Go Back  PPRuNe Forums > Aircrew Forums > Military Aviation
Reload this Page >

Ex Military Service Verification

Wikiposts
Search
Military Aviation A forum for the professionals who fly military hardware. Also for the backroom boys and girls who support the flying and maintain the equipment, and without whom nothing would ever leave the ground. All armies, navies and air forces of the world equally welcome here.

Ex Military Service Verification

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old 7th Dec 2016, 20:03
  #1 (permalink)  
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: uk
Posts: 611
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
Ex Military Service Verification

Hi all,

I'm working with a financial firm that is looking to offer a deep discount for current or ex-serving members of the US, UK, Can, Aus and NZ forces. I'm looking for the most efficient ways of verifying their military service in order to qualify for the scheme.

For Serving this is simple: ID Cards, or pay statement from last 3 months.

For veterans, the US seems easy with the DD214 Form. The UK Forces are issued with a Certificate of Service from their respective services.

Are Aus, Can & NZ veterans issued any forms or certificates that would make military service verification easy?

Thanks in advance!

Grim
Grimweasel is offline  
Old 8th Dec 2016, 06:37
  #2 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: West Sussex
Age: 82
Posts: 4,759
Received 221 Likes on 69 Posts
GW:-
The UK Forces are issued with a Certificate of Service from their respective services.
Well this core part of UK Forces wasn't! I PVR'd in 1973 following 13+ years service, no RAF Pension, and just enough Gratuity to pay for an Instrument Rating. Now it seems I am to be deprived of your deep discount for financial services, Grim.

Was it the nature of my leaving or its timing that left me bereft of this acknowledgement by a grateful nation? What other deep discounts have I been denied? Are others victims of this inequality of treatment? I call for the formation of a Certificate Of Service Excluded Campaign to bring empowerment to we victims of this blatant injustice!
Chugalug2 is offline  
Old 8th Dec 2016, 07:38
  #3 (permalink)  
Ecce Homo! Loquitur...
 
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: Peripatetic
Posts: 17,381
Received 1,579 Likes on 717 Posts
This card should serve, link taken from the BA discount thread on this forum.

Chugalug, I also don't have a certificate of service, but they were happy with a scan of my record of service history.

https://www.defencediscountservice.co.uk/
ORAC is online now  
Old 8th Dec 2016, 08:01
  #4 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: @exRAF_Al
Posts: 3,297
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Chuggers, hope you're well! Happy Xmas chum.

No pension? Don't beat yourself up, you might just have the last laugh yet.
Al R is offline  
Old 8th Dec 2016, 08:19
  #5 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: West Sussex
Age: 82
Posts: 4,759
Received 221 Likes on 69 Posts
Al, very well thanks, hope the same for you!

AVCs, and my Dan-Air Pension being subsumed into a BA one, are keeping the wolf from the door. Rest assured I have no plans of beating myself up, but when the massed ranks of COSEC march on Whitehall, then who knows?

In the meantime I'll flash my Blair Badge at all and sundry and do my grouchy old man thing. Usually works if only to move me along...

Thanks for the link ORAC.
Chugalug2 is offline  
Old 8th Dec 2016, 11:02
  #6 (permalink)  

Avoid imitations
 
Join Date: Nov 2000
Location: Wandering the FIR and cyberspace often at highly unsociable times
Posts: 14,573
Received 419 Likes on 221 Posts
I didn't receive a certificate of service either, having left the RAF In the mid 90s after 18 years of commissioned service. I think all I have to show for it is my pilot logbooks.
ShyTorque is offline  
Old 8th Dec 2016, 11:25
  #7 (permalink)  
t7a
 
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: nr Bury St Edmunds
Posts: 122
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
I was offered a discount with a cruise line if I could supply proof of military service. It was at that stage that I realised that (apart from official letters of thanks for service etc) I couldn't actually prove 27 years of RAF service with a single document. A bit of research produced an address. If you need it, request 'A Statement of Service' from:
HQ Air Command, ACOS (Manning), RAF DPA, Room 14, Trenchard Hall, RAF Cranwell, Sleaford, NG34 8HB. Presumably Army and Navy have a similar system.
t7a is offline  
Old 8th Dec 2016, 18:15
  #8 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: W Sussex
Posts: 76
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
With Carnival, I also got an 'on board spend' for being ex-mil. I presented copies of the appropriate Gazette pages, obtained online.
Peter Carter is offline  
Old 8th Dec 2016, 19:08
  #9 (permalink)  
FOG
 
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Wherever sent
Posts: 63
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Grimweasel,

In the U.S. is not uncommon to have individuals make forged DD214s. A couple of cases of the most egregious involved unverified forged 214s.

I don’t have hard data just anecdotal evidence but it appears that retired and VA ID cards not forged as frequently

Please thank your company for me.

S/F, FOG
FOG is offline  
Old 8th Dec 2016, 23:17
  #10 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Jan 2000
Posts: 1,346
Received 19 Likes on 10 Posts
The UK Forces are issued with a Certificate of Service from their respective services.
I wasn't when I left in the early 80's. I got a dot matrix computer print out when I asked a few years later
Are Aus, Can & NZ veterans issued any forms or certificates that would make military service verification easy?
The RNZAF gave me a nice hard bound record of service when I left in the early 90's ....
reynoldsno1 is offline  
Old 9th Dec 2016, 10:37
  #11 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: East Sussex
Age: 86
Posts: 276
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I left in 1988 after 33 years and all I have to show for it is 7 log books - will they do? Actually I think I will try the HQ Air Command route and see how it goes.
pontifex is offline  
Old 10th Dec 2016, 08:01
  #12 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Birmingham
Posts: 19
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
pontifex. I think you will find a copy of your Pension P60 will be fine.
auntyice is offline  
Old 10th Dec 2016, 13:54
  #13 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: Often in Jersey, but mainly in the past.
Age: 79
Posts: 7,807
Received 135 Likes on 63 Posts
Record of Service? hahahahahaha ... I handed in my F1250 after 30 years, and got a couple of cut-and-paste letters from my AOC and PMC (Barnwood, not the mess). All I have is my RAFA "Retired Service Card" annotated as a Life Member. I suspect actually generating proper, official, proof of service would be a paper-chase. Anyway, that's all in the past, I don't wear medal ribbons on my pajamas or use my former rank. It's over. <Sniffle>

PS: I suppose my ATC Certificate of Competency (F5994?) would suffice, although that only shows when I was an operating ATCO.
MPN11 is online now  
Old 10th Dec 2016, 18:19
  #14 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Wilts
Posts: 137
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
On discharge in March 1992 after 26 years, a blue plastic folder F856A containing a form F856 Certificate of Discharge/Transfer to Reserve and various other papers was sent to my civilian address. I had been working as a golf club manager for three months when they arrived.
DON T is offline  
Old 10th Dec 2016, 23:30
  #15 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: North Yorkshire
Age: 82
Posts: 641
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Got my Commission but it's not a very convenient size for carrying around.
Clockwork Mouse is offline  
Old 14th Dec 2016, 11:17
  #16 (permalink)  
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: uk
Posts: 611
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
All, thanks for your inputs. I know there will be some who try and buck the system with forged cards so we are also asking for proof of address and photo ID too to deter. Plus I intend to use the power of Google for random spot checks!
Grimweasel is offline  
Old 14th Dec 2016, 12:28
  #17 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: UK
Posts: 1,528
Likes: 0
Received 3 Likes on 3 Posts
Originally Posted by MPN11
Anyway, that's all in the past, I don't wear medal ribbons on my pajamas or use my former rank.
Agreed, I'm over it but still happy to take up the offers and discounts available for retirees - what this highlights is that we don't get any useful form of ID to support them. It's all well and good to have retired rates at the UJ Club but not easy to prove your status when you get there.

https://www.rewardsforforces.co.uk also do a card like the one mentioned by ORAC, and you can get your https://forcespensionsociety.org card to show your previous rank. This proved useful recently in the States where military discount is very common.

I seem to remember being asked if I wanted some sort of 'record' when I left, and whether I wanted it framed. Whatever it was, I didn't get it, framed or unframed.
Background Noise is offline  
Old 14th Dec 2016, 12:59
  #18 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: Johannesburg South Africa
Age: 75
Posts: 14
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I have a blue plastic folder from 1973 which contains RAF form 856 "Certificate of Discharge" which shows start and end dates, also form 856b "Certificate of Qualifications" and form 856c "Job Description".
The certificate of discharge is signed by a Squabbling Bleeder OC PSS whatever that was. I also have my father's cardboard form 856 from 1958 when he left at age 55. And his pay book which contains details of his qualifications and medals etc. Maybe the forms have been dropped in one of the money-saving schemes.
JimmAttrill is offline  
Old 15th Dec 2016, 02:15
  #19 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: Canada
Posts: 25
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
When I departed in 1971, I was presented with a nice hard bound RAF Form 856 Certificate of Service. It came in handy when WestJet offered free unlimited baggage for veterans on all their flights. Saved me a few bucks.
Helena Handbasket is offline  
Old 15th Dec 2016, 09:04
  #20 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: Deepest Lincs
Age: 75
Posts: 220
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
No Certificate of Service received when I left the RAF 10 years ago either. To get the Rewards for Service discount card all I had to provide was my service No, rank on leaving and dates of service, the provider did the rest.
Motleycallsign is offline  


Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.