Previously, retired service members were responsible for tracking this date and doing the math themselves so they’d know when to submit their request to turn on their retirement pay and benefits. “It’s going to ensure that every service member gets every benefit that they are owed, for the least amount of bureaucratic pain or time to get those benefits.”Ĭardinale said the new form will show when a retiring service member is eligible to start collecting their non-regular retired pay, which a member can’t receive until age 60 without qualifying service. “This is a ‘good governance’ kind of change,” Cardinale told Army Times in a phone interview.

They rectified the error in time for the funeral, but it required additional legwork for the officer’s widow. Before the Global War on Terrorism drastically increased the pace of reserve component deployments, some troops could go their entire careers - and even retire - without earning one at any point after their initial training.Ĭardinale, who is also an Army Reserve officer, described one case in which a retired part-time colonel died, but the Veterans Affairs administration initially did not recognize his NGB 22 as a proper source for the rank to put on his headstone, instead wanting to use his captain rank from his most recent DD-214. There are two advantages to using the SF 180.

Part-time troops are typically only issued regular DD-214s when they complete an active duty tour of 90 or more days. The form may also be available from Federal Information Centers, VA facilities and veterans service organizations.

Dd form 214