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.