To fill out DA Form 285-AB, the U.S. Army Abbreviated Ground Accident Report (AGAR), download the current version from safety.army.mil or apd.army.mil, complete its roughly 39 blocks covering the accident basics, equipment involved, personnel involved, and a narrative synopsis, then route it through your Unit Safety Officer and commander for entry into ASMIS 2.0 within the deadline for your accident class.1U.S. Army. Abbreviated Ground Accident Report (AGAR) Use and Preparation Guide Type or print all entries, and continue on a blank sheet whenever a block runs out of space, noting the accident date, accountable unit, and block number on the continuation.
Before You Start
The AGAR is the right form for on-duty Class C, D, and E ground accidents and for all off-duty accidents involving Army personnel. Class A and B on-duty accidents require a full investigation using DA Form 285 rather than the abbreviated version, though an AGAR follow-up is still due for off-duty Class A and B events.1U.S. Army. Abbreviated Ground Accident Report (AGAR) Use and Preparation Guide
Classification depends on total property damage cost and injury severity. Class C covers damage of $50,000 or more but under $500,000, or a nonfatal injury causing one or more days away from work. Class D covers damage of $20,000 or more but under $50,000, or a nonfatal injury involving restricted duty, medical treatment beyond first aid, or exposure to a specific occupational hazard. Class E covers damage of $5,000 or more but under $20,000. Near-miss incidents with no damage or injury don’t require an AGAR; those are tracked separately through ASMIS 2.0’s near-miss feature.2U.S. Army. ASMIS 2.0 Mishap and Near Miss Reporting Application Scheduled for Full Release
Where to Get the Current Form
Two official sources publish blank copies. On safety.army.mil, the U.S. Army Combat Readiness Center site, navigate to Reporting and Investigation, then Ground Accident Forms and Instructions. The Army Publishing Directorate at apd.army.mil also hosts the current edition.1U.S. Army. Abbreviated Ground Accident Report (AGAR) Use and Preparation Guide Confirm you have the latest version before you start. Outdated editions may be missing required fields and will come back for correction.
Filling Out the Form Block by Block
Blocks 1–6: Accident Basics
Block 1 records the date and time. Enter the year, month, and day separately, then the local military time (2315 for 11:15 p.m.). Block 2 asks whether the accident occurred in daylight or at night. Block 3 is the accident classification (A, B, C, D, or E). Block 4 notes whether it happened during combat operations.
Block 5 identifies your unit: the six-digit Unit Identification Code in 5a, the full military mailing address in 5b, the branch abbreviation in 5c, and the higher headquarters abbreviation (Army command, Army Service Component Command, or Direct Reporting Unit) in 5d. Block 6 captures location. Give the exact spot in 6a, a location function code in 6b, grid coordinates or latitude and longitude in 6c, the state or country in 6d, and whether the accident occurred on or off post in 6e. If on post, include the installation name.1U.S. Army. Abbreviated Ground Accident Report (AGAR) Use and Preparation Guide
Blocks 7–10: Equipment, Mission, and Materiel Failure
Block 7 is a checkbox for whether explosives, ammunition, or pyrotechnics were involved. Block 8 has two parts: a brief description of the mission underway (8a) and whether that task appears on the unit’s Mission Essential Task List (8b).
Block 9 holds the equipment detail. Enter the equipment name, model, and serial number in 9a through 9c. Block 9d identifies who owns the property (Army, contractor, private). Block 9e records the estimated damage cost for that specific piece of equipment. Block 9f categorizes the type of collision. Blocks 9g through 9l capture materiel malfunction or failure information, including codes for how the component failed.
Block 10 addresses the root cause of any materiel failure. Block 10a covers support factors, meaning shortcomings in equipment type, capability, amount, or condition. Block 10b asks you to describe how the materiel failed and explain why.
Blocks 11–37: Personnel Information
Block 11a takes the involved individual’s last name, first name, and middle initial. For Army civilians, contractors, or members of the public who were injured, additional identifying information goes in 11b. The remaining blocks in this section cover the individual’s demographic data, duty status, injury details (nature of trauma and body parts affected), and environmental conditions at the time of the accident, including weather, lighting, and terrain.
Block 39: Narrative Synopsis
Block 39 asks for a brief synopsis of the accident.3Idaho National Guard. DA Form 285-AB – U.S. Army Abbreviated Ground Accident Report Explain the sequence of events and describe how the accident happened. Use additional sheets if you run out of space. Reviewers scrutinize this section most closely, so write a clear, chronological account. Stay with what witnesses observed and what the physical evidence shows, and avoid speculation. Include time references, distances, and speeds where they matter.
When More Than One Person Is Involved
Complete the entire form for the individual most responsible for causing the accident. Then fill out an additional AGAR containing Blocks 1 through 5 and Blocks 11 through 37 (and Block 38 if applicable) for each additional person who contributed to the cause or was injured.1U.S. Army. Abbreviated Ground Accident Report (AGAR) Use and Preparation Guide
Handling SSNs and Medical Details
The form collects sensitive data, including Social Security numbers and medical details. The Army Safety Management Information System uses SSNs to cross-reference records with the Defense Casualty Information Processing System and TRICARE for personnel verification.4United States Army. Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA) for ASMIS-R – Army Safety Management Information System – Revised When you collect PII directly from an individual, you must provide a Privacy Act Statement or Privacy Advisory and give them the opportunity to object to the collection. Treat printed copies of completed forms accordingly; they carry protected health and identity information.
Civilian Employee Injuries
DA Form 285-AB doubles as the Army’s substitute for OSHA Form 301 (Injury and Illness Incident Report) when a Department of the Army civilian is injured. The OSHA-required reporting elements are built into the AGAR’s fields, so completing the Army form satisfies both requirements at once.1U.S. Army. Abbreviated Ground Accident Report (AGAR) Use and Preparation Guide The same class thresholds and deadlines apply. If a civilian employee’s on-the-job injury meets Class C, D, or E criteria, the unit files the AGAR rather than a separate OSHA form.
Routing and Submitting Through ASMIS 2.0
The completed AGAR moves through the unit’s internal chain before reaching the electronic system. The Unit Safety Officer reviews the report for technical accuracy, checking that the accident classification, causal factors, and narrative are consistent. The commander then certifies that the information reflects what was actually observed or investigated at the unit level.
After internal review, the report is entered into ASMIS 2.0, the Army Safety Management Information System, which is the Army’s sole tool for mishap reporting.2U.S. Army. ASMIS 2.0 Mishap and Near Miss Reporting Application Scheduled for Full Release The live portal is at asmis2.safety.army.mil and requires secure login. A training mode at training-asmis2.safety.army.mil lets users practice before entering live data.5USACRC. U.S. Army Combat Readiness Center Home Users with authorized access either upload the completed form or enter the data directly into the web-based portal, following the system’s prompts so the report is categorized correctly.
Deadlines You Cannot Miss
The reporting clock runs from the date of the accident, not the date the paperwork begins.1U.S. Army. Abbreviated Ground Accident Report (AGAR) Use and Preparation Guide For on-duty accidents, Class C reports are due within 90 calendar days, and Class D and E reports within 30 calendar days. For off-duty accidents, the AGAR follow-up on Class A and B events is due within 30 calendar days, and Class C and D reports are due within 30 calendar days.
In combat or contingency operations, the theater senior tactical commander can authorize extended timelines when conditions don’t allow normal reporting. Even then, Class A through C reports are due within 60 days and Class D and E reports within 30 days. If you’re unsure whether an incident crosses the dollar or injury threshold, file the report. A report returned as unnecessary causes far less trouble than a missed deadline.