DD Form 108 at a glance
What it is: DD Form 108 is the Application for Retired Pay Benefits.
Who signs: SIGN: place your signature in this space.
A filled-in DD Form 108 example: a former Army Reservist applies at age 60
How to fill out DD Form 108, box by box
1. TO
1. TO: address the application to the Armed Force in which you are presently (or were last) a member.
Army: U.S. Army Human Resources Command, 1600 Spearhead Division Avenue, Department 482, Fort Knox, KY 40122. Navy: Commander, Navy Personnel Command (PERS-912), 5720 Integrity Drive, Millington, TN 38055. Marine Corps: Commandant United States Marine Corps (Code MMSR-5), 3280 Russel Road, Quantico, VA 22134. Coast Guard: Commandant United States Coast Guard (SP-4), Washington, DC 20593-0001.
Applicant name, date of birth and date retired pay begin
2. APPLICANT NAME: enter your name in the order indicated, Last, First, Middle Initial.
3. DATE OF BIRTH (YYYYMMDD): enter correct date of birth (proof of date of birth).
4. DATE RETIRED PAY BEGIN (YYYYMMDD): enter date you desire retired pay to begin (cannot be before age 60).
Present home address, home phone number and highest military pay grade held
5a. PRESENT HOME ADDRESS: enter your Present home address.
5b. HOME PHONE NUMBER: enter Telephone number.
6. Enter highest grade or rating held in Armed Forces.
Present organization, service number and social security number
7a. Enter the complete designation of your present organization. If you are presently a member of a National Guard organization, give the name of the state. If you are not a member of a reserve organization, enter "none."
8a. SERVICE NUMBER (if applicable): enter service (serial) number. If you have been a member of more than one Armed Force, enter the service number of each, i.e. "2 532 430 ARMY" and "603-1-91NAVY."
b. SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER: enter your Social Security Number.
Service before 1 July 1949
9. ARMED FORCE AND COMPONENT: enter the Armed Force and component for periods of service covered in Item 11. Example: "Army, USAR", "Navy, USNR." All enlisted service will include the organization to which you were assigned. For National Guard service, include the name of the state.
10. GRADE OR RATING: enter the highest grade or rating held during each period of service shown in Item 11.
11. APPROXIMATE DATES OF SERVICE a. FROM and b. TO: enter approximate dates of each individual period of service. Example: 2 May 1936 to 1 May 1939; 20 Oct 1942 to 15 Nov 1946.
12. ACTIVE DUTY a. FROM and b. TO: enter inclusive dates of all periods of active duty performed during each individual period of service indicated in Item 11.
Service after 30 June 1949
13. RETIREMENT YEAR: enter inclusive dates of each individual year of service performed after 30 June 1949. If you were a member of a reserve component on 1 July 1949, your retirement year will be from 1 July 1949 to 30 June 1950, your second year will be 1 July 1950 to 30 June 1951, etc. If you were not a reservist on 1 July 1949 or have had a break in service since that time, your retirement year will begin on the date of acquiring an active status in a reserve component and end one year later. Example: 15 Sep 1956 to 14 Sep 1957.
14. ARMED FORCE AND COMPONENT: enter the Armed Force and component in which you served during each year as shown in Item 13. All enlisted service will also include the organization to which you were assigned during the year specified, and, in the case of National Guard service, name of state.
15. GRADE OR RATING: enter highest grade or rating held during each year of service shown in Item 13.
16. ACTIVE DUTY: enter inclusive dates of all periods of active duty, including active duty for training, performed during the year or years indicated in item 13.
17. RETIREMENT POINTS EARNED: enter the total retirement points earned for each period shown in Item 13. This total includes points earned through drills, correspondence courses, active duty, membership, etc.
Signature and date signed
SIGN: place your signature in this space.
19. DATE SIGNED (YYYYMMDD): insert date application is prepared.
More rules for DD Form 108
Submission of official statements of service is not required.
If all information required is not readily available, prepare the form to the best of your ability.
Detailed completion of Items 9 through 17 is not required if all service reflects correctly in your statement of service. If blocks 9-17 are not completed, you must write a statement across the corresponding spaces that you will accept records of service as maintained by the service department from which you are retiring and sign the statement. Using this statement does not preclude your right to have records corrected in the future.
Common questions about DD Form 108
What is a DD form 108?
DD Form 108 is the Application for Retired Pay Benefits. Authority: 10 U.S.C. 1223, Retired Pay for Non-regular Service; DoDI 1215.07, Service Credit for Non-Regular Retirement and E.O. 9397 (SSN), as amended. Purpose: Used by members and former members of the Reserve Components to apply for retired pay at age 60. Application is reviewed to determine eligibility.
Sources
[1] DD Form 108 (NOV 2022), Application for Retired Pay Benefits, Department of Defense (the Official source link on this page).
