Leaving the Forces? Here’s what your last day might look like.


The last few days of service for many can be a time for celebrating but it can also be a time of tying up loose ends and chasing down signatures from your superior.

Your Final Morning

When your final morning arrives you will no longer be putting on a uniform and instead will be expected to wear a suit or something smart. You will then be summoned to your Commanding Officer’s office where you will be briefed on the procedures for your final moments as a member of the Armed Forces – at this stage you will still be referred to by your rank and surname.

You will then be asked to visit the office and speak with the CO. He or she will then thank you for your service and contribution to the wider Armed Forces. As you leave the office you will now no longer be referred to by your rank, but rather as ‘Mr, Mrs or Miss.

You will then be asked if you would like to walk out or if you would prefer to march out. Marching out shows a sign of respect for the service you have provided and the institution you have served. This of course is a personnel choice.

Signing Off

The last and final action you will then take is to visit the clerk in the administration office.

The clerk will take you through your personnel details, making sure all of the information is correct, take down a forwarding address, if different, and then hand in your MOD Card 90 (Military ID Card). If you wish you can keep this, however the clerk will cut off the edges so that it is no longer valid.

You will now be formally known as a veteran.

Going Home

Once all of the formalities are over and done with you might be lucky enough to be taken out for dinner or drinks by your serving friends or family. Either way you are now free to do all the of things that were impossible during your time serving. This as you will know is a pretty long list.

After all of the ceremony and bureaucracy is done you can finally go home, put your feet up and wait for your official veteran’s lapel badge. This will come through the post and usually takes 6-8 weeks to arrive.

Some Veterans end up joining the Reserve services and could be called back into service at any time, others decide to become Army Cadet Force Instructors, allowing them to continue to contribute and maintain a direct link with the Armed Forces community.

Whether you decide to continue to work within the community of the Armed Forces or move on to pastures new, Veterans’ Gateway can help you to look forward and begin a new chapter on the road ahead. Contact us now for more useful advice and support on 0808 802 1212.