Race Form Field Justification

DEFENSE HEALTH AGENCY
115 PURPLE HEART DRIVE
DOVER AIR FORCE BASE, DELAWARE 19902

Armed Forces Medical
Examiner System

MEMORANDUM FOR OFFICE OF INFORMATION AND REGULATORY AFFAIRS, OFFICE OF
MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET
THROUGH: Department of Defense Paperwork Reduction Act Clearance Officer, Washington
Headquater Services
SUBJECT: Justification for Exemption from Collecting Detailed Data for Race and Ethnicity Question
with Minimus Categories on the DD Form 2064, Department of Defense Certificate of Death/Armed
Forces Medical Examiner Tracking System, DITPR ID #15755
The Department of Defense (DoD) Certificate of Death, DD Form 2064 is an official document
issued by the DoD which declares the cause and manner of death, location of death, time of death and
other personal information about the deceased. The Armed Forces Medical Examiner System (AFMES)
pursuant to DoDI 5154.30 issues and maintains federal death certificates in cases subject to the Armed
Forces Medical Examiner’s authority under Section 1471 of Title 10, Forensic Pathology Investigations,”
and for all cases requiring an overseas death certificate. The DD Form 2064 generates a death certificate
that is accessible to next-of-kin. The form is also used by OCONUS hospitals and allows for the
transportation of human remains. DD Form 2064 has not been been substantially updated since its
origination in 1977 except for race field update in April 2021 when the form was transferred to Defense
Health Agency.
The Armed Forces Medical Examiner Tracking System (AFMETS) a government-developed
system. System receives information pushed from the Defense Casualty Information Processing System
(DCIPS) in to AFMETS. To generate a DD Form 2064, the aggregate collected information contained
within AFMETS is synthesized electronically to fill respective fields on the DD Form 2064. In some
circumstances, the “race” designation may be unknown or be unable to verify or coded as “other.” The
standard certificates represent the minimum basic data set necessary for the collection and publication of
comparable national, state, and local vital statistics data.
Authority to continue to use only the minimum categories for the collection of race and ethnicity
question is an operational necessity until such time as Human Resources Command and branch casualty
offices updates DCIPS fields. OMB carries out its mission across executive departments and agencies;
however, each US state has its own bureau of vital records/statistics and the data are provided through
vital registration systems maintained and operated by the individual states and territories where the
original certificates are filed. The degree of uniformity necessary requires cooperative adoption of OMB
standards by the individual registration areas. The standard certificate is a means to achieve uniformity in
information on which statistics are based.
For questions related to this memorandum contact COL Zoe Sundell at
[email protected] or by telephone at 302-346-8703.

ROHRER.ANDREW.
JAMES.1039970100

Digitally signed by
ROHRER.ANDREW.JAMES.1039
970100
Date: 2024.08.16 14:56:10 -04'00'

ANDREW J. ROHRER, Colonel, USAF, MC, FS
Armed Forces Medical Examiner