The documents listed below may be used to establish honorable active military service. NCA will accept the following documents, with some exceptions, to verify eligibility when requesting a headstone or marker.
* A DD Form 256 or DD Form 257 must indicate a period of active duty service dates to be a valid document for eligibility determination purposes.
** Valid only if active duty service dates are indicated.
*** The DD Form 214 has been issued by all military services since January 1, 1950. Before January 1, 1950, several similar forms were used by the military services.
**** NGB Form 22 can be used to verify eligibility if it indicates prior active federal service other than for training or a minimum of 20 years total service for pay.
| Form | Title |
|---|---|
| DA 1569 | Transcript of Military Record |
| DD 2A | Armed Forces Identification Card (Active) |
| DD 2AF | Armed Forces Identification Card (Active) |
| DD 2CG | Armed Forces Identification Card (Active) |
| DD 2MC | Armed Forces Identification Card (Active) |
| DD 2N | Armed Forces Identification Card (Active) |
| DD 2NOAA | Armed Forces Identification Card (Active) |
| DD 2 (Retired) | US Uniformed Services Identification Card |
| DD 13 | Statement of Service |
| DD 214 *** | Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty |
| DD 217 | Discharge Certificate |
| DD 256A * | Honorable Discharge Certificate |
| DD 256AF * | Honorable Discharge Certificate |
| DD 256CG * | Honorable Discharge Certificate |
| DD 256MC * | Honorable Discharge Certificate |
| DD 256N * | Honorable Discharge Certificate |
| DD 257A * | General Discharge Certificate |
| DD 257AF * | General Discharge Certificate |
| DD 257CG * | General Discharge Certificate |
| DD 257MC * | General Discharge Certificate |
| DD 257N * | General Discharge Certificate |
| DD 303 | Certificate in Lieu of Lost or Destroyed Discharge |
| DD 303AF | Certificate in Lieu of Lost or Destroyed Discharge |
| DD 303CG | Certificate in Lieu of Lost or Destroyed Discharge |
| DD 303MC | Certificate in Lieu of Lost or Destroyed Discharge |
| DD 303N | Certificate in Lieu of Lost or Destroyed Discharge |
| DD 1300 | Report of Casualty |
| ADJ 545 | Discharge Certificate |
| Army DS ODF | Honorable Discharge from the United States Army |
| AGO 525 | Discharge Certificate |
| AGO 755 | Discharge Certificate |
| AGO 01252 | Discharge Certificate |
| AGO 01254 | Transcript of Military Record |
| AGO 01502 | Discharge Certificate |
| WD AGO 53 | Enlisted Record and Report of Separation Honorable Discharge |
| WD AGO 53-55 | Enlisted Record and Report of Separation Honorable Discharge |
| WD AGO 53-58 | Enlisted Record and Report of Separation General Discharge |
| WD AGO 53-90 | Certificate of Service |
| WD AGO 53-98 | Military Record and Report of Separation Certificate of Service |
| WD AGO 55 | Honorable Discharge from The Army of the United States |
| WD AGO 280 | Certificate of Service, AVS |
| WD AGO 525 | Honorable Discharge from the United States Army |
| WD AGO 755 | Honorable Discharge, Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps |
| WD AGO 0729 | Honorable Discharge from Army of the United States of America |
| WD AGO 01502 | Certificate in Lieu of Lost or Destroyed Discharge Certificate |
| WD AGO 01504 | Discharge Certificate |
| Bureau of Investigation No. 6 | Discharge Certificate |
| Bureau of Investigation No. 53 | Discharge Certificate |
| Bureau of Investigation No. 118 | Discharge Certificate |
| Bureau of Investigation No. 213 ** | Discharge from U. S. Naval Reserve Force |
| Form No. 6, U.S.N. | Discharge Certificate |
| Navy (No number) | War Service Certificate |
| NAVCG-553 | Notice of Separation from U.S. Coast Guard |
| NAVCG-2510 | Honorable Discharge, U.S. Coast Guard |
| NAVMC-455 | U.S. Marine Corps Certificate of Service, In Lieu of Lost or Destroyed Discharge Certificate |
| NAVMC 70-PD | Honorable Discharge, U.S. Marine Corps |
| NAVMC 78-PD | U.S. Marine Corps Report of Separation |
| NMC 258 A&I | Discharge Certificate |
| NMC 2571 A&I | Honorable Discharge, U.S. Marine Corps |
| NAVPERS-553 | Notice of Separation from U.S. Naval Service |
| NAVPERS-563 | Navy Discharge-Notice of Separation from U.S. Naval Service |
| NAVPERS-566 | Standard Statement of Service |
| NAVPERS-660 | Honorable Discharge from U.S. Navy |
| NAVPERS-661 | Certificate of Discharge, U.S. Naval Service |
| NAVPERS-663B | Discharge Certificate |
| NGB 22 **** | Report of Separation and Record of Service, Departments of the Army and the Air Force, National Guard Bureau |
| NOAA Form 56-16 | Report of Transfer or Discharge |
| PHS Form 1867 | Statement of Service – Verification of Status of Commissioned Officers of the U.S. Public Health Service |
| VA Adjudication 545 | Summary of Record of Active Service |
| VA 3101 | Official Retirement Order, Official Retirement Register, Reserve Retirement Eligibility Benefits Letter, Verification of Service Letter from the VA |