So what is DD Form 1842? The short answer: a Defense Department document, officially DD Form 1842, Claim for Loss of or Damage to Property Incident to Service, May 2000, used to Claim for Loss of or Damage to Personal Property Incident to Service. Anything else you need follows from that.
Does it apply to your branch? Yes. The DD prefix means Department of Defense, not one service, so the same blank serves the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Space Force and the Coast Guard under Defense jurisdiction. There is no Army version and no Navy version to search for.
Where does the requirement come from? From not stated, with not stated responsible for the document itself. Those are the names to cite if anyone asks under what authority you filed.
Is this the right edition? The current one is dated not stated, and the publisher carries it as not stated. Check that against whatever copy you already have before going further.
What the form asks for
- 1. Name of claimant (last, first, middle initial).
- 2. Branch of service.
- 3. Rank or grade.
- 4. Social security number. Do not include dashes.
- 5. Home address (street, city, state and zip code).
- 6. Current military duty address, if applicable (street, city, state and zip code).
- 7. Home telephone nunber, include area code.
- 8. Duty telephone nunber, include area code/DSN.
- 9. Amount claimed.
- 10. Circumstances of loss or damage, explain in detail. Include date, place, and all relevant facts. Use additional sheets if necessary
- 11. Did you have private insurance covering your property? Press space bar to mark X in first box if yes, second box if no.
- 12. Have you made a claim against your private insurer? X first box if yes, second box if no.
- 13. Has a carrier or warehouse firm involved paid you or repaired any of your property? X first box if yes, second box if no.
- Did any of the claimed items belong to the government or to someone other than you or your family member? X first box if yes, second box if no.
- Were any of the claimed items acquired or held for sale, or acquired or used in a private profession or business? X first box if yes, second box if no.
- 17. Signature of claimant (or designated agent).
- 18. Date signed (4 digit year, 2 digit month, 2 digit day).
- 19. Procedure. X first box if small claims, second box if regular claims.
- Part 3 - Denial or supplemental payment (to be completed by Claims Office). 23. Mark X if Denial.
- 24. Mark X if Supplemental Payment.
- 24. Supplemental payment amount.
- 25. Signatures. a. Claims examiner.
- 25.b. Date signed (4 digit year, 2 digit month, 2 digit day).
- 25.c. Signature of reviewing authority.
Download the form
Which files are here? These: PDF. How much work is involved? 2 pages, about 39 entry fields.
Is there a charge? No — free, all formats. Where should you open the file? In a full pdf application on your own machine. Browser-embedded viewers handle field properties unpredictably.
Can you skip around the form? Better not to. The layout runs identification, then content, then certification, and entries near the bottom frequently take their meaning from what sits above them.
Why does the edition matter so much here? Because DD forms are revised centrally. When the Department reissues one, it reissues it for all branches simultaneously, and the field layout can shift. Compare the printed date against not stated before you type anything.
Is the form its own instruction manual? Partly. The rest sits in not stated, which is also the authority where the two texts conflict.
What happens after you finish? It routes to the office specified in not stated or in local guidance. And your own record? Save a duplicate first; nobody regrets having one.
Do you need to know which branch issued a related form? No. DD numbering is Department-wide and unified, which means the number on its own is a complete address for the document.
Do DA and DD numbers ever correspond? Never. DA numbering is Army-specific, administered by an Army proponent, while DD numbering is Department-wide under not stated or an equivalent Department office. Identical digits in the two systems mean two unrelated documents, which is why the prefix matters more than the number.
How often does a form like this change? Unpredictably — revision follows directive changes, altered collection requirements and updated notice language. What is the practical defence? Verifying not stated every time you download rather than trusting a saved copy.
What does this page actually provide? The blank form and a description of it. What does it not provide? Legal guidance, procedural rulings, or any assurance about a particular filing. Who answers those? not stated, the administrative office that serves you, or the authority identified in not stated.
Questions and answers
- What is DD Form 1842?
- DD Form 1842, Claim for Loss of or Damage to Property Incident to Service, May 2000
- Which edition is current?
- Not stated by the publisher
- Who is responsible for this form?
- Not stated
- In which formats can it be downloaded?