Is your DD214/discharge paperwork on file with the County?

There are a multitude of benefits and programs available to veterans and their families’ through the VA. You can go to the VA.gov website or contact our office to learn more about these benefits. It can be overwhelming to try to understand the laws and regulations which must be followed in determining one’s eligibility and in applying for benefits. The Susquehanna County Veterans Affairs office has two “Certified Veterans Service Officers” and we consider it a privilege to be of assistance to our veterans and their families in understanding the benefits available and in applying for them.

 

When applying for any of these VA benefits, we must submit the Veterans Discharge Certificate (commonly known as a DD214) or the equivalent with the claim application. This very important document confirms the type of discharge and provides critical information about the veteran’s service. A DD214 is given to the service member when they leave active duty and they are advised to keep it in a safe place for future use. Without it we must go through a long process to obtain a copy of it from the national archives before an application can be submitted. This can be a slow process and delay the submission of time sensitive requests for benefits.

 

The lack of a DD214/Certificate of Discharge is one of the most common problems we encounter in supporting our veterans and their families. A document as important as this should be kept in a safe place so that it can be located on short notice. We can help you to avoid this problem.

 

 We highly recommend that veterans or veteran’s family members locate the veteran’s DD214s/Certificate of Discharge and bring it to the County Courthouse to be officially recorded, and entered in our electronic file system. The office is open Monday to Friday from 8:30 A.M. till 4:30 P.M. except for Holidays and for required training. There is no cost for this, and once done the document is easily retrieved and avoids what can be extensive delays when claims need to be filed. Once on file, veterans can be issued a free Susquehanna County Veterans Photo ID Card.  Once filed with the County this document is available to use in filing any claim for V.A. benefits. It is also required to be submitted for various benefits and claims in the event of the veteran’s death, or if we need it to file a claim for a surviving spouse or other family member.

 

 

If you do have a copy you should bring it to the County VA Office so we can add it to our records here at the County before we need it. When you bring your DD214 or the equivalent to us we will also take the veterans picture and issue them a Susquehanna County Veteran’s photo ID card. It is a very smart thing to do and could save you or your loved ones a great deal of frustration during a time of need.

 

If you do not currently have a copy of the DD Form 214/Certificate of Discharge, now is the best time to obtain it. Just contact us and we can assist you in getting this critical document from the national archives which will eventually be needed.

 

Anyone with any questions about the DD214/Discharge Certificates or on any VA matter is encouraged to contact the County VA Office at (570) 278-5955. We will do our best to assist you because in Susquehanna County….We Value Our Vets.