
All of the eight original DD214s are identical, except for Member 1 - the "short" or "deleted" form. The remaining seven long forms includes another 1.5 inches at the bottom which provides information concerning the service member's characterization of service, narrative reason for separation, legal reference (authority) for separation, separation and re-entry codes. The short form does NOT contain this important information - hence employers want the long form (which are all identical original DD214s EXCEPT for Member 1).
If the service member requires another copy, then he/she can acquire a copy of only one of the other remaining originals, usually a copy of the original maintained by the service branch itself, usually a copy of Service 2, Service 7 or Service 8. Rarely will the service branch keep a Member 4 or Member 1 copy, since they have their own copies. If the service branch has kept that copy, that's the copy you'll get if you request another copy. The copy issued by the service branch will have the full legal force and effect as the original.
All of the eight original DD214s are identical, except for Member 1 - the "short" or "deleted" form. The remaining seven long forms includes another 1.5 inches at the bottom which provides information concerning the service member's characterization of service, narrative reason for separation, legal reference (authority) for separation, separation and re-entry codes. The short form does NOT contain this important information - hence employers want the long form (which are all identical original DD214s EXCEPT for Member 1).
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Ah, well. There is stuff on the member copy that isn't on the service copy. Ok. First, I will tell you that I used to be a 73250, USAF personnel clerk. And, I can't estimate how many DD Form 214s I typed out. In the old days, that form was 8 pages... On certain copies, certain areas were "blacked out", so that when you typed, the carbon paper would not print onto it, but would type on the pages below. Hmmm. I got out in 1987. Do they even MAKE carbon paper anymore?? I do remember that Page 1 was a half page, a half sheet of paper. The other copies were full pages, etc. And these things were farmed out all over the place. some went to a records center in Denver, and if you were past that "inactive" service time that copy went to St. Louis... The service member used to get two copies... page 4, and... I don't remember which other one. It could have been page 1. As far as I know, the only copy of that page 4 member copy went to the service member. AND, if you lost it, you are... well, kinda S.O.L. Your local county Veteran's service center/person could give you better, and more modern information. But my gut level answer is that there is no other copy of that page of the form.
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A1C Lisa Casserly
Sgt Richard Anderson - I would check out where your Veteran's Service center is. I know our county has one, so I'm thinking every county does. Check out the phone book in the "blue" government section. It should be listed as "Veteran's Service Center". (LMAO, does anyone USE a phone book anymore? My God, I feel like a DINOSAUR!!) I also loaded it into the Google and Askjeeves search engines, and it came up. (Of course I know our local people, one of them lives in the same small town that I live in) So, put in "Veterans Service Center" and the name of your County Seat and the state. It should give you a web page with contact phone numbers. They could help you better, I think. I do remember on the last day, when my "clients", both those separating and retiring came for their final appointment, we were supposed to make a HUGE deal out of telling them to PLEASE not lose that copy 4, because it was a one shot deal. I know you can get back up copies of other pages. And yes, employers often want to see that Copy 4 of the DD Form 214 to prove you actually WERE enlisted.
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Sgt Richard Anderson
A1C Lisa Casserly - THANK YOU Airman Casserly, I was able to rectify the confusion and achieved the solution (but U R CORRECT).
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SSgt (Join to see)
Every employer keeps asking for a Member 4 copy. I have every copy of every document I was given when I separated in one folder and I'm telling you I never got a "Member 4". The fact that there is a document that I didn't receive and it's supposedly the most important document and cannot be recreated doesn't surprise me in the least. For all my important documents I always have a least 3 copies, I keep everything in triplicate. That way I never lose anything. I lost count of how many times when I was in the military that the MPF lost some of my paperwork and luckily I had a copy on file at home. No one told me or said anything at all about a Member 4 copy until I started applying for jobs. Apparently the "Big Deal" is the Member 4 copy says the condition in which you separated. I separated Honorably. My "Separation Orders" say that quite clearly, but no one wants to see the Separation Orders. They only want to see a Member 4 copy, which I never received and it's impossible to get a copy of. It's horseshit. I'm out of the military and the MPF somehow still manages to screw up my paperwork. Out-freakin-standing!
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A1C Lisa Casserly
SSgt (Join to see) - That is so odd, that you didn't get that copy. Now, I know things are a bit different today, because instead of the carbon-paper, 8 sheet document, they just print repeats. So... I'll give you the same advice. Check with your local, county level Veteran's Service Center. Explain the problem. Then ask them for help getting another copy. I have been told recently that its possible. And in the near future I will jump thru those hoops myself, since my husband seems to have lost his copy.
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A1C Lisa Casserly
I used to be a USAF 73250... That's a personnel specialist, and my job was in the Separations and Retirements section. Back in the day, they had us make a HUGE POINT out of telling the person at the final appointment not to lose copy 4, because it was THE ONLY ONE in existence of it... you could get copies of the other pages, but not that one. Hopefully with computer stuff the way it is now, they can get a copy. But, for us old Dinosaurs who got out in the 80s, early 90s, and before... eeek. He might be S.O.L.
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