Da Form 638 – Fill Out and Use This PDF

The DA Form 638 is a document used by the U.S. Army to recommend soldiers for awards and decorations that recognize their service, accomplishments, or achievements. This form plays a critical role in the military's recognition process, ensuring that commendable acts are officially acknowledged. For detailed guidance on completing this form and to begin the submission process, click the button below.

Get Form Now Download PDF

Da Form 638 PDF Details

The Da 638 form stands as a pivotal document within the United States Army, serving to recognize outstanding achievements, acts of heroism, or meritorious service of its personnel. This vital form lays the groundwork for army members to be awarded commendations and an array of honors that underscore their dedication and sacrifices. Its completion and submission are integral procedures within the military's recognition framework, necessitating meticulous attention to detail and adherence to specific guidelines. By facilitating a structured method to nominate individuals, the Da 638 form ensures that acts of bravery and service excellence are officially acknowledged and rewarded. Through a comprehensive evaluation process, it upholds a tradition of honor, reflecting the Army's commitment to valuing and commemorating the contributions of its service members.

Question	Answer
Form Name	Da Form 638
Form Length	3 pages
Fillable?	Yes
Fillable fields	174
Avg. time to fill out	45 sec
Other names	da638, da form 638, da 638, da form 638 download

How to Fill Out DA Form 638

DA Form 638 at a glance

What it is: DA Form 638 is a Recommendation for Award, for considering individual nominations for awards and/or decorations.

Who signs: For historical purposes, it is imperative that the recommender sign the original DA Form 638 in Box 19.⁠^[2]

Where and when to file: Submit the proposed award to the individual's immediate commander or supervisor for further action.⁠^[2]

A filled-in DA Form 638 example: a commander recommends a Soldier for an Army Achievement Medal

DA Form 638 example filled out, example: a commander recommends a Soldier for an Army Achievement Medal — A commander recommends a Soldier for an award on DA Form 638. The award is an Army Achievement Medal for service from 20250101 to 20251231, with no previous awards. The picture shows page 1, and every value in it is made up. Boxes 5, 9, 10, 12a and 17 are drop-down menus, which the picture leaves empty. The recommender is the Soldier's immediate commander, so Box 2 and Box 15 give the same address and Box 18 says so. Box 9 stays empty because the Soldier is a U.S. Army Soldier, and Box 8 reads No awds. because there is no previous award, so Box 10 has no oak leaf cluster or number. Box 12b and Box 12c are both No, so the line for the interim award given stays empty. Box 3 is the date of 20260110 and Box 13 is 20260215. Two achievements fill Box 20, so the other two stay empty, and the UIC box at the top is not used.

How to fill out DA Form 638, box by box

Boxes 1 to 3, To, From and Date

Enter the address of the final approval authority in Box 1 (To).

The recommender enters the address of the Soldier's immediate commander in Box 2 (From).

Enter the date (YYYYMMDD) in Box 3.⁠^[2]

Part I, Soldier Data, Boxes 4 to 8: Name, Rank, DODID/SSN, Organization and Previous Awards

In Part I, Soldier Data, enter the Soldier's complete name in Box 4.

Enter the Soldier's rank in Box 5 or click the drop-down menu and select a rank (rank of the Soldier during the event or actions of service, heroism, or achievement).

Enter the Soldier's DODID or social security number in Box 6 (DODID/SSN) and unit in Box 7 (Organization).

List all previous individual decorations, to include oak leaf clusters or numerals, in Box 8 (for example, AAM-2OLC). If no award, state No awds.⁠^[2]

Boxes 9 to 11: Branch of Service, Recommended Award and Period of Award

The recommender is to use Box 9 (Branch of Service) for recommendations for award to members of the U.S. Armed Forces and foreign military personnel (leave blank for U.S. Army Soldiers).

Enter the recommended award, to include oak leaf cluster or number of award (in case of the AM), or appropriate device in Box 10.

The recommender enters the period covered by proposed award in Box 11, From and To. The date format is YYYYMMDD.⁠^[2]

Boxes 12 and 13: Reason for Award, Interim Award, Posthumous and Proposed Presentation Date

Enter reasons for the recommended award in Box 12 (12a, Indicate Reason).

In 12b, Interim Award (Yes or No), if interim award was given, state the approved interim award.

The recommender checks Yes or No in Box 12c for posthumous award.

The recommender enters the proposed presentation date in Box 13. The date format is YYYYMMDD.⁠^[2]

Part II, Recommender Data, Boxes 14 to 19

Complete Boxes 14 through 19 in Part II, Recommender Data.

Box 18, Relationship to Awardee, serves to clarify the status of the recommender, particularly in cases where someone outside the chain of command is making a recommendation.⁠^[2]

Part III, Justification and Citation Data, Boxes 20 and 21

For award of the MSM, ARCOM, and AAM, list the individual's meritorious achievements or service in narrative format in Box 20. Use specific bullet examples of meritorious acts or service.

The recommender completes the proposed citation in Box 21. Citations for award of the MSM, ARCOM, and AAM are limited to six lines (as printed on the certificate).⁠^[2]

Box 22: Signature and Certification

Box 22: I certify that this individual is eligible for an award in accordance with AR 600-8-22; and that the information contained in Part I is correct.

Part IV, Box 23, Intermediate Authority

Complete Box 23 of DA Form 638 to approve, disapprove, upgrade, or downgrade the award recommendation (one block must be checked).⁠^[2]

Boxes 24 and 25, Intermediate Authority and the Addendum

The intermediate authority completes Boxes 24 and 25, as applicable. If the chain is such that more blocks are required, the addendum page to DA Form 638 must be completed.⁠^[2]

Box 26, Approval Authority

Final award approval authority will complete Box 26, Approval Authority.⁠^[2]

Part V, Orders Data, Boxes 27 to 31

The personnel office, if award is approved, downgraded, or upgraded, prepares Part V, Orders Data (27a, Orders Issuing HQ, and 27b, Permanent Order No.), to include issuing headquarters block, PO number, date, and approved award. PO number and date should match the date of the approval authority's approval as indicated in Box 26c.

The personnel office prints the orders approval authority's name and grade in Boxes 28a and 28b.

Sign the name of the orders approval authority in Box 28d (award approval authority designee).

The personnel office completes distribution in Box 31 of DA Form 638 using this example: Soldier (1) AMHRR (1) Unit (1) Files (1).⁠^[2]

If your situation is different

Valor, heroism, wartime and all awards higher than MSM

For valor/heroism/wartime and all awards higher than MSM, refer to special instructions in Chapter 3, AR 600-8-22.

Common questions about DA Form 638

Who signs it?

For historical purposes, it is imperative that the recommender sign the original DA Form 638 in Box 19.⁠^[2]

Where do I file it?

Submit the proposed award to the individual's immediate commander or supervisor for further action.⁠^[2]

Sources

[1] DA Form 638 (APR 2021), Recommendation for Award, Department of the Army (the Official source link on this page).

[2] armypubs.army.mil, Army Regulation 600-8-22, Military Awards. Accessed October 18, 2026.