How to Find Out If Someone Was Discharged From the Army
Sometimes, veterans or their immediate family members need to provide proof of a service member's discharge status in order to secure employment, loans or benefits. Both groups can request official copies of military records through the National Archives.
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Instructions
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Go to the eVetRecs page on the National Archives website (see Resources). The National Archives has access to records from all of the military services; therefore, all requests for such records must be made through this office.
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At the top of the column on the right side of the screen, click "Launch eVetsRecs--Request Military Records." This will cause a new window to pop up. A column on the left side of this window should indicate that you are on the first step of the military records request process. Read the information about the Privacy Act of 1974 and the Paperwork Reduction Act. Click "Continue."
If you are not the veteran or her immediate family, do not click the "Launch eVetsRecs--Request Military Records" link. Rather, scroll to the box two paragraphs down from the top of the page and click on the "Standard Form 180" link.
This will take you to a site where you can download Form SF-180, Military Records Request. You must print this form; fill it out; and submit it via mail or fax to the National Archives.
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Input information about your relationship to the veteran in the three drop-down boxes that appear. In the first, indicate whether you are a veteran or an immediate relative of a veteran. If you are an immediate relative, use the second box to specify your relationship to the veteran. Use the third box to specify whether you are seeking information relating to current or former military service. Click "Continue."
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Input information about the veteran's military service in the five drop-down boxes that appear. The first box asks for the veteran's branch and should be checked "Army." The second box asks whether the veteran was in the Active, Reserve or Guard component. For the third box, specify whether the veteran was an enlisted soldier or a commissioned officer. The fourth box asks you to state the category of your request. For this box, select "Benefits," because this choice will generate a Report of Separation which details the date of the veteran's separation and the status of his discharge. The fifth box does not have to be filled out. Click "Continue."
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Input the veteran's identification information, including name, date of birth, social security number and military service number. Click "Continue."
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Select the kind of report you want to receive. Click the radio button that says you will receive an undeleted Report of Separation. Click "Continue."
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Provide your contact information, including a daytime phone number and e-mail address. If anything is wrong with your application or further documentation is need, your phone number and e-mail are the means by which National Archives personnel will contact you. Failure to provide this information may result in the delay of your documents.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit military image by Alexey Klementiev from Fotolia.com
