The DD Form 149 is used by the military personnel as an Application for Correction of Military Records. If you have served or are currently serving in the US army (including Marine Corps and Air Force), and you believe that a mistake has occurred in your military record, you can apply for a correction of your military records by filing the DD 149 form. The respective authority shall respond to your complaint and fix the injustice.
In this article, we will give you recommendations on how to fill out your DD Form 149 correctly and how to submit it to appropriate authorities.
A DD 149 form covers various topics and spheres of interest. The Defense Finance Accounting Service (DFAS) is responsible for making military records corrections. This Service also pays compensations to the military personnel but only if all the Board of Corrections members rule in the claimant’s favor. Here are some examples of military records subject to correction under this particular form:
Of course, this is not an exhaustive list of possible corrections, but they are the most common ones. If you happen to have an extraordinary situation that does not comply with any of the given examples, you can also use legal assistance to decide on your specific case.
As we have already mentioned above, the Defense Finance Accounting Service is responsible for reviewing and satisfying the Applications for Military Records Correction. According to the United States law, a military veteran or a current US service member has to exhaust all other appeals before proceeding with the DD 149 Form.
Like many other legal documents, the DD 149 form is subject to the Statute of Limitations, which is three years. If the claimant wants to make any further appeals, he or she should file them before the 3-years expiration date. However, if the claimant has passed the 3-years bar for a lawful reason and can prove it in a written form, the DFAS can accept the application (based on the merits of the claimant).
The veteran or service member filing for military records correction should attach all existing supporting documents to the DD 149 form. This measure would make the complaint more persuasive. We strongly advise you to compile a cover letter explaining why you are requesting a certain records correction. It would also be nice to attach your full military record for the Board could make an informed decision taking your military merits into account.
If you decide to send out a completed DD 149 form without any supporting documentation, you should be aware that your complaint is less likely to be satisfied. You can also include your medical records, recommendation letters from senior management, and other relevant military documents that are not yet included in your military record. These documents can significantly increase your chances for success.
Once you have received a response from the Board, you can either agree with their decision and do nothing or disagree and file a counter-complaint. You should provide well-thought reasoning of why you do not agree with the given decision and mail it to the appropriate department’s address indicated on the second page of DD Form 149.
The DD 149 form has several specific and very important boxes that require filling in. You should indicate your special mental health status (if there is any condition), sexual orientation, or special service status (like whistle-blower, for example). If sexual assault or harassment ever took place at the workplace, you should also indicate this information in the DD 149 form. Such kind of personal data can favorably affect the decision on your complaint. Do not forget to attach supporting documentation (if possible).
The Application for military records correction is quite a complicated legal issue. That is why many claimants tend to hire a military lawyer to help them out. A professional lawyer can help you compile a well-thought application and correct the errors in your legal forms. However, with our guidelines and recommendations, you might not need one. All you need to do is follow out step-by-step instructions.
Upon completion, you can send out your application to the appropriate department’s address. Each Defense Finance service has a separate mailing address (depending on the troops’ kind). You can find the corresponding mailing address at the bottom of the second page.
Once you have filed the complete application form for the Board to consider, you shall wait from twelve to eighteen months to receive the final response.
Other DOD Forms
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It takes approximately thirty minutes to complete the DD 149 form. You can find the current version of the form on the DFAS official website, or you can simply use our latest software tools and development to build the form and fill it out online. Here are the step-by-step instructions on how to do it properly.
We suggest you start by reading the DFAS information requirements thoroughly. You will find specific guidelines on filling out the form indicated on the second page of your DD 149 form.
In this section of the form, the applicant will need to insert the following information: his or her full legal name, branch of military service, present or last date of grade payment, service number (if applicable), and Social Security Number.
In these respective boxes, you need to enter your current status regarding military service, insert type and date, and report the release from the active-duty date (if applicable).
Hereunder, you may describe the essence of your complaint. Please try to be as specific as possible and provide factual information.
Keep in mind that your reasoning should be convincing. The success of your complaint depends on it. You may as well refer to your military merits to be more persuasive.
In the blank box, provide information on the organization where the mistake has occurred originally.
Indicate the date you discovered the mistake in your military records and make sure it is not past the 3-years expiration date.
You need to file supporting documents along with your application. There is a whole section for you to enter the description of all submitted supporting papers. You may write a summary followed by “See the attachment” to refer to them.
Check the corresponding box if you want to appear in person before the deciding Board members in Washington D.C.
If you have asked for legal assistance, you will have to provide the contact information of your counsel. It would be helpful for prompt communication on your case matters.
Enter the applicant’s valid physical address, E-mail address, and fax number (if applicable).
The applicant shall append a signature in Box 15 and the current date in Box 16. If you file the application on behalf of a deceased military service member, you shall place the signature instead and indicate your relationship in Box 12.
In this section, you can leave your comments and remarks regarding the case. You may leave this field blank if you do not have any.
