How to Fill Out DA Form 3020-R: Blocks, Postings, and TAMIS

To fill out DA Form 3020-R, the Magazine Data Card, prepare a separate card for every distinct combination of lot number, condition code, and storage location, complete the identifying blocks once at the top, and then post each receipt, issue, or turn-in as its own dated line with a running balance. The front and reverse carry identical eleven-block layouts, so a single card can hold a long transaction history for one lot.1ArmyReal. DA Form 3020-R Magazine Data Card

When You Start a New Card

A new card is prepared whenever ammunition arrives at a storage site during receiving operations. The stock control section reviews the receipt documentation, picks a storage location, and the checker prepares the card before or as the rounds go into the magazine. One card covers one lot number, one condition code, and one location. If a shipment contains three different lot numbers of the same round, that is three separate cards.2GlobalSecurity.org. FM 4-30.13 Munitions Supply Procedures

The same rule applies at turn-in: either post the returned quantity to the existing card for that lot or start a new one. Start a new card as well whenever ammunition is relocated to a different magazine, because the location block has to match where the rounds physically sit.2GlobalSecurity.org. FM 4-30.13 Munitions Supply Procedures

Filling In the Eleven Blocks

Pull the identifying information from the markings stenciled on the outer containers and from the transfer or receipt document that came with the ammunition. Blocks 1 through 5 stay the same for the life of the card. Blocks 6 through 11 get a fresh row for each transaction.

  • Block 1, Description: the nomenclature of the item, such as CARTRIDGE, 5.56MM, BALL, M855.
  • Block 2, DODIC: the four-character Department of Defense Identification Code for the item.
  • Block 3, Location: the magazine number or storage site designator where the lot is physically stored.
  • Block 4, Lot No.: the manufacturer’s lot number from the container markings.
  • Block 5, NSN: the 13-digit National Stock Number.
  • Block 6, Date: the date of the transaction being posted on that line.
  • Block 7, Document No.: the voucher or document number authorizing the receipt, issue, or turn-in.
  • Block 8, Action/Purpose: column A for a gain, column B for a loss.
  • Block 9, Quantity: the number of rounds or items in that transaction.
  • Block 10, Balance: the running total on hand after the entry. Add gains to the previous balance; subtract losses.
  • Block 11, Printed Name: the name of the person posting the line.

When the front side fills up, continue onto the identical reverse.1ArmyReal. DA Form 3020-R Magazine Data Card

Posting Transactions Correctly

Every movement tied to the card gets its own line. On a receipt, verify the type, lot, and quantity against the receipt paperwork, then post a gain with the document number, quantity, and new balance. On an issue, post a loss the same way and recalculate.2GlobalSecurity.org. FM 4-30.13 Munitions Supply Procedures ATP 4-35.1 assigns this posting duty to the checker at multiple steps during turn-in as well.3BITS. ATP 4-35.1 Techniques for Munitions Handlers

The balance column is where inspection failures start. Adding when you should subtract, or skipping a small transaction, breaks the tie between card and physical count and triggers an adjustment investigation. Post entries as they happen. The card is a real-time ledger, not an end-of-day summary.

When the Condition Code Changes

A separate card is required for each condition code, even when two batches share the same lot number. If an inspection downgrades a batch, close out the old card’s balance and open a new one under the new code. That segregation is the reason for one card per lot-code-location combination rather than a single tally per magazine.

The codes you will see most often on the shelf are:

  • Code A, serviceable and issuable without qualification: ready for issue to any customer, with more than six months of shelf life remaining.
  • Code B, serviceable and issuable with qualification: usable but restricted to specific units, activities, or areas, typically with three to six months of shelf life remaining.
  • Code C, serviceable and priority issue: must be issued before Code A or B stock; less than three months of shelf life remaining.
  • Code H, unserviceable and condemned: cannot be repaired or used, including items past an expiration that cannot be extended.4Defense Logistics Agency. Condition Codes

Where the Card Lives

The completed card is posted at the storage site itself, not filed in an office. Standard practice is to attach it to the front of the ammunition stack or secure it to the magazine door so anyone entering the storage area can verify contents without moving containers. During inspections, the inspector compares the card’s balance to the physical count on the spot.2GlobalSecurity.org. FM 4-30.13 Munitions Supply Procedures

Magazines get hot, cold, and damp. If your unit SOP allows it, use a protective sleeve or laminated holder. A soaked or torn card is unreadable, and rebuilding transaction history from backup records takes time you will not want to spend.

Matching the Card to TAMIS

Card data feeds the digital record. Army units request and manage ammunition through the Total Ammunition Management Information System, and the numbers on your physical card should match what TAMIS shows for that lot and location.5U.S. Army. Ammunition Requirements Process and the Total Ammunition Management Information System (TAMIS) Handouts Update the card first, then update the system, and confirm both agree. Letting one lag the other is the most common way an accountability problem starts.

Getting a Blank Form

The current edition of DA Form 3020-R dates to August 1989 and references DA PAM 710-2-1 as its governing publication.1ArmyReal. DA Form 3020-R Magazine Data Card The Army Publishing Directorate at armypubs.army.mil is the official repository for Army forms, though some materials there require a CAC login.6Combined Arms Research Library. Finding Military Publications If you cannot reach APD, your unit supply office will have blanks or can print them from a CAC-enabled workstation.

What Happens When the Lot Is Exhausted

When the last round of a lot is issued and the balance reaches zero, do not throw the card away. Completed cards are retained under Army records management policy (AR 25-400-2 governs Army records retention generally) so auditors can trace transactions backward if a quality or safety issue surfaces with that lot at another installation. File closed-out cards in your unit’s records until the applicable retention period expires, then dispose of them according to your installation’s records management procedures.