How to Fill Out and Submit DA Form 285: Classes, ASMIS 2.0, Deadlines

DA Form 285 is the U.S. Army’s official ground accident report, and how you fill it out depends almost entirely on the accident’s class. On-duty Class A and Class B mishaps use the full DA Form 285, prepared by an appointed accident investigation board. Everything else — Class C, D, and E on duty, plus every off-duty accident regardless of class — uses DA Form 285-AB, the Abbreviated Ground Accident Report (AGAR).¹ Both versions are submitted through the Army Safety Management Information System (ASMIS 2.0) and end up at the U.S. Army Combat Readiness Center (USACRC).

Picking the wrong version is one of the fastest ways to get a report kicked back. If you’re deployed and normal investigation procedures aren’t feasible, the theater senior tactical commander can authorize the AGAR for every class of accident.¹ The abbreviated form has fewer required data fields; it does not lower the standard of the investigation behind it.

Know the Class Before You Start

Army Regulation 385-10 sets the class based on the worst outcome — injury severity or total property damage.² The class dictates the form, the deadline, and who investigates.

Class A: property damage of $2 million or more, a fatality, or permanent total disability.
Class B: property damage between $500,000 and $2 million, permanent partial disability, or three or more people hospitalized as inpatients from one event.
Class C: property damage between $50,000 and $500,000, or a nonfatal injury causing one or more days away from work beyond the day of the accident, restricted duty, or job transfer.
Class D: property damage between $20,000 and $50,000, or a work-related injury requiring medical treatment beyond basic first aid.
Class E: property damage of $5,000 or more but less than $25,000.³

Call the USACRC First for Class A or B

For any Class A or Class B accident, on duty or off, notify the Combat Readiness Center by phone immediately, before starting the form. The notification line is DSN 558-2660/2539/3410 or commercial (334) 255-2660/2539/3410. Deployed units notify their forward safety representative instead.⁴ Class C through E accidents skip the phone call, but the filing clock still starts on the date of the accident.

Filing Deadlines

Deadlines are calendar days from the date of the accident. Miss the window and the report shows up as overdue in ASMIS.

On-Duty

Class A and B: 90 days on the full DA Form 285.
Class C: 90 days on the AGAR.
Class D and E: 30 days on the AGAR.¹

Off-Duty

Class A and B: 30 days on the AGAR.
Class C and D: 30 days on the AGAR.¹

What to Gather Before Opening ASMIS

Assemble everything before you log in. Going back for missing information mid-entry is where most reports slow down.

Personnel

For every person involved: full name, Social Security number, personnel classification, military occupational specialty, age, sex, pay grade, and unit identification code (UIC). If anyone belongs to a different unit than the filing unit, get their separate UIC and address.⁵

Equipment

For each vehicle or piece of equipment: item nomenclature, model number, and ownership status. If a component failure contributed, you also need the part manufacturer code, part nomenclature, part number, and national stock number, plus whether an Equipment Improvement Report or Product Quality Deficiency Report has been submitted for the failed part.⁵

Scene and Environment

Exact location by coordinates or street address, date and time, weather, visibility, and precipitation. Verify these against official records instead of memory. Inaccurate location data is a common reason reports come back.

Witnesses and Supporting Documents

Collect written statements from every witness as soon as possible. DA Form 2823 (Sworn Statement) is the recommended format when the investigating officer decides to put witnesses under oath, though that call is at the investigating officer’s discretion under AR 15-6. Unsworn written statements are also acceptable. Photograph the scene and any damage, and pull maintenance logs for equipment involved. All of these attach to the report.

Accident-Type Code

The form requires a specific accident-type code (aviation, ground, off-duty motor vehicle, and others). The wrong code routes the report to the wrong reviewers, which sends it back. Cross-reference the coding options in DA Pamphlet 385-40 before submitting.

Working Inside ASMIS 2.0

All submissions go through ASMIS 2.0 at asmis2.safety.army.mil, using a Common Access Card.⁶ The system has two kinds of inputs.

Structured fields capture the quantitative data: dates, times, location, weather, equipment identifiers, personnel information. These feed the Army’s statistical tools directly, so a mistyped serial number won’t match the equipment record and will trigger a correction request.

Narrative blocks describe what happened before, during, and after the accident. Stay with observable facts. Avoid speculating about fault. Write with enough detail that someone who wasn’t there can follow the sequence: what each person was doing, what equipment was in use, what changed, and the outcome. Reviewers spend the most time here, and vague accounts are the fastest way to see the report returned.

Signatures and Routing

For Class D and E, the unit safety officer or safety representative submits directly. For Class C and above, the investigation board president enters the data, and the report routes through the chain of command. Block 26a is signed by the unit commander, Block 26b by the next higher level of command, and Block 26c by the ACOM, ASCC, or DRU commander or a designated representative.⁴ Each reviewer checks that required fields are populated and the narrative meets Army standards before endorsing to the next level.

Electronic signatures authenticate each stage. When the final approving authority signs and the report transmits to the USACRC, ASMIS generates an automated confirmation receipt. Save it. That receipt is your proof of timely filing under AR 385-10. If the report stalls, check its status in the ASMIS portal and follow up with the reviewing official.

False Statements Are a UCMJ Offense

Anyone subject to the Uniform Code of Military Justice who knowingly signs a false DA Form 285 or makes a false statement within one faces prosecution under UCMJ Article 107 (10 U.S.C. § 907). The statute covers signing a false official document, or making any false official statement, with intent to deceive and knowledge of the falsity. Punishment is as a court-martial may direct, and can include confinement, reduction in rank, forfeiture of pay, and a punitive discharge.⁷

The reach is broader than outright fabrication. Omitting known facts, understating damage to keep an accident out of a higher class, or inflating details to shift blame all fit inside the statute. Report what you observed, keep firsthand knowledge separate from hearsay, and leave conclusions about fault to the reviewing authorities.

After Submission

Army recordkeeping for accident reports falls under the Army Records Information Management System (ARIMS), governed by AR 25-400-2. Specific retention periods are in the Records Retention Schedule — Army (RRS-A), accessible through arims.army.mil.⁸ Verify the current retention period there before disposing of anything, because requirements vary by record type and have changed over time.

Keep local copies of the completed report and every attachment (witness statements, photos, maintenance logs) in a location that protects the personally identifiable information they contain. These records may be needed for later safety audits, medical follow-up, or legal proceedings. The data you submit also flows into the USACRC’s central database, where analysts use it to identify recurring hazards and track trends across the force.

1
U.S. Army. Abbreviated Ground Accident Report Use and Preparation Guide
2
Army Publishing Directorate. Army Regulation 385-10 – The Army Safety and Occupational Health Program
3
United States Army Combat Readiness Center. Mishap Classification Chart
4
Arkansas National Guard. DA Pamphlet 385-40 – Army Accident Investigations and Reporting
5
Idaho National Guard. DA Form 285 – U.S. Army Abbreviated Ground Accident Report
6
United States Army Combat Readiness Center. United States Army Combat Readiness Center
7
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 10 USC 907 – Art. 107. False Official Statements; False Swearing
8
Department of the Army. Army Regulation 25-400-2 – Army Records Management Program