SSN Justification Memo

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

Armed Forces Medical
Examiner System

August 2, 2019
MEMORANDUM FOR DEFENSE PRIVACY, CIVIL LIBERTIES, AND
TRANSPARENCY DIVISION
THROUGH: Defense Health Agency Privacy and Civil Liberties Office

KELETA.RAH Digitally signed by
KELETA.RAHWA.AM
WA.AMDEM DEMARIAM.129845
ARIAM.12984 6431
Date: 2019.08.07
56431
12:26:56 -04'00'

SUBJECT: Justification for the Use of Social Security Numbers (SSNs) in 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 is currently responsible for the issuance
and maintenance of federal death certificates in cases subject to the Armed Forces Medical
Examiner’s authority under Section 1471 of Title 10 and for all cases requiring an overseas death
certificate. Users of the DD Form 2064 will be the forensic pathology community (medical
examiners) for all ME cases and by credentialed medical providers in MTFs that will certify any
deaths not considered medical examiner cases. The Patient Administration Division of the MTF
may also help pre-populate the form.
The Armed Forces Medical Examiner Tracking System (AFMETS) is a Governmentdeveloped system that provides medical examiners the ability to track and record autopsy
information and facilitates issuance of overseas death certificates. It provides medical examiners
a tool for managing a decedent case from the time of notification of death to the final release of
remains to a mortuary for preparation for interment.
AFMES is currently working to update and transfer the associated AFMETS Privacy
Impact Assessment and system of records notice to the Defense Health Agency (DHA). This
system of records is currently maintained under the Department of the Army, system of records
notice, “Pathology Consultation Record Files,” A0040-31a DASG (March 27, 2003, 68 FR
14959). DHA is in the process of updating the DD Form 2064 and adding a new system of
records notice that will cover the same records.
Acceptable use 2.c. (8) Computer Matching applies to the DD 2064 due to its interaction
with other government agencies, and the requirement of SSNs to be used as a primary identifier.
Decedent information is, in part, provided from the Defense Civilian Intelligence Personnel
System (DCIPS), A0600-8-1c AHRC DoD (May 03, 2011, 76 FR 24865). The SSN collected in
AFMETS is used to affirmatively establish the identity of a decedent and to verify personnel data
received from DCIPS that populates the DD Form 2064. Continued use of the SSN is an

operational necessity until such time as Human Resources Command stops using SSNs to track
personnel in DCIPS. Safeguards are in place to protect all personally identifiable information
maintained within the system, in accordance with the Privacy Act of 1974 and DoD 5411.11-R,
“Department of Defense Privacy Program.”
The most basic reason for continued use of the SSN is that DD Form 2064 is, for the
single most important function, used to "close out" the birth record and eliminate the SSN from
circulation. At birth, your birth certificate announces you are "born and alive" and the death
certificate announces your death. The DD Form 2064 is used by DoD for the reasons explained
in the preceding paragraph. It is used for all military and civilians deaths under AFMES
jurisdiction and to certify deaths of the same populations that die in US medical treatment
facilities that do not fall under our jurisdiction. Basically, it is the DoD's death certificate for
deaths outside the US. The families of the decedents use the DD Form 2064 to claim benefits and
close all necessary accounts in the decedent's name both in the military and civilian institutions
that need a death certificate to do so. This will include the Social Security Administration
getting notified of the death and will "close" the SSN based on the death certificate. Each US
state has its own bureau of vital records/statistics that will enter the SSN from the death
certificate into their databases in order to close out the records associated with the decedent.
Because the institutions using the death certificate with SSN are both military and civilian, the
SSN is needed on the death certificate.
For questions related to this memorandum contact Ms. Leslie Middleton at
[email protected] or by telephone at 302-346-8636.
signed by
FINELLI.LOUIS.NI Digitally
FINELLI.LOUIS.NIEL.1020287418
EL.1020287418 Date: 2019.08.02 13:25:27 -04'00'

Louis N. Finelli '2
COL, MC, USA
Armed Forces Medical Examiner

2