In the
US armed forces
The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. The armed forces consists of six service branches: the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, and Coast Guard. The president of the United States is the ...
, separation means that a person is leaving
active duty
Active duty, in contrast to reserve duty, is a full-time occupation as part of a military force. In the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth of Nations, the equivalent term is active service.
India
The Indian Armed Forces are considered to be one ...
but not necessarily the service entirely. Separation typically occurs when someone reaches the date of their Expiration of Term of Service (ETS) and are released from active duty, but still must complete their military reserve obligations. Upon separation, they receive Form
DD214
DD, dd, or other variants may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
*"D.D.", a track on mixtape ''Echoes of Silence'' by The Weeknd
*DD (character), a character in ''The Saga of Seven Suns'' novels by Kevin J. Anderson
*DD National or DD1, an India ...
, which verifies their military service.
It is important to keep a copy of DD-214 since it must be shown to receive
Veterans Administration
The United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is a Cabinet-level executive branch department of the federal government charged with providing life-long healthcare services to eligible military veterans at the 170 VA medical centers a ...
(VA) benefits.
A veteran or next of kin may request a copy of the DD214 form by going to National Personal Records Center's website.
When service members completes their full military obligation, they are
discharged
Discharge may refer to
Expel or let go
* Discharge, the act of firing a gun
* Discharge, or termination of employment, the end of an employee's duration with an employer
* Military discharge, the release of a member of the armed forces from serv ...
and receive a formal certificate of discharge, usually an
honorable discharge
A military discharge is given when a member of the armed forces is released from their obligation to serve. Each country's military has different types of discharge. They are generally based on whether the persons completed their training and th ...
.
References
United States military policies
Military terminology of the United States
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