As such, our form references certain instructions within the SF180. Those references are:

2a. Release of information: Release of information is subject to restrictions imposed by the military services consistent with Department of Defense regulations and the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and the Privacy Act of 1974. The service member (either past or present) or the member's legal guardian has access to almost any information contained in that member's own record. An authorization signature, of the service member or the member's legal guardian, is needed in Section III of the SF180. Others requesting information from military personnel records and/or STR’s must have the release authorization in Section III of the SF 180 signed by the member or legal guardian. If the appropriate signature cannot be obtained, only limited types of information can be provided. If the former member is deceased, surviving next of kin may, under certain circumstances, be entitled to greater access to a deceased veteran's records than a member of the general public. The next of kin may be any of the following: unremarried surviving spouse, father, mother, son, daughter, sister, or brother. Requesters must provide proof of death, such as a copy of a death certificate, letter from funeral home or obituary.

3. Archival Records. Personnel records of military members who were discharged, retired, or died in service 62 or more years ago have been transferred to the legal custody of NARA and are referred to as “archival” records.

a. Release of Information: Archival records are open to the public. The Privacy Act of 1974 does not apply to archival records, therefore, written authorization from the veteran or next of kin is not required. However, in order to protect the privacy of the veteran, his/her family, and third parties named in the records, the personal privacy exemption of the Freedom of Information Act (5 U.S.C. 552 (b) (6)) may still apply and preclude the release of some information.

4. Where reply may be sent. The reply may be sent to the service member or any other address designated by the service member or other authorized requester.

Our eSign^TM Form

There are several ways to complete and submit our request form based, primarily, on whether you select e-Signature or Written Signature.

e-Signature.

If you wish to submit your Request Form entirely electronically, without having to print out the form, manually sign it and fax or mail it to us – all of which entails additional time, effort and expense, ezDD214.com permits you to sign your Request Form digitally with the use of your computer’s mouse or other electronic input device.

e-Signature Procedure. In order to e-sign, first log into your account through the My Account link. If you do not have an account, you should first create one. Place your order online and you will be prompted to create an account. Once logged in, the form will pre-fill with your available account information. The account need NOT be in the veterans name but may be held by anyone. The Request Form, however, contains the veteran’s information. Therefore, make appropriate changes/additions there that are specific to the veteran whose records you are requesting. You can complete the form by typing into each of the fields by using your computer’s keyboard by first clicking into each field and tabbing to move between fields. The veteran him/herself MUST e-Sign the Request Form. Simply click in the signature field, have the veteran sign with the use of your mouse or other digital input device, and push Submit. A copy of your completed Request Form will then be posted at your Order Page where you can review, download and printout a copy for your records.

Trouble Shooting. eSign Signature is a Java script and requires that you have Java enabled within your browser's settings. For instructions on how to enable Java on your browser, you can visit http://www.java.com/en/download/help/enable_browser.xml If your settings are correct, you may not have Java, or have an older version. You can download a current version from https://www.java.com/en/. It's free.

On Internet Explorer, Tools, Internet Options, your Security setting for Internet should be set to Medium-High or lower to allow eSign Signature to function. A High setting will not allow eSign Signature to function.

Legal Effect – Disclosure and Agreement. By signing your name electronically, which you hereby adopt as your electronic signature, on the Request Pertaining to Military Records (Request Form) you agree to conduct business electronically in accordance with the federal Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act (E-Sign), 15 U.S.C.A. §§ 7001-7031 (Supp. 2001). You further understand that transactions and/or signatures in records may not be denied legal effect solely because they are conducted, executed or prepared in electronic form and that if a law requires or permits a record or signature to be in writing, an electronic record or signature satisfies that requirement. You acknowledge receipt of an electronic copy of this Disclosure and Agreement. We recommend that you print and retain a copy of this Disclosure and Agreement for your records. Also, you may print a record of any individual transaction conducted through our website at any time after the transaction is completed by logging into your account where a copy of your completed Request Form and transaction Invoice(s) are posted.

OR Written Signature.

You can complete the form online by typing into each of the fields by using your computer’s keyboard by first clicking into each field. You can tab between fields. OR, you can print out the blank form and complete manually. Once you’ve completed and printed out the form, manually sign and fax it to us at 646-530-8701. Allow up to 2 hours (during our standard business hours) and you should receive an e-mail from us acknowledging our receipt of your form. If you do not receive this acknowledgment, please call us at 877-EZ-DD214 (877-393-3214).

Identity Verification.

The Government may do a comparison of your signature with your signature that is contained within your military records. Although your electronic signature has full legal effect, the records facility to whom your request is submitted may require that you submit a copy of a Government issued photo identification such as a driver's license, passport, etc. in order to verify your identity. To reduce the possibility of this additional requirement, your payment should be made with a credit or debit card in your name, and the documents should be shipped to you personally. In addition, the employees of the Government records repository where your records are held may call you to further confirm your identity. If that happens, NEVER provide additional personal information. Ask for a call-back number and confirm the caller's identity and authorization.

Remember, making false statements on this form may subject you to criminal prosecution.