DA 3838 Form - Application for Short Course Training

Updated: Nov 1, 2026

The DA 3838 form, designated as the "Application for Short Course Training," is a critical document utilized within the United States Army. It serves as an application tool for Army personnel seeking enrollment in short-term training courses, with its usage governed by AR 351-3 and overseen by the Office of The Surgeon General. This form collects essential details to assess eligibility, process applications, and perform administrative functions related to student administration. For those looking to advance their skills and knowledge through specialized training, completing the DA 3838 form is the initial step. Click the button below to begin filling out your application.

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How to Fill Out DA Form 3838

DA Form 3838 at a glance

What it is: DA FORM 3838 is the Application for Short Course Training.

Who signs: Sign Box 23, SIGNATURE (Applicant), and Box 27, SIGNATURE (Local Approving Authority).

A filled-in DA Form 3838 example: an Army captain requests a civilian course

DA Form 3838 example filled out, example: an Army captain requests a civilian course — Jane Sample, an Army captain, fills out DA Form 3838. She requests a course at a civilian institution and lists registration and tuition costs. She is in the Regular Army, so RESERVE stays empty. The course is at a civilian institution, so FEDERAL FACILITY and the boxes after it stay empty. No other cost applies, so OTHER stays empty. She has taken no other courses, so Box 21 says NONE. Training approval is left blank because the local approving authority completes it. The picture shows Parts I and II, and all its values are invented.

How to fill out DA Form 3838, box by box

I. General information

Enter the NAME (Individual Requesting Training) in Box 1, the SSN in Box 2 and the SECURITY CLEARANCE in Box 4.

Enter the RANK in Box 3, the CORPS/ BRANCH in Box 5 and the MOS/AOC in Box 6.

Enter the UNIT AND STATION (Address and Zip Code) in Box 7.

Enter the UIC in Box 8 and the DUTY POSITION in Box 9.

In Box 10, CATEGORY OF SERVICE, check REGULAR ARMY or RESERVE.

Enter the OFFICE PHONE in Box 11 (Include area code and DSN), the OFFICE FAX in Box 12 (Include area code), the HOME PHONE in Box 13 (Include area code) and the AKO E-MAIL ADDRESS in Box 14.

Type of facility sponsoring training

In Box 15, TYPE OF FACILITY SPONSORING TRAINING, check the applicable box: CIVILIAN INSTITUTION (non-Federal) or FEDERAL FACILITY. For a FEDERAL FACILITY, also check AMEDD, ARMY(Less AMEDD), OTHER MILITARY(Air Force, Navy, etc.) or NON-MILITARY(PHS, VA, etc.).

Dates, license, name and location of the course

In Box 16, enter FROM: and TO: for the DATES OF COURSE EXCLUDING TRAVEL TIME (Day, Month, Year).

In Box 17, PROFESSIONAL LICENSE, list any required for requested course.

In Box 18, enter the NAME OF COURSE REQUESTED and attach a copy of the course brochure.

In Box 19, enter the LOCATION OF COURSE and include the address and zip code.

List costs as applicable

In Box 20, LIST COSTS AS APPLICABLE under REGISTRATION, TUITION and OTHER.

Courses taken and most recent CBRNE training

In Box 21, COURSES TAKEN, include courses in both federal facilities and civilian institutions that have been taken during the current year and prior fiscal year, and include source of funding, e.g., local, AC, OTSG, and AMEDD C&S Central Training Program. If none, so indicate.

Enter the DATE OF MOST RECENT CBRNE TRAINING in Box 22.

Signature of the applicant and date

Sign Box 23, SIGNATURE (Applicant), and enter the DATE in Box 24.

III. Training approval

In Box 25, LOCAL APPROVING AUTHORITY, check the appropriate box, I RECOMMEND APPROVAL or I DO NOT RECOMMEND APPROVAL, and add remarks if applicable.

Enter the NAME, GRADE, BRANCH AND TITLE in Box 26 and the DATE in Box 28.

Sign Box 27, SIGNATURE (Local Approving Authority).

More rules for DA Form 3838

For use of this form, see AR 351-3; the proponent agency is the Office of The Surgeon General.

The authority is 10 USC Section 3013, Secretary of the Army; AR 351-3; and E. O. 9397 (SSN). Its principal purpose is to obtain data needed to determine eligibility for enrollment, process applications, maintain student records, and to perform all other administrative functions inherent in student administration. Routine uses: None. Disclosure is voluntary, but failure to provide the requested information may result in the applicant not being able to participate in the program.

Sources

[1] DA Form 3838 (printed edition NOV 1982; footer SEP 2007), Application for Short Course Training, U.S. Department of the Army (the Official source link on this page).

DA 3838 Form PDF Details

The DA Form 3838, titled the Application for Short Course Training, is a formal U.S. Army document administered under AR 351-3 by the Office of The Surgeon General. It enables Army Medical Department personnel and other eligible Army members to apply for enrollment in short-term training programs not otherwise available through standard military channels.

The form is organized into clearly defined sections that gather all data needed to evaluate and process a training application:

Applicant data: Full name, grade, branch, and unit title

Institution type: Whether the course is offered at a civilian non-federal institution, an AMEDD facility, or another Army installation

Course details: The exact name of the course requested, its location, scheduled dates, and the sponsoring facility

Cost breakdown: Registration fees, tuition, and any other applicable costs listed separately

Professional licenses: Any current professional licenses the applicant holds that are relevant to the training

Training history: Courses previously completed, plus the date of the most recent CBRNE training

Before the application advances, both the applicant and a designated Local Approving Authority must sign and date the form. The Local Approving Authority reviews eligibility and annotates the decision directly on the form, ensuring only qualified personnel receive approval for training programs.

The DA 3838 form includes a Privacy Act Statement explaining that providing information is voluntary. However, failure to complete required fields may prevent processing of the application. All collected data is used solely for administrative purposes within the Army Medical Department.

Question	Answer
Form Name	DA 3838 Form
Form Length	1 pages
Fillable?	No
Fillable fields	0
Avg. time to fill out	15 sec
Governing regulation	AR 351-3
Administered by	Office of The Surgeon General
Other names	da form 3838, da3838, da 3838 pdf, da form 3838 fillable, da 3838 apd