When do I destroy a DA Form 4856? | AskTOP.net – Leader Development for Army Professionals

When do I destroy a DA Form 4856?

DA Form 4856 says at the bottom, to destroy this form upon re-assignment... Are there any exceptions to this? We have been told that we can keep them for up to a year after the soldier leaves, because we are a school. Can you shed some light on this?

Counsel Quick - Army Counseling Software

As you stated, the DA FORM 4856 specifically states:

“This form will be destroyed upon: Reassignment (Other than rehabilitative transfers), separations at ETS, or upon retirement”.

Therefore the only way I believe you could legally keep copies for 1 year would be to have the Commander implement a local policy that states you will retain all DA FORM 4856 for 1 year in the event a student wants to contest his AER. This should provide sufficient justification.  I would also run this policy through JAG or the IG and get their approval on the policy.

Follow us and never miss a post!

avatar
Mark is a Retired Command Sergeant Major with 26 years of military leadership experience. He held 3 military occupational specialties (Field Artillery, Nuclear Weapons Tech, and Ammunition Ordnance). Mark is one of the leading military authors in the fields of leadership, counseling, and training.

You might be interested in…

Army Counseling Software - Include over 250 Army Counseling Examples

Disclaimer: Though all content posted on AskTOP.net is reviewed by our qualified subject matter experts, you should not make decisions based solely on the information contained in this post. Use information from multiple sources when making important professional decisions. This is not an official government website.

Leave a Comment

We will never publish or sell your email address, nor will we ever send you information you have not requested.




Subscribe to our mailing list

Find out what's new at AskTOP.net, new product notifications, and get exclusive offers!

close button Army Counseling Products from Mentor Military