How to Fill Out DA Form 5811: Certificate for Lost or Damaged Ammunition

To fill out DA Form 5811, the Certificate for Lost or Damaged Class 5 Ammunition Items, the person with direct knowledge of the loss completes Part I with the ammunition’s stock data and a specific narrative of what happened, and a commander in the grade of lieutenant colonel or civilian equivalent (GS-13 or above) reviews the evidence and signs Part II before the packet goes to the Ammunition Supply Point for processing.1U.S. Army. AR 710-2 Supply Policy Below the National Level

The form has two parts. Part I is the certification by the responsible individual. Part II is the commander’s review and decision. Both must be signed, and the LTC-level signature in Part II is the one that lets the Ammunition Supply Point accept the adjustment.

When You Actually Need This Form

DA Form 5811-R documents shortages, damaged ammunition, and training ammunition residue shortages under AR 710-2. Use it when rounds are lost in transport, damaged in a loading accident, submerged, exposed to chemicals, or otherwise unaccounted for after a training event. Use it also for ammunition that is no longer safe to fire but has not been formally condemned.

You do not need the form when ammunition is fully expended and all residue is turned in correctly. A short residue turn-in is a common trigger: units have five workdays after a training event to return all components and residue to the supply activity, and at the Ammunition Supply Point cartridges of .50 caliber and below are screened and weighed while 40mm and larger items are counted individually.2Fort Devens. Ammunition Supply Point External Standard Operating Procedures If the weight or count comes up short, that difference goes on a 5811-R. All residue counts — packaging, bandoleers, clips, cardboard boxes — not just the brass.

A malfunction is a different form. When ammunition fails to perform as designed, the report is DA Form 4379 (Ammunition Malfunction Report) under AR 75-1, and personnel must hold all fragments, intact components, and the weapon involved as exhibits pending disposition instructions.3Army Publishing Directorate. Ammunition Malfunction Report Both forms may be needed after the same incident if the malfunction also caused a loss.

Information to Gather Before You Start

Filling this form out from memory days later is how packets get kicked back. Collect the following before opening the form:

  • The Department of Defense Identification Code (DODIC), a four-digit alphanumeric code that appears on the outer packaging and ammunition crate with the lot number.4Integrated Publishing. Identification of Ammunition
  • The National Stock Number (NSN). The NSN feeds directly into the supply system and is what logistics systems are built around.5Defense Logistics Agency. DLA Uses National Stock Numbers to Manage Supplies Efficiently Throughout Their Life Cycles and Drive Competition
  • The lot number, which identifies the specific production batch and matters for tracking defective ammunition.
  • An exact count of the quantity lost and the quantity damaged. Estimates draw questions.
  • The unit price. Look it up in FED LOG through the Procurement Integrated Enterprise Environment portal at piee.eb.mil, searching by NSN, NIIN, part number, or CAGE code. Multiply by the quantity for the total loss value.6Defense Logistics Agency. FED LOG – Federal Logistics Data
  • Witness names, ranks, and units, plus any written statements.
  • Exact date, time, and location of the incident, whether it happened during transport, storage, or training, and any contributing conditions such as weather, vehicle accident, or equipment failure.

The current form is available through the Army Publishing Directorate at armypubs.army.mil; some publications require a Common Access Card to view.7Combined Arms Research Library. Finding Military Publications

Completing Part I: The Certification

Part I is completed by the person with direct knowledge of the loss or damage.

  • Block 1 (Stock No.): the full National Stock Number.
  • Block 2 (Description): the standard nomenclature exactly as it appears on packaging or in FED LOG.
  • Block 3 (Quantity): Block 3a is the quantity lost; Block 3b is the quantity damaged. If some rounds are missing and others are damaged, both get numbers.
  • Block 4 (Item Was): check the box that reflects the status of the item.
  • Block 5 (Damaged by Negligence?): Yes or No. This is your honest assessment; the commander makes the final determination in Part II.
  • Blocks 7a–7b: your signature and the date.

The narrative is where most packets fail. “Rounds were lost at the range” will come back. Write the sequence: what was happening, what went wrong, what was done afterward to recover or account for the items. Name the specific training event or operation, the range or location, and any contributing factors. If witnesses can corroborate what you wrote, reference their statements in the narrative and attach them to the packet.

Part II: What the Commander Does

Part II belongs to the approving authority, a lieutenant colonel or equivalent civilian (GS-13 or above) in the chain of command. The commander reviews the evidence and picks one of two outcomes.8Army Publishing Directorate. DA Form 5811-R Certificate Lost or Damaged Class 5 Ammunition Items

  • Block 10, no further action required: the loss or damage resulted from fair wear and tear or from circumstances that did not involve negligence, willful misconduct, or unauthorized use. The property book is adjusted administratively and the matter closes.
  • Block 12, formal investigation required: the circumstances warrant a Financial Liability Investigation of Property Loss (formerly Report of Survey), and the responsible property officer is directed to initiate one.

Block 8 records the commander’s negligence determination. Blocks 13a through 13c hold the commander’s signature, title, and date. Without the LTC-level signature, the Ammunition Supply Point will not process the form.

Submission, Routing, and Timing

Once both parts are signed, the packet — form, witness statements, photos of damaged items, and the training ammunition control document (DA Form 5515) if applicable — moves through the chain of command to the approving authority. Track chain of custody; misplacing the paperwork that accounts for missing ammunition is not a conversation anyone wants.

The completed packet goes to the Ammunition Supply Point, where technicians verify the data against their records. If the ammunition is managed at a higher organizational level, the Property Book Officer also gets a copy so the property book and the supply point reflect the same adjustment. If they don’t match, the next inventory cycle will surface the discrepancy.

Move quickly. Units with an established training ammunition holding area inventory that ammunition daily, and the same person cannot conduct the inventory twice in a row.1U.S. Army. AR 710-2 Supply Policy Below the National Level A delayed 5811-R shows up on those daily counts as an unresolved shortage and pulls attention from higher headquarters.

What Happens After the Form Is Signed

If the commander checks the no-further-action box, the process is administrative. The Property Book Officer removes the items from the unit’s inventory balance and the unit can requisition replacements through normal supply channels.

If the commander directs a Financial Liability Investigation of Property Loss, the process shifts to AR 735-5, Chapter 13.9Fort Campbell. Financial Liability Investigation of Property Loss Fact Sheet A financial liability investigating officer is appointed to gather evidence, interview witnesses, and determine whether someone should pay for the loss. The full FLIPL process should not exceed 75 calendar days.10U.S. Army. Financial Liability Investigation of Property Loss Processing At that point the 5811-R has done its job: it moved the shortage from an unresolved count into a documented action.