How to Fill Out the On-The-Job Training Record (DAF Form 623A)

To fill out DAF Form 623A, the On-the-Job Training Record Continuation Sheet, write the member’s name in the header exactly as it appears on official records, then log each training event as a dated journal entry containing a specific narrative and signatures from both the supervisor (or trainer) and the trainee. The current form is dated 20230331 and is available from Air Force e-Publishing; previous versions are still accepted.¹ The rules that govern what you write and when come from DAFMAN 36-2689, Training Program.²

What Each Entry Must Contain

Every journal entry on the 623A has three required elements: the date the entry is made, the statement or narrative itself, and signatures from the supervisor or trainer and the trainee.² On paper forms, use black or blue ink only. The header at the top of the sheet reads “LAST NAME – FIRST NAME – MIDDLE INITIAL” and should match the member’s name as shown on other official records.¹ The rest of the sheet is an open continuation area; entries run in chronological order.

Writing the Narrative

Write in plain, specific language. A useful monthly progress entry names the tasks the trainee worked on, states whether the standard was met, notes any CDC volumes completed or scores received, and identifies concrete steps for the next training period. Reference official task numbers from the CFETP when documenting a certification or decertification. Vague notes like “trainee is progressing well” don’t help the next supervisor who inherits the record and has to pick up where you left off.

Entries You’re Required to Make

DAFMAN 36-2689 identifies specific events that trigger a 623A entry. Missing a trigger is the most common documentation failure.

Newcomer Interview and Orientation

Supervisors interview newly assigned personnel within 30 calendar days of arrival (60 days for Air Reserve Component members) to determine training status, CDC enrollment, and any outstanding upgrade or qualification requirements. The interview goes on the 623A. A comprehensive trainee orientation must follow within 60 calendar days of assignment (90 for ARC), and its completion is also documented on the form.²

Initial Evaluation

Within 60 calendar days of assignment (120 for ARC), the supervisor conducts and documents an initial evaluation of the trainee’s qualifications. The evaluation reviews previously certified tasks and confirms the member can meet duty-position requirements. For formal course graduates, it also checks whether the training received was effective. Any deficiencies get written into the 623A, and training shortfalls should be reported through the customer service line listed in the CFETP.²

Monthly Upgrade Training Progress

For any member in upgrade training, the supervisor makes at least one entry per month, or at every regularly scheduled drill for ARC members. This is a Tier 2 (T-2) requirement. Each monthly entry covers at minimum:

CDC and task progression, including volume issuance, completion, comprehensive review, and end-of-course scores
Task certifications or decertifications
Training-related counseling that identifies strengths, weaknesses, and corrective actions
Any mandatory distance learning or formal training

Interruptions

Document any interruption that affects training progress: leave, hospitalization, TDY, or similar absences. The entry should identify the reason and the dates involved so the record shows why progress paused.²

Training Difficulties

When a trainee struggles with upgrade training, CDC progression, or task certification, write an entry. That includes unsatisfactory scores and task decertifications. In these cases, the supervisor schedules supervised training sessions and documents the plan on the 623A.²

Core Task Exemptions

If a core task listed in the CFETP is not required for a particular member’s duty position, document the exemption on the 623A with the justification.²

What Stays Off the 623A

Training-related counseling belongs on the form; disciplinary action does not. DAFMAN 36-2689 states that the chain of command will not document disciplinary actions or behavioral counseling in the training record. This is a Tier 1 (T-1) requirement, meaning it comes from a federal statute or DoD directive and carries the highest compliance weight.² Counseling about task weaknesses, attitude toward training, and corrective plans is training-related and goes on the 623A. Paperwork for an Article 15 or a letter of reprimand is disciplinary and does not. Mixing the two contaminates the record.

Paper and Electronic Equivalents

DAFMAN 36-2689 permits automated versions of the 623A throughout its guidance, and the Training Business Area and Automated Force Training Record system both support electronic equivalents.² The same documentation standards apply: entries need dates, narrative content, and signatures or digital equivalents from both the trainer and trainee.

Paper remains a valid fallback. AFI 36-2650 specifies that when approved electronic training records are unavailable or temporarily down, a hardcopy DAF Form 623 folder with a paper 623A and the CFETP may be used to record training. Paper entries must then be transcribed into the electronic system within 15 days once it comes back online.³

Corrections and Review

The supervisor owns the accuracy of each entry. Unit training managers validate training requirements at least semi-annually for active duty and annually for Air Force Reserve and Air National Guard members, and completed training entries should be updated in the management information system within five duty days of completion.³

If a review turns up an unsigned entry, a missing interruption notation, or a gap in monthly progress documentation, correct it as soon as possible. Supervisors initial and date any corrections alongside a brief explanation. Gaps in documentation can stall upgrade recommendations and tend to surface at the worst possible time, usually when a member is being considered for a skill-level award or a special duty assignment.

Retention

Keep the 623A, paper or digital, as long as it pertains to the current training objective. That means through the award of the skill level being pursued or through completion of the qualification training underway.² When a member upgrades from a 3-level to a 5-level, the entries documenting that cycle have served their purpose, and the 623 folder resets around the next objective.

Governing Instruction

The authoritative source for the 623A is DAFMAN 36-2689, Training Program, dated 31 March 2023. An earlier instruction, DAFI 36-2670 (Total Force Development), previously contained the Air Force Training Program chapter, but Interim Change 4 removed that chapter along with all guidance on DAF Forms 623 and 623A and republished the training program rules in DAFMAN 36-2689.⁴ Older resources that still point to AFI 36-2670 for training record guidance are out of date.

1
Air Force E-Publishing. DAF Form 623A – On-The-Job Training Record Continuation Sheet
2
Department of the Air Force. DAFMAN 36-2689 Training Program
3
Department of the Air Force. AFI 36-2650
4
Department of the Air Force. DAFI 36-2670 – Total Force Development