Expert: Rod Powers - 10/30/2006

Question
Rod -

Thanks for the excellent information.  If you were in my shoes, would you even bother with filling out the DD 149, or would you just live with an innaccurate DD 214?  If I do decide to fill out and submit Form 149, how long will it take for the change to be made?  Is doing this a waste of my time?  I just don't want anything to come back and haunt me in the future and make me regret not addressing this issue sooner.  Thanks.


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The text above is a follow-up to ...

-----Question-----
Rod - In 1999, I was commissioned into the Army as an officer. In 2002, my active duty commitment was up and I received an Honorable discharge.  My commitment was 3 years active and 5 years reserve.  When I out-processed from Ft. Campbell, KY and received my DD-214, I was considering joining the Texas ARNG.  The TXARNG unit that I was considering joining appeared on my DD-214.  However, I never joined the TXARNG and was told by their personnel office that I would automatically be added to the IRR since I did not join.  I never received any documentation showing that this change had been made.  More than four years have passed now and recently, I have attempted to request a new DD-214 from the Army Personnel Center in St. Louis to see if the change is reflected, and just to have a copy for my own records. However, their records do not show that I am part of the IRR and my DD-214 (according to them) still indicates that I am part of the TXARNG.  Immediately, I called the personnel office at the TXARNG and spoke to someone there about my situation.  As I suspected, they have no record of my name or SSN in their system.  This didn't surprise me because I never joined anyway and I never completed the paperwork.  All I want to do is make sure that my records are updated for my own "piece of mind".  Also, when my total commitment is up in May 2007, is it necessary for me to resign my commission so that I am no longer part of the IRR?  If necessary, how do I go about doing this?  Will I receive any paperwork to verify my status after May 2007?  I hope you can answer all of these questions because I need some advice.
-----Answer-----
Hi,

Your active duty personnel unit made a mistake by entering the TXARNG unit on your DD Form 214. The DD Form 214 should have only covered your active duty service.

With that being said, once your DD Form 214 was signed and you separated from active duty, it became an official part of your military records. The National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis does not have the authority to change any part of your records, even if the active duty Army or TXARNG contacted them and requested it.

Once a DD Form 214 is made an official part of the military records, there is only one way it can be changed. The member must submit a request for a change of the military records to the appropriate branch's records review board. That's the *ONLY* way any part of a military record can be changed, after separation. In this case, it sounds pretty clear-cut, but in order to change the DD Form 214 which is on file for you, you'll have to officially request it. Details are in my article at: http://usmilitary.about.com/cs/airforcebase/a/chgrecords.htm (In other words, you'll have to submit a DD Form 149).

In any event, this entry on your DD Form 214 isn't going to affect your eligibility for recall to active duty. Regardless of what your DD Form 214 says, you're in the IRR, and will be until your total 8 year service obligation is over.

You do not need to resign your commission. When your 8 year service obligation is complete, you will automatically be discharged from the IRR, and will no longer be subject to recall.

I don't think you will receive any official notification and/or paperwork when your IRR obligation is complete (I may be wrong about this).

For more information about the United States Military, feel free to visit my military information website at: http://usmilitary.about.com.

Hope this helps!

Rod Powers
http://usmilitary.about.com


Answer
Hi Mike,

Personally, if it was me, I wouldn't worry about it. Military members aren't recalled to active duty, based on the DD Form 214. If you're not actually on the unit rosters for the Guard unit, then they won't be calling you to active duty as part of their unit. They don't do recalls based on the DD Form 214.

Hope this helps!

Rod Powers
http://usmilitary.about.com