Daily AncestorReport of separation
A report of separation is the form summarizing a service member's time in uniform, issued on leaving active duty: the DD 214 since 1950, WD AGO 53-55 and others before.
NARA lists what a report of separation may show: dates and places of entry and release, home addresses, last unit and rank, military job, decorations and campaign awards, total and foreign service, and the type, authority and reason for separation. It was the paper used to prove service for benefits, jobs and membership in veterans' organizations.
Before January 1, 1950, the services used several similar forms, among them the Army's WD AGO 53, WD AGO 55 and WD AGO 53-55 and the Navy's NAVPERS 553. The DD Form 214 replaced them all.
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Daily Ancestor. "Report of separation." Dictionary of Old Record Words. https://dailyancestor.com/dictionary/military/report-of-separation. Last checked 2026-10-12.