This directory is governed by the Authorities tab of the MilitaryClaims Source of Truth Registry. A program page or Navigation Guide should cite the authority that actually controls the issue and should preserve historical versions when the rule changed.

Records, Identity & Research

• AUTH-001 — DEERS / milConnect
  DoD / DMDC · Official system guidance
  Operational system authority
• AUTH-026 — Request Military Service Records
  National Archives · Official records guidance · Rolling 62-year archival access rule
  Military personnel records become archival 62 years after separation; current custody/access depends on separation date
• AUTH-027 — National Personnel Records Center / OMPF Access
  National Archives / NPRC · Official records guidance · Rolling 62-year archival access rule
  OMPF archival/non-archival custody and access starting point
• AUTH-028 — 1941-1959 Navy Deck Logs
  National Archives · Official records guidance · 1941-1959 record series
  Most logs through spring 1956 contain monthly officer lists; record does not establish an individual sortie
• AUTH-029 — Navy Muster Rolls and Personnel Diaries
  National Archives · Official records guidance · Historical record-series guidance; current access routes should be rechecked
  For 1939-1956 muster rolls list enlisted personnel; commissioned-ship officer rosters are sought in deck logs
• AUTH-030 — Department of the Navy Records
  National Archives · Official finding aid · Current finding aid
  Research by command, date, and record class; finding aid does not establish a named record exists
• AUTH-031 — Request Military Service Records (including DD214)
  Department of Veterans Affairs · Official records guidance · Current
  VA identifies service-record types and routes requests to NARA/DoD as applicable
• AUTH-032 — eCFR Title 38 — Pensions, Bonuses, and Veterans’ Relief
  Office of the Federal Register / GPO · Regulatory research portal · Continuously updated; historical versions available
  Use current and point-in-time versions; eCFR is an updated electronic edition, not the official legal edition

Pay, Travel, Property & Federal Claims

• AUTH-004 — Joint Travel Regulations
  DoD / DTMO · Travel regulation · Current; continuously amended
  Primary travel-allowance authority; use current JTR and archived version for historical claims
• AUTH-008 — 28 U.S.C. § 2675 — FTCA administrative presentment
  United States · Statute · Current
  Administrative presentment prerequisite and six-month agency-disposition rule
• AUTH-009 — 10 U.S.C. § 2733 — Military Claims Act
  United States · Statute · Current
  Military claims for specified property loss, injury or death; two-year presentment rule
• AUTH-010 — DoDD 5515.09 — Settlement of Tort Claims
  DoD · Directive · Current unless superseded
  DoD administrative tort-claims processing and delegation
• AUTH-016 — 31 U.S.C. § 3721 — Personnel Personal Property Claims
  United States · Statute · Current
  Authority for specified personal-property claims incident to service

Medical, Disability, Military Justice & Administrative Systems

• AUTH-005 — DoDI 1332.18 — Disability Evaluation System
  DoD · Departmental instruction · 2022-11-10 forward, subject to change
  Core DoD DES authority
• AUTH-006 — DoDI 1241.01 — Reserve Component Line of Duty
  DoD · Departmental instruction · 2016-04-19 forward, subject to change
  Reserve-component LOD eligibility and determination framework
• AUTH-007 — Manual for Courts-Martial
  DoD / JSC · Military justice authority · Current edition plus amendments
  Military criminal law and procedure; administrative proceedings may instead be governed by separate service/DoD authorities
• AUTH-014 — DoDI 1320.14 — Commissioned Officer Promotion Program Procedures
  DoD · Instruction · Current
  Department-level officer promotion procedure; service-specific rules also apply
• AUTH-015 — DoD Manual 1348.33 — Military Decorations and Awards
  DoD · Manual · Current volumes; several changed in 2026
  Department-level awards framework; service procedures also apply
• AUTH-017 — DoD Manual 5200.02 — Personnel Security Program
  DoD · Manual · Change 1, 2020; verify current
  Personnel-security procedures and administrative due process

Corrections, Discharge & Transition

• AUTH-011 — 10 U.S.C. § 1552 — Correction of Military Records
  United States · Statute · Current
  Correction for error or injustice; exhaustion and timing issues
• AUTH-012 — 10 U.S.C. § 1553 — Review of Discharge or Dismissal
  United States · Statute · Current
  Discharge Review Board statutory authority and 15-year period
• AUTH-013 — DoDI 1332.28 — DRB Procedures and Standards
  DoD · Instruction · Current unless superseded
  Equity/propriety standards and DRB procedure
• AUTH-018 — DoDI 1332.35 — Transition Assistance Program
  DoD · Instruction · Change 1, 2025-07-29
  TAP requirements and Capstone/ITP review
• AUTH-019 — DoDI 1336.01 — Certificate of Uniformed Service (DD Form 214/5 Series)
  DoD · Instruction · Effective 2022-02-17
  DD 214/214-1/215 preparation and distribution
• AUTH-020 — DoDI 1322.29 — Employment Skills Training / SkillBridge framework
  DoD · Instruction · Change 1, 2020-05-05
  DoD employment-skills training criteria and authorization

Retirement, VA Review & Survivors

• AUTH-002 — VA Decision Reviews
  VA · Official benefit guidance
  Program guidance; underlying statutory/regulatory authorities will be linked separately
• AUTH-003 — Survivor Benefit Plan
  DoD · Official benefit guidance
  Program guidance; underlying statutory authorities to be added
• AUTH-021 — DoDI 1332.42 — Survivor Benefit Plan
  DoD · Instruction · Change 1, 2025-07-29
  Department-level SBP policy; DFAS/DoD forms implement elections
• AUTH-022 — 10 U.S.C. § 1450 — SBP annuity beneficiaries
  United States · Statute · Current
  Survivor Benefit Plan annuity beneficiary and remarriage/eligibility framework
• AUTH-023 — 38 U.S.C. § 1310 — DIC for service-connected deaths
  United States · Statute · Current
  Core statutory basis for DIC based on service-connected or in-service death
• AUTH-024 — 38 U.S.C. § 1541 — Survivors Pension
  United States · Statute · Current
  Surviving-spouse pension framework for qualifying wartime service
• AUTH-025 — 10 U.S.C. § 1491 — Military Funeral Honors
  United States · Statute · Current
  Upon-request funeral honors framework for eligible veterans

Authority discipline

• Match the authority to the person’s status, agency or forum, issue, and relevant date.
• Distinguish statute, regulation, departmental instruction, manual, form guidance, judicial decision, archival guidance, and operating system instructions.
• Use point-in-time or superseded versions when a historical claim turns on an earlier rule.
• Do not treat a finding aid, portal page, or summary as proof of a case-specific fact.
• Connect every required fact to the record capable of establishing it.