How Doo You Look Up Military Service

Figuring out how to check another individual's Official Military Personnel File is relatively straightforward and open to the public.

There are various reasons why someone may need admission to military machine files—that is, anyone who does not identify equally the service member on file or the side by side of kin. Most requests are used to bank check for eligibility, legal, or financial transactions.

Information technology normally helps to know what blazon of information yous need and your relationship to the service fellow member. Here are a few ways to check the military service records of someone else.

FOIA and the Privacy Act

Almost documents are kept at the National Personnel Records Center, a collection of over lxx million files in St. Louis, Missouri. NPRC stores service records from the Section of Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard.

As outlined on the NPRC website, the Freedom of Data Act (FOIA) typically grants anyone with the statutory right to view general information from executive co-operative agency records. These files practise not require the veteran's or side by side-of-kin'south permission.

The FOIA's purpose is to provide transparency to the public while also protecting the service member's privacy through the Privacy Human activity. The Privacy Act limits the blazon of information accessible to the public and how they are used.

Whatever documents needed beyond public information are express to the next-of-kin are permitted past the service member.

Data that may be viewed by the public:

Proper noun
Service Number
Dates of Service
Branch of Service
Final Duty Status
Final Rank
Assignments and Geographical Locations
Military Instruction Level
Awards and decorations (eligibility but, non actual medals)
Photo
Transcript of Courts-Martial Trials
Place of entrance and separation

Items such as bacon, source of commission, and promotion sequence number are rarely on file. Typically, deceased veterans take the place of nascency, date, and location of expiry, and place of burial on public file.

Note: OFMPs, separation documents (DD214), replacement records, and medical records are non open to the public and must become through a verification process to obtain these items.

Obtaining Service Records using SF-180

Military machine personnel records are requested using the SF-180 class. SF-180 is used by the NPRC to obtain public files from a service fellow member and outlines several ways to send in your request:

Download and mail information technology in.
1. The PDF is available online for download. Fill out the grade with accurate information to the best of your ability.
2. NPRC explains how to return the document: "Review the tables on page 3 of SF-180 to place the correct location of the record y'all need (based on branch of service, dates of separation, and type of tape) and send the completed grade to the address identified on the table."
Fill out an inquiry form on NPRC to have the SF-180 mailed to y'all straight.
1. Return the documents to:

National Personnel Records Center
1 Archives Bulldoze
St. Louis, Missouri 63138

Visit a Veterans Administration office, VA arrangement, or Federal Information Center.

The SF-180 can exist mailed straight or faxed to (314) 801-9195. NPRC responds in the social club in which the request was received. Separation documents typically take about 10 business days, whereas older records may take upwards to half dozen months to retrieve.

Side by side-of-kin of deceased veterans may fill out a SF-180 form or take the pick of filling out an online order form.

Write a Letter of the alphabet

If for some reason yous cannot obtain an SF-180, NPRC does accept messages of request. Provide equally much information in the alphabetic character to locate the service fellow member's file, such equally:

The veteran'due south consummate name used while in service
Service number or social security number
Co-operative of service
Dates of service
Date and place of birth may also exist helpful, particularly if the service number is not known
Further information may be needed

Mail service-in your letter with contact information to:

National Personnel Records Center
1 Archives Bulldoze
St. Louis, Missouri 63138

Troubleshooting Document Locations at the NPRC

Be sure to provide the individual's date of service, service number, or social security if applicable. In 1969, military machine switched from service number to social security, and so files before '69 may be filed under the service number.

A fire destroyed the Department of Regular army and Air Strength files between the years 1947 and 1963. If you are looking for personnel files in between this year gap, provide as much information as y'all know. The Records Center will endeavor to slice together as much data from historical data.

National Archives Information

The National Archives office is a carve up line from the NPRC and holds military personnel files 62 years by the end date of service. (Files under 62 years are held by the Department of Defense force.) Like the NPRC, the National Archives does place some documents in the public domain.

Y'all tin cull either three options to gain access to archival records:

Request records online (must mail service-in signature page)
Mail in an SF-180 request class or alphabetic character to:
National Personnel Records Center

Or fax documents to (314) 801-9195.

Cristina Van Orden is a literary author and active military spouse. She holds an MFA from Antioch University and taught M-12 English before working in editorial. Cristina currently resides on base with her hubby and children.