Congress authorized the correction of military records when it is considered necessary to rectify an error or to remove an injustice [10 U.S.C. § 1552 (a)(1)]. The form DD214 does not list gender, but it does list your name. While for most non-transgender people a service record showing a former name does not communicate any sensitive information, for transgender people disclosure of the former name can be equivalent to disclosure of transgender status. This disclosure can be considered an injustice, and is the basis for your request to update your name on the DD214.

Each military department has their own Board for Corrections of Military Records, and each Board has the discretion to evaluate requested corrections on a case-by-case basis. The websites for each Board and the address to submit your application for correction are in the Additional Resources section at the end of this document. Generally speaking, to update your DD 214 Military Discharge Record you will need the following:

DD Form 149, Application for Correction of Military Record (guidance for filling out the form below): http://www.esd.whs.mil/Portals/54/Documents/DD/forms/dd/dd0149.pdf

Evidence to support your name change request (list of evidence detailed below).

What Should I Say on the DD149 Form to Request a Name Change?

The DD149 form gives you the opportunity to make a case for why having a prior name on your military record is an injustice for you. You should personalize your responses on the DD149 form according to your situation. Below is sample language to give you an idea of how you can make your case. Because the Department of Defense has not published written guidance on this issue, this is simply NCTE’s recommendation and may be updated over time.

Question 1.b Name: List your name as shown on your current DD214.

Question 3 Type of Discharge: Character of service associated with the discharge, such as Honorable, General, Other Than Honorable (OTH), Bad Conduct (BCD) or Entry Level Separation (ELS).

Question 5. I request the following error or injustice in the record be corrected as follows:

I request correction of Block 1 of DD214 to "LAST NAME, First MI" to reflect my current legal name.

Question 7 Organization: The command you were serving at when you were discharged. This information is listed in block 8a on your DD214.

Question 8. Discovery of Alleged Error or Injustice

a. Date of Discovery – You can put in a date that was important in your transition process—such as the date when you socially transitioned, legally changed your name, or updated your identification, or you can use a date when you attempted to use your DD 214 and you were “outed”. b. If more than three years since the alleged error or injustice was discovered, state why the board should find it in the interest of justice to consider the application, such as: I was not previously aware that it was possible to remedy this injustice, and I request correction of my record so I will not continue to have to reveal my transgender status every time I show my DD214.

What Evidence Should I Submit Along With My DD Form 149?