The Department of Defense form is an official document issued by the U.S. Army, Air Force, Navy, Marines, and Coast Guard at the time of discharge or separation from military service. The DD-214 is commonly referred to as "discharge papers."
The Department of Defense advises all discharged personnel to file a copy of their DD-214 at their local court house. In Arkansas, DD-214s are filed in the circuit clerk’s office. A copy is kept as a part of the circuit clerk’s official records. The original is returned to the filer. There is no charge to have a DD-214 filed with the Saline County Circuit Clerk’s Office.
An official replacement DD-214 can be obtained from the National Personnel Records Center at the National Archives in St. Louis, Missouri. Copies can be obtained by going to this website: http://www.archives.gov/veterans/military-service-records/
National Archives policy is that copies of a DD-214 may only be given to the veteran or his or her next of kin who need it for evidence of the veteran’s status. The next of kin can be any of the following: surviving spouse that has not remarried, father, mother, son, daughter, sister, or brother. A copy of a DD-214 can also be provided to someone who has the veteran’s power of attorney.
DD-214 is recorded in the Circuit Clerk Recorder's Office - no fee