0704-0190 SSN Justification Memo

UNDER SECRETARY OF DEFENSE
4000 DEFENSE PENTAGON
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20301-4000

April 4, 2018
PERSONNEL AND
READINESS

MEMORANDUM FOR DEFENSE PRIVACY, CIVIL LIBERTIES AND TRANSPARENCY
DIVISION
THROUGH RECORDS, PRIVACY AND DECLASSIFICATION DIVISION

Mary V. Short
RPDD

SUBJECT: Justification for Requirement of Social Security Number (SSN) on DD Form 2088,
"Statement of Ecclesiastical Endorsement"
This memorandum is written to satisfy the requirement established in the Department of
Defense (DoD) Instruction 1000.30, "Reduction of Social Security Number (SSN) Use Within
DoD", which requires justification on the collection and use of the SSN on the DD Form 2088,
"Statement of Ecclesiastical Endorsement."
The DD Form 2088 is used to officially document an endorsement of Religious Ministry
Professionals (RMP) for application and service in the Military Departments as chaplains from
various Religious Organizations in accordance with DoDI 1304.28, "Guidance for the
Appointment of Chaplains for the Military Departments". The Ecclesiastical Endorsement is
written documentation from a religious organization that complies with the administrative
requirement of DoDI 1304.28 that an applicant for the military chaplaincy is fully and
professionally qualified and endorsed to perform all offices, functions, sacraments, ordinances,
and ceremonies required of an RMP for that religious organization, and is capable and authorized
to minister as required within a pluralistic environment. Endorsement from the qualifying
religious organization verifies: 1. That the RMP is a fully qualified RMP of a religious
organization; 2. That the RMP is willing to function in a pluralistic environment, and is willing
to support directly and indirectly the free exercise of religion by all members of the Military
Services, their family members, and other persons authorized to be served by the military
chaplaincies; and 3. That the RMP is educationally qualified for appointment as a chaplain.
A new DD Form 2088 shall be required at each change of career status, as defined by the
Military Departments, to re-endorse the qualifications of the chaplain. The loss of ecclesiastical
endorsement requires the chaplain to either seek another ecclesiastical endorsement within the
time frame allotted by the Military Department involved, apply for non-chaplain duties with the
understanding that the officer shall be discharged voluntarily as a chaplain on one day and
appointed in a non-chaplain capacity on the next day, apply for voluntary retirement if eligible,
or tender a voluntary resignation.
The use of the Religious Ministry Professional or Chaplain's SSN meets acceptable use
(13) other cases as it is: 1. the connection of the individuals Religious Organization to the

individual's personnel military record, 2. the only individual personal identifier that can be used
in the accession process that sufficiently allows the Chaplaincies to enter the data in an
applicant's file for future accessioning, and 3. utilized to do cross checks of the SSN on the DD
2088 with original documents provided in the application for the Chaplaincy. The form is sent to
an identified ecclesiastical endorsing agent for verification. Use of the SSN ensures that
individuals with the same or similar names are distinguished in military records and record
keeping with military personnel systems and that the correct endorsement certifies the specific
chaplain. The SSN may be truncated to the last 4 numbers.
Completed forms are safeguarded as indicated in the following Systems of Records
Notices:
Army-DITPR #1251
http://dpcld.defense.gov/Privacy/SORNsindex/DOD-wide-SORN-ArticleView/Article/570096/a0680-3 la-ahrc/
Navy - DITPR #9728
http://dpcld.defense.gov/Privacy/SORNslndex/DOD-wide-SORN-ArticleView/Article/570316/nO 1131-1/
http://dpcld.defense.gov/Privacy/SORNsindex/DOD-wide-SORN-ArticleView/Article/570318/nO 1133-2/
Marine Corps-DITPR #4665
http://dpcld.defense.gov/Privacy/SORN slndex/DOD-wide-SORN-ArticleView/Article/570628/mOl 133-3/
Air Force Coast Guard-DITPR #12052
http://dpcld.defense.gov/Privacy/SORNsindex/DOD-wide-SORN-ArticleView/Article/569780/f036-aetc-r/
Coast Guard
http://edocket.access. gpo .gov/2008/E8-29845 .htm

Official Military Personnel Files:
Army-DITPR #1289

http://dpcld.defense.gov/Privacy/SORNsindex/DOD-wide-SORN-ArticleView/Article/570051/a0600-8-104b-ahrc/
Navy- DITPR #12579
http://dpcld.defense.gov/Privacy/SORNsindex/DOD-wide-SORN-ArticleView/Article/570310/nO 1070-3/
Marine Corps-DITPR #15713
http://dpcld.defense.gov/Privacy/SORNsindex/DOD-wide-SORN-ArticleView/Article/570626/mO 1070-6/
Air Force - DITPR #2214
http://dpcld.defense.gov/Privacy/SORNsindex/DOD-wide-SORN-ArticleView/Article/569821/f036-af-pc-c/
Coast Guard
http://edocket.access. gpo .gov/2008/ES-29793 .htm
My point of contact for this action is Chaplai

s, US Army, at 703-697-9015.

JAY S. JOHNS, III
Chaplain (Colonel), United States Army
Executive Director, Armed Forces Chaplains Board