DA Form 3151 Ammunition Stores Slip: Signatures, Retention, and Errors

DA Form 3151-R, the Army’s Ammunition Transfer Record, documents every issue, turn-in, or transfer of Class V ammunition between an Ammunition Supply Point and a using unit, or between units themselves. Filling it out correctly means matching the paperwork to a verified physical count, recording each line item with its DODIC, lot number, and quantities, capturing serial numbers for sensitive items, and having the receiving agent sign only after they are listed on a current DA Form 1687.

When the Form Is Required

Use the ATR any time ammunition physically changes hands: draws from an ASP for training or operations, turn-ins of unexpended rounds after a range closes, unit-to-unit transfers during a relief in place, and movements through an Ammunition Transfer Holding Point in the field. Tailgate transfers count. The form is as mandatory in a motor pool as it is inside a fixed ASP.¹

One boundary worth flagging: residue and packaging turn-ins usually run on DA Form 581, not the 3151-R, with separate procedures at the residue yard.² The 3151-R covers live ammunition.

Header and Transaction Type

Start at the top. Check the box that describes the transaction (Receipt, Issue, Turn-In, or Other); if you check Other, write in the specific type of movement. Fill in the date, the issuing activity in the “From” block, and the receiving activity in the “To” block. Record the vehicle number and driver’s name so the shipment can be traced while it is on the road.¹ The form’s printed instructions point to DA PAM 710-2-2 for underlying procedural guidance.³

Line-Item Detail

Each row is one ammunition line item. Keep one lot number per row; mixing lots on a single line makes reconciliation and batch-level tracing impossible.¹ The columns to fill:

DODIC, the four-character alphanumeric Department of Defense Identification Code. If the container marking is unreadable, verify the DODIC in the Total Ammunition Management System before you write it down.⁴⁵
NSN, the National Stock Number for the item.
Nomenclature, the standard name (for example, “CARTRIDGE, 5.56MM, BALL, M855”).
Lot number as printed on the container. This is what lets a specific batch be recalled if a safety issue surfaces.
ACC, the Ammunition Condition Code (a single letter, such as “A” for serviceable).
Location, the storage location or igloo number at the ASP.
Quantity columns for pallets, boxes, and total rounds. Count the items physically before you write anything; the count is your verification that the paperwork matches what is on the truck.

Print in ink and print clearly. A “3” that looks like an “8” or a smudged lot number turns the whole line item into a discrepancy, because the receiving agent and the ASP reconciliation clerk both have to read what you wrote without guessing.

Serial Numbers for Sensitive Items

For sensitive items such as missiles, rockets, and other Category I or II munitions, write individual serial numbers in the Remarks block. Serial-number-level tracking is an Army-wide requirement for these assets, and a missing serial number on the ATR will flag an immediate discrepancy.¹

Who Can Sign for the Ammunition

The receiver has to be listed by name on a current DA Form 1687, Notice of Delegation of Authority, before they can sign the ATR. The unit’s responsible supply or accountable officer completes the 1687, listing each authorized person’s name, grade, and the scope of what they can sign for.⁶

Each delegation has an expiration date. An expired 1687 at the ASP window means no ammunition released, regardless of how urgent the draw is. The delegating officer carries full responsibility for the actions of everyone on the list, which is why most commands keep the roster short.

Signatures and Copy Distribution

After both sides verify the physical count against the entries, the issuing checker signs and dates the bottom of the form. The receiving agent then signs to accept custody and financial responsibility. Accountability shifts at that signature.¹

The original stays with the ASP or issuing activity’s files, and a copy goes with the receiving unit. Some installations also require a copy for the transport driver, so check the local SOP. These records are later reconciled against the digital ammunition management systems so the on-hand inventory matches recorded quantities.¹

How Long to Keep the Form

Retention runs through the Army Records Information Management System and its Records Retention Schedule–Army. The specific period for ammunition transfer records lives in the RRS-A database rather than in a single printed regulation, so look up the current disposition instructions on the ARIMS website before disposing of any file.⁷ Within the retention window, completed ATRs may be needed to resolve discrepancies, support investigations, or back up expenditure reports.

What Happens When the Paperwork Is Wrong

A gap between the ATR and the physical count triggers an inquiry. If a recount or clerical correction doesn’t clear it, the command usually opens a Financial Liability Investigation of Property Loss under AR 735-5 to decide whether someone is financially liable. A person found liable has seven days to submit a rebuttal, fifteen if the findings are mailed, and thirty days to request reconsideration of the approving authority’s decision.⁸

Falsifying an ammunition record can also be prosecuted under the UCMJ. Article 108 covers willful or negligent loss, damage, or wrongful disposal of U.S. military property. Article 132 reaches anyone who knowingly makes or uses a false writing to defraud the United States, or who delivers property in an amount less than what the receipt certifies. Both carry punishment as a court-martial may direct, including confinement, reduction in grade, and forfeiture of pay.⁹

Count twice, write clearly, and never sign for ammunition you haven’t personally verified.

1
Fort Indiantown Gap. FTIG Ammunition Procedures
2
United States Army. Ammunition Residue Turn-In Procedures
3
Army.com. DA Form 3151-R Ammunition Stores Slip
4
Integrated Publishing. Identification of Ammunition
5
U.S. Army Program Executive Office Ammunition. Multi-Ammunition Support Handbook
6
Indiana National Guard. Notice of Delegation of Authority – DA Form 1687
7
Army Publishing Directorate. AR 25-400-2 Army Records Management Program
8
U.S. Army. Financial Liability Investigations of Property Loss Info Sheet
9
GovInfo. 10 USC 932 – Art. 132 Frauds Against the United States