How to Request Military Records for a Family Member
Military records are kept under strict lock and key, but if you seek to obtain the records for a close member of your family, you can do so with relative ease. In the United States, you have multiple options. All you need are the right forms and the knowledge of how to submit them. Below are some easy-to-follow steps for getting the process started.
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Instructions
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Visit the eVetRecs page at http://www.archives.gov/veterans/evetrecs/index.html. Hosted at the National Archives website, this online form has everything you need to request the records of military personnel. This form is specifically for veterans and their next of kin, which may be a mother, father, sister, brother or surviving spouse who has not remarried.
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Answer all of the questions on the on-line request form and print out the signature verification form. Sign it, date it and mail it to the National Personnel Records Center:
National Personnel Records Center
Military Personnel Records
9700 Page Avenue
St. Louis, MO 63132-5100If you are writing on behalf of a deceased veteran, you must also provide proof of death, which may be a copy of a death certificate, letter from the funeral home or published obituary.
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Your second option is to print out a Standard Form 180, a Request for Military Records form, available at http://www.archives.gov/veterans/military-service-records/standard-form-180.html. Fill out each section, sign and date the form, and mail it to the National Personnel Records Center (see address in Step 2). If you are unable to print an SF-180 form, you can request one from any Federal Information Center or veterans service organization.
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Your third option is to submit a letter to the National Personnel Records Center. It must include the veteran's full name, social security number or service number, dates of service and branch of service. The National Archives website also recommends you include reasons for the request as well as any deadlines.
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Tips & Warnings
If you are writing on behalf of a deceased veteran, you must provide either a death certificate, a letter from the funeral home or some other proof of death in order for your request to be processed.
Do not use the on-line form unless you are the veteran's next of kin. The eVetRecs form is reserved especially for veterans and their immediate relatives; all others must use the SF-180 form.
