Guidance

 You CAN do it alone, but we don’t HAVE to.

If you are having trouble in your transition or in navigating the VA, we have put together some guidance on how to get things accomplished. If you don’t see the answer on our website, feel free to contact TAVA, and we will do our best to help.

Downloadable Documents

Changing Name/Gender with VA/DOD

Changing Name/Gender in DEERS

In order to change your name and gender in DEERS, the DEERS/RAPIDS Service Project Office for your military department must submit a request to Defense Human Resources Activity (DHRA) for review and implementation. A gender (or name) change in DEERS will not affect the eligibility of any of your existing dependents for military benefits.

What Documents Should a Name and Gender Change Request Include?
The Service Project Office of your military department should submit scans of the below documentation for DHRA review, with the subject line “DEERS Record Change Request ICO First Name Last Name”.

  • Two forms of identification that are listed as acceptable on the federal Form I-9, one of which is a government-issued picture ID. Passports, driver’s licenses and Social Security cards are recommended, but the Department of Defense will accept all documents on the I-9 list.

  • If name change is requested, a court order legally changing your name.

  • If gender marker change is requested, a signed statement, on office letterhead, from a licensed physician. The statement must include the following information:

    • Physician’s full name;

    • Medical license or certificate number;

    • Issuing state or other jurisdiction of medical license/certificate;

    • DEA registration number assigned to the physician;

    • Address and telephone number of the physician;

    • Language stating that the physician is your physician and has a doctor/patient relationship with you;

    • Language stating you have had the appropriate clinical treatment for gender transition (for a definition of appropriate clinical treatment see question three below); and,

    • Language stating “I declare under penalty of perjury under the laws of the United States that the forgoing is true and correct.”

How will I know that my DEERS record has been updated?
DHRA will confirm with the Service Project Office when the record has been updated. The Project Office must then follow existing Service procedures to send an update to Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS), or the Service equivalent pay office, to allow DFAS, or the Service equivalent pay office, to update its system with the corrected gender.