Which document is this? DD Form 2406, official title DD Form 2406, Miscellaneous Obligation Document, October 1985. What does it do? It exists to Miscellaneous Obligation Document. Everything on this page builds on those two facts.
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.
Which edition should you have? not stated, listed as not stated. A copy dated otherwise is a copy worth replacing.
What the form asks for
- 1. Miscellaneous obligation document number.
- 3. Date prepared.
- 4. Installation. a. Name.
- 4.b. Address.
- 5. Prepared by. a. Signature.
- 5.b. Title.
- 6. Approved by. a. Signature.
- 6.b. Title.
- 7. Description, line 1.
- 8. Amount, line 1.
- 7. Description, line 2.
- 8. Amount, line 2.
- Balance. Press space bar to mark X in first box if unliquidated, second box if undelivered.
- (1) Date, line 3.
- (2) Description.
- (3) Obligation.
- (4) Accrued expenditure.
- (5) Accounts payable balance.
- (6) Disbursement.
- (7) Balance.
- (1) Date, line 10.
- (2) Description.
- (3) Obligation.
- (4) Accrued expenditure.
Download the form
Which files are here? These: PDF. How much work is involved? 2 pages, about 200 entry fields.
Why do two kinds of pdf exist? Because two kinds of user exist. One completes the form on screen and forwards a file; the other prints a blank and fills it by hand. The fillable release has interactive boxes, the printable release is a static image of the same page.
Does typing matter? It does. Your completed form will probably be scanned, forwarded and filed, and typed text comes through each of those steps unchanged while handwriting degrades. If pen is your only option, block capitals give the receiving clerk a fighting chance.
What opens an xfdl file? IBM Lotus Forms Viewer, or a compatible client. Will your pdf reader do it? No, and it will likely report the file as damaged. Xfdl was the Defense standard for electronic forms for years, which is why it still appears in the set.
Do you pay for these? No. Free download, every format. What should you avoid? Filling the form inside a browser tab; the fields frequently do not save.
Where do you start? At the top. Identification first, the substance of the entry second, certification last. Why that order? Because fields lower on the page often depend on data you established in the header, and filling out of sequence produces contradictions.
What is the first thing to check? The edition date on the face of the form. Does it read not stated? If not, the copy is superseded, and a superseded DD form is a real problem: Department-level revisions replace the blank for every service at once, so an old file on a shared drive is stale everywhere, not just in your office.
Which fields are required? Treat all of them as required, marking N/A where an item genuinely does not apply. What trips people on dates? Writing them in a familiar format instead of the one the form specifies.
Why read the Privacy Act Statement? Because it sits ahead of the personal data fields deliberately. It names the collection authority, the principal purpose, the routine uses of your data and the consequence of declining. Reading it afterward tells you nothing you can still act on.
Is a typed name enough? No. The signature block takes an actual signature: pen on paper, or a digital signature applied with your Common Access Card where the receiving system accepts one. Add the date beside it before you close the file.
What goes wrong most? The same short list: old edition, empty fields, illegibility, wrong date format, missing signature or date.
Where do you look up an unclear entry? The form face first, not stated second. And when the two disagree? not stated controls.
Where does the completed form go? To the office named in not stated or in your organization's local procedure. Should you keep a copy? Always — a scan or a saved file costs nothing and spares you the whole exercise if the original disappears.
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.
Why do editions change at all? Three reasons, mostly: the prescribing directive gets reissued, the information collected changes, or the required notice language is amended. Are you notified when it happens? No. Which is why confirming not stated at the moment you download is worth the few seconds.
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 2406?
- DD Form 2406, Miscellaneous Obligation Document, October 1985
- Which edition is current?
- Not stated by the publisher
- Who is responsible for this form?
- Not stated
- In which formats can it be downloaded?