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Go get a replacement driver's license and take you 214 with you. 'Veteran' will be in you DL and that works for Lowe's and such...

The Annoyed Man wrote:

G26ster wrote:

The Annoyed Man wrote: I'm just curious...... how does one end up with four DD214s?

One when I was discharged after being drafted (2 year commitment. 2 months later I re-enlisted- only had 90 days to do so to keep my stripes and so-called "bonus.") One when I graduated Officer Candidate school and was discharged as a Staff Sargent so I could be commissioned. One when I left active duty after 5 years commissioned service, and one after I was re-called to active duty and spent 3 years, and was discharged again. Easy!

Pawpaw wrote:At least when I was on active duty, a new DD-214 was issued every time you reenlisted. The only one of any real value is the last one.

OK...... THAT explains it! Thanks.

Being ignorant of such things, I assumed that you'd get one if you left a service, and then perhaps another if you later reenlisted and then left again, but I didn't realize that you have to be discharged as an enlisted person before promotion to the officer corps. Isn't that kind of like having to be fired as a clerk, so you can become office manager? I suppose there are a lot of things about the military that wouldn't necessarily make sense to a civilian, but that do make sense in a military context.

An 'enlistment' is for a predetermined length of time. You enlist...you do your term...you either reenlist of discharge.

A 'commission' is accepted for an undetermined period (usually with a minimum requirement of six years unless otherwise decided by acceptable factors.) Once you meet the minimum, a commissioned can be resigned unless under obligations of some sort.

As an example: My brother-in-law was an enlisted soldier who attained the rank of Staff Sargent then discharged to assume a commission as a Second Lieutenant. He is now a Major that has passed his six year minimum but has excepted a tour over in Germany that is a three year obligation that must be completed before he can resign his commission. If he makes the list for light bird, he will have to choose to resign his commission and retire or accept the promotion which comes with another obligation of a few more years (but it comes with a significant boost in pension.) Mitigating circumstances can play into all of the above...

I had a credit account with AAFES back in the early nineties, maybe they collate that stuff...

I went to the verify site in the article. I inserted said info and immediately got a message saying I could begin using the exchange in November...