AF Form 788 filing criterion relies on which identifier?

• A. Inpatient unit
• B. Alphabetical by unit
• C. Sponsor's Social Security Number
• D. Inpatient register number

Answer: (C)

The main idea here is that AF Form 788 uses a single, stable identifier to tie a person’s records together: the sponsor’s Social Security Number. This key uniquely links the service member and their dependents across all care settings, making filing and retrieval reliable no matter which unit or facility handles the record. Using an inpatient unit would tie the file to a location, not the person, causing confusion if care spans multiple units. Filing by unit alphabetically isn’t unique enough to distinguish individuals, and an inpatient register number is an internal, admission-specific reference that doesn’t consistently identify the person across time and facilities. So the sponsor’s SSN is the best identifier for filing.