Who's Eligible               Wartime Service    Filing Claims
Important Documents    Obtaining Forms

Eligibility for most VA benefits is based on discharge from active military service indicating “Honorable” or “Under Honorable Conditions” for a minimum period specified by law. Active Service generally means full-time service as a member of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, or as a commissioned officer of the Public Health Service, the Environmental Services Administration, or the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Completion of at least six years of honorable service in the Selected Reserves also provides for home-loan benefits for those not otherwise eligible.

Persons serving in the reserves also may be eligible for education benefits. Men and women veterans with similar service are entitled to the same VA benefits. Service in 28 organizations during special periods that include World Wars I and II has been certified as active military service by the Defense Department. Members of these groups, listed in this booklet, may be eligible for VA benefits if Defense certifies their service and issues a discharge under honorable conditions.

The Defense Department issues each veteran a military discharge form, DD 214, identifying the veteran’s condition of discharge - honorable, general, other than honorable, dishonorable or bad conduct. Honorable and general discharges qualify a veteran for most VA benefits. Dishonorable and bad-conduct discharges issued by general courts-martial bar VA benefits. Veterans in prison and parolees may be eligible for certain VA benefits. VA regional offices can clarify eligibility of prisoners and parolees.

Some VA benefits and medical care require wartime service. As specified in law, VA recognizes these war Periods:

Mexican Border Period - May 9, 1916
through April 5, 1917, for veterans who served in Mexico, on its borders or in adjacent waters.
World War I - April 6, 1917, through November 11, 1918; for veterans who served in Russia, April 6, 1917, through April 1, 1920; extended through July 1, 1921, for veterans who had at least one day of service between April 6, 1917, and November 11, 1918.
World War II - December 7, 1941, through December 31, 1946.
Korean Conflict-June 27, 1950, through January 31, 1955.
Vietnam Era - August 5, 1964, through May 7, 1975. (For veterans who served in Vietnam during the period from February 28, 1961 to August 5, 1964--this applies to certain Federal benefits only.)
Persian Gulf War - August 2, 1990, through a future date to be set by law or Presidential Proclamation.

The Veteran’s DD 214 form should be kept in a safe, convenient location accessible to the veteran and next of kin or designated representative. The veteran’s preference regarding burial in a national cemetery and use of a headstone provided by VA should be documented and kept with this information. The following documents, if not included in VA files, will be needed for claims processing related to a veteran’s death:

(1) marriage certificate for a surviving spouse or children;
(2) death certificate if the veteran did not die in a VA medical facility;
(3) children’s birth certificates for children’s benefits;
(4) veteran’s birth certificate for parents establishing eligibility.

Those filing a claim with VA for the first time must submit a copy of their service discharge form (DD 214), which documents service dates and type of discharge, or give their full name, military service number, branch of service and dates of services. VA will assign a claim number to an initial claim. Put that number in any letter sent to VA.

The U.S. Department of Veterans' Affairs maintains current copies of the forms that they commonly require in an Adobe Acrobat file. You may download the necessary forms from them.