How to Fill Out DA Form 581 TAR: Issue, Turn-In, and Residue

To fill out DA Form 581, Request for Issue and Turn-In of Ammunition, generate the form through the Total Ammunition Management Information System (TAMIS) rather than a blank copy, then complete the identifying blocks, the line items, and the authorization signatures that match your transaction type — issue, turn-in, or residue turn-in. Every round, casing, and piece of residue your unit handles passes through this form, and errors will stall or cancel your transaction at the Ammunition Supply Point (ASP) window. AR 5-13 requires the TAMIS-generated version (also called the e581) for ammunition requests, transmitted electronically through command channels to the supporting Ammunition Supply Activity.¹ Physical copies may still be required at the warehouse for certain transactions at the ASP manager’s discretion.²

If your request runs longer than a single page, use DA Form 581-1 as a continuation sheet and record the total page count in Block 5 of the main form. DA PAM 710-2-1 tells units to prepare enough copies for local needs, keep one in suspense, and present the rest to the ASP accountable officer.³

What You Need Before You Start

Gather the codes and identifiers first. Missing any one of them will stall you at the TAMIS terminal.

DODAAC — your unit’s Department of Defense Activity Address Code, which ties the transaction to your organization’s budget and logistics identity. Goes in Block 12.⁴
UIC — Unit Identification Code, entered with your unit name and address in Block 8.
DODIC — Department of Defense Identification Code for each ammunition type, in Block 16.
NSN — National Stock Number for each item, in Block 17. For residue turn-ins the NSN is 8140, except Category I and II items.
Document number — built from your DODAAC, the Julian date, and a serial number from your unit’s expendable document register. Goes in Block 3.
Training Event Code (TEC) — found in the TAMIS User’s Manual, entered in Block 21 to link the request to a specific training event or operational requirement.

You also need supporting documentation that justifies the draw. A training schedule, operations order, or memorandum for record should correlate with the quantities on the form. For turn-ins, identify the lot number and condition code for every item being returned; condition codes run from A (fully serviceable) through H (condemned), with J used for items suspended pending classification.⁵

Delegation of Authority

Not everyone in the unit can sign for ammunition. The commander or accountable officer delegates receipt authority to specific people using DA Form 1687, listing each authorized representative by name, grade, and phone number, with an expiration date. Whoever signs Block 13c of DA Form 581 as the requestor must appear on a current DA Form 1687 already on file with the ASP.⁶ If the delegation has lapsed or the name doesn’t match, the ASP refuses the transaction on the spot.

Filling Out the Form for an Ammunition Issue

The top of the form establishes who is asking, where the ammunition is going, and when it is needed.⁴

Block 1 (Issue) — check this box.
Block 2 (Turn-in) — leave blank.
Block 3 (Document Number) — DODAAC + Julian date + serial number.
Block 5 (Pages) — total number of DA Form 581 and 581-1 sheets under this document number.
Block 7 (Send To) — name and address of the supporting ASP.
Block 8 (Request From) — your unit name, address, and UIC.
Block 9 (Date Materiel Required) — your ASP appointment date and time.
Block 11 (Allocation Period) — the allocation period tied to your ammunition authorization.
Block 12 (DODAAC) — your unit’s DODAAC.

The middle section itemizes what you are drawing. For each line item, fill in Block 15 (item number), Block 16 (DODIC), Block 17 (NSN), Block 18 (nomenclature), Block 19 (unit of issue, such as EA for each or LB for pound), and Block 20 (quantity requested). After the last item, write “Last Item” in the nomenclature column to signal the end of the list. Enter the Training Event Code in Block 21 for each line.

The authorization section is where the form lives or dies. Block 13a takes the name of the authorized requestor, Block 13b the Julian date, and Block 13c the requestor’s signature. The approving authority, typically an S-4, division ammunition officer, or equivalent, signs Block 14c after entering their name in Block 14a and the date in Block 14b.⁶ A missing or unauthorized signature is the fastest way to get turned away at the ASP.

Filling Out the Form for a Turn-In

A turn-in form follows the same block structure with a few changes. Check Block 2 (Turn-in) instead of Block 1. In Block 11, enter the allocation period from the original draw document so the ASP can match the return to the initial issue. Block 20 reflects the quantity being turned in rather than requested.⁴

When the ASP checker accepts the items, they annotate the quantity actually received in Block 20, sign Block 31b, and date Block 31c. You get a signed copy back as your proof of turn-in.

Filling Out the Form for a Residue Turn-In

Turning in residue (brass, links, wire-bound boxes, wooden boxes, bandoleers, and packaging material) carries requirements beyond a standard ammunition turn-in. All residue and packaging must be free of dirt, mud, rocks, and trash. Brass must be screened, segregated by caliber (5.56mm, 7.62mm, .50 cal, and so on), and cleared of all live rounds. Bandoleers are grouped in increments of ten. Before heading to the ASP, bring copies of both the live issue DA Form 581 and the live turn-in DA Form 581 (blue-stamped), plus an ASP Residue printout from the ASP Reconciliation Section.⁴

Several blocks change for residue. Enter 8140 in Block 17 (NSN) for all residue items except Category I and II. Enter “TIR” (Turn-In Residue) in Block 22 (Action Code). Block 28 (Remarks) requires two mandatory statements.

The first accounts for the original draw: “The above items drawn on document number [original doc number] were properly expended. All other items drawn on that document number are being returned under document number [turn-in doc number].” The second is a safety certification: “Contents have been inspected. Contents do not contain any live rounds, unfired primers, explosives, or other dangerous material.” A unit representative ranked SFC (E-7) or above must sign this certification after personally inspecting the residue before it arrives at the ASP yard. Showing up without this signature means driving back with a truckload of brass.

At the ASP Window

Once the form is signed and approved, submit it electronically through TAMIS or present physical copies as local procedure requires. ASP personnel verify that every item physically present matches the form — DODIC, NSN, nomenclature, quantity, and condition code. Any discrepancy stops the transaction until it is corrected.²

For an issue, the ASP issuing officer signs the receipt portion upon physical transfer. That signature is your unit’s official acknowledgment of receipt, and personal responsibility for the ammunition shifts to your unit at that moment. For a turn-in, the ASP checker annotates what was actually received and signs the form. Either way, your unit keeps a signed copy as a permanent record.³

Reconciliation and Record Retention

AR 710-2 requires units to reconcile ammunition issue documents within five days of completing training. Reconciliation means turning in all live ammunition and required residue.¹ Every round drawn must be accounted for, either expended, returned live, or turned in as residue. Quantities across your issue and turn-in forms should balance.

Units keep all ammunition transaction records, including completed DA Form 581s, for three years to satisfy audit requirements.² For operational loads and combat-configured loads, the DA Form 581 stays in the supporting document file as long as the ammunition remains on hand in the unit.¹

Why the Signature Matters

Signing a DA Form 581 is not a formality. The person who signs for issued ammunition is personally responsible for the custody and eventual reconciliation of every item on the form.

Under 10 U.S.C. § 908 (UCMJ Article 108), any service member who, without proper authority, sells, disposes of, or through willfulness or neglect loses, damages, or destroys U.S. military property faces punishment as a court-martial may direct.⁷ The statute covers negligent loss as well as intentional wrongdoing, so a sloppy hand-receipt or a failure to account for spent brass can trigger an investigation. Even short of a court-martial, a command investigation or Financial Liability Investigation of Property Loss (FLIPL) can result in personal financial liability for the value of missing items.

The completed DA Form 581 and its supporting records are your primary defense in any investigation. Accurate forms that show what was drawn, what was expended, and what was returned create the audit trail that protects both you and your chain of command.

1
U.S. Army. Ammunition Requirements Process and the Total Ammunition Management Information System
2
Fort Indiantown Gap. FTIG Ammunition Procedures
3
U.S. Army. DA PAM 710-2-1 Using Unit Supply System Manual Procedures
4
U.S. Army Fort Cavazos. Ammunition Residue Turn-In Procedures
5
GlobalSecurity.org. FM 4-30.13 Appendix E Ammunition Condition Codes
6
Integrated Publishing. Munitions Reference and Training Manuals – Figure 11 Sample DA Form 581 as a Request for Turn-In of Ammunition
7
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 10 USC 908 Art 108 Military Property of United States – Loss, Damage, Destruction, or Wrongful Disposition