Adding a missing award or correcting other information on a DD-214 is handled as a records correction, not a VA disability claims action, but many veterans look into it because an accurate DD-214 can support service-connection evidence, verification of service dates, or eligibility for certain programs. There is no statute of limitations that prevents you from trying to fix an administrative omission, even decades later, though corrections boards generally ask you to explain any delay in filing.
The usual starting point is your branch's personnel records center, since an award that was simply never annotated due to administrative oversight (common with newer medals like the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal when it was first authorized) can sometimes be corrected directly through a DD Form 215, Correction to DD Form 214, without needing a full records correction board. You would contact the Navy Personnel Command (for Navy separations) or the National Personnel Records Center and request a review of your eligibility based on your dates of service and the medal's award criteria.
Official 2026 VA monthly compensation, including the 2.8% COLA increase.
Dependent add-ons start at a 30% rating. Child-only and dependent-parent rates: see the full 2026 pay chart.
| Rating | Monthly (2026, incl. 2.8% COLA) |
|---|---|
| 10% | $180.42 |
| 20% | $356.66 |
| 30% | $552.47 |
| 40% | $795.84 |
| 50% | $1,132.90 |
| 60% | $1,435.02 |
| 70% | $1,808.45 |
| 80% | $2,102.15 |
| 90% | $2,362.30 |
| 100% | $3,938.58 |
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Analyze my claim free →If that office determines the correction requires more than a clerical fix, or if your initial request is denied, the next step is to apply to the Board for Correction of Naval Records using DD Form 149, Application for Correction of Military Record. You would state the facts, attach any documentation showing your service dates and unit assignments that establish you met the medal's criteria, and explain why the correction is being requested so long after discharge. The board can grant relief if the record shows an error or injustice, even many years later.
It is also worth noting that this kind of correction is separate from and does not affect any pending or future VA disability compensation claims. VA generally relies on your service dates, deployment records, and medical evidence to establish service connection, not on which ribbons appear on your DD-214. So while updating the record is a reasonable thing to pursue for accuracy, it is not something you need to resolve before filing or continuing a VA claim, and there is no need to wait for the correction before moving forward with disability paperwork.
The concrete next step is to contact the Navy Personnel Command's awards branch or submit DD Form 149 to the Board for Correction of Naval Records, including your service dates and any orders or personnel records showing you served during the period that qualifies for the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal.
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