How to Obtain Relatives' Military Records
If you're one of the millions of Americans who is related to a military veteran, you may be curious about that person's service experience. Maybe you're intending to write a family history and want to know as much as you can about your uncle's service in Vietnam, or whether your grandfather received any promotions or metals during his service in World War II. Or you may simply want to know as much as you can about a deceased relative's service record. In situations like this, having the person's military record can be an invaluable tool.
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Instructions
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Find out as much information as you can about the veteran's background and service history. According to the National Archives website, any request for service documents must include the veteran's full name, service number (if available), the branch of service, the approximate dates of service, and the date and place of birth (extremely helpful if the service number is not known.) This information should be relatively easy to find out from other family members or public records. Also, if the veteran is deceased, you must provide proof of death, such as a death certificate, letter from a funeral home, or a published obituary. If the veteran is still living, you must have his consent to obtain the records.
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Initiate a request. This can be done by either visiting the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis, Missouri, or by submitting a request through the National Archives. On their website, you can either request a paper application, called the SF-180, or you can initiate a request electronically using their eVetRecs system. The form must be dated and signed by either the veteran or the next-of-kin if the veteran is deceased. Mail or fax the form to the NPRC using the contact information provided.
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Check on the status of your request. Currently, the NPRC receives an average of 5,100 requests per day, which can make it difficult to respond in a timely manner. The length of time it takes to process your request also depends on what documents you are looking for. Requests for the standard discharge document, the DD214, typically receive a response within 10 days. If you are looking for more detailed information such as medical records or other documents, the request can take three to four weeks for processing. If you have not received a response within that time, you can follow up on your request by calling or emailing the NPRC using the contact information given on their website.
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Tips & Warnings
Be very specific about what information you are looking for. Since the DD214 document is all that is required to obtain veteran benefits, this is the most commonly requested record and is all you will recieve unless you specify that you are looking for the entire personnel file.
If there is an emergency or a specific deadline for your request (such as a funeral or burial), explain your time frame and the reason for it when filling out your request form. This will help to expedite your request.
Beware of websites that offer to search for military records for you. Most of these websites charge a fee and are only able to obtain background information, such as the date the person entered the service and the date they were discharged. Records requested from the NPRC are usually free, unless the request involves a lot of research or extensive copying.
Make sure you are authorized to access the information. Military records are only given to veterans and next-of-kin. Next-of-kin is defined as a spouse, sibling, parent or child of the deceased veteran. If the person you are trying to get information on is more distantly related, you will need to obtain written consent from the veteran or next of kin. Due to federal privacy laws, the information you can obtain may be more limited than that available to the next of kin.
References
Resources
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