The Army Board for Correction of Military Records

"NEW" Information on Discharge Upgrades and PTSD

"New" Information on DD214 Name Changes:

The Board will consider applications for name changes to the DD214 to correct an error or remove an injustice.  The applicant must provide justification demonstrating that they were a victim of an error (i.e., genuine error) or that having their former name on their DD-214 causes an injustice (e.g., due to a divorce or their transgender status).   A signed and authenticated court order providing proof the applicant's name was legally changed should accompany the application.  As with all applications to the Board, each application for a name change will be considered on its own merits.

Mission Statement

The Army Board for Correction of Military Records (ABCMR) is the highest level of administrative review within the Department of the Army with the mission to correct errors in or remove injustices from Army military records.

Overview

When applications are received requesting that an error be corrected or an injustice be removed from the record, multiple actions are taken.

The Soldier’s or Veteran’s records are obtained. If no records are available, it may not be possible to process the application further. In 1973, there was a fire in the National Archives’ National Personnel Records Center that destroyed many Veterans’ records from World War II. Other government agencies may also have records checked out if the applicant has multiple actions in progress. For this reason, applicants should provide with their application copies of as many military record documents that they have that are relevant to the application issue.

When necessary, advisory opinions are obtained from other Army staff elements. If an advisory opinion is obtained, it will be referred to the applicant for comment before the application is further considered.

In some cases, administrative corrections can be made based on the records and advisory opinions without the need for a Board decision.

If the application cannot be resolve administratively, the Board staff will prepare a brief for the Board’s consideration. The Board will render a decision which is final and binding on all Army officials and government organizations. When directed, corrections will be made to the record and related corrective actions will be taken by the responsible Army or government organization. Applicants may request reconsideration of a Board decision within one year of a decision if they can provide new relevant evidence that was not considered by the Board.

Application Procedures (click to learn about application procedure)

You may engage private counsel at your own expense or you may contact one of the Veterans organizations who provide free counsel or a representative to assist in case preparation.


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