| General. Copies of most military
and medical records on file at NPRC (MPR), including the DD Form 214,
Report of Separation (or equivalent), can be made available upon
request. Veterans and next-of-kin of deceased veterans have the same
rights to full access to the record. Next-of-kin are the unremarried
widow or widower, son or daughter, father or mother, brother or sister
of the deceased veteran.
Authorized third party requesters, e.g., lawyers, doctors,
historians, etc., may submit requests for information from individual
records with the veteran's (or next of kin's) signed and dated
authorization. All authorizations should specify exactly what the
veteran (or next-of-kin) is allowing to be released to a third party.
Preparing Requests for Information from Official Military
Personnel Files. Federal law requires that all requests for records
and information be submitted in writing. Each request must be signed
(in cursive) and dated (within the last year). FOR THIS REASON,
NO REQUESTS WILL BE ACCEPTED OVER THE INTERNET.
Requests must contain enough
information to identify the record among the more than 70 million on
file at NPRC (MPR). Certain basic information is needed to locate
military service records. This information includes the veteran's
complete name used while in service,
service number or social security number, branch of service, and
dates of service. Date and place of birth may also be helpful,
especially if the service number is not known. If the request pertains
to a record that may have been involved in
the 1973 fire, also include place of discharge, last unit of
assignment, and place of entry into the service, if known.
Request
Copies of Military Personnel Records
How to Obtain Standard Form 180 (SF-180), Request
Pertaining to Military Records
Standard Form 180
Free Reader
- You need access to a printer and the Adobe Acrobat Reader software
(see link below). The form is a total of 3 pages.
- The SF-180 is formatted for letter size paper (8.5" x 11"). If
your printer can not accommodate this, select "shrink to fit"
when the Adobe Acrobat Reader "Print" dialog box appears.
- This is also a fillable version of the SF-180. It will allow you
to type the needed information into the form using your keyboard. You
will still need to print, sign and mail the form. Otherwise, it works
the same as stated above.
Write a Letter to Request Records
If you are not able to obtain SF-180, you may still submit a request
for military records. Requests must contain enough information to
identify the record among the more than 70 million on file at NPRC (MPR).
Certain basic information is needed to locate military service records.
This information includes:
- The veteran's complete name used while in service
-
Service number or social security number
- Branch of service
- Dates of service
- Date and place of birth may also be helpful, especially if the
service number is not known
- If the request pertains to a record that may have been involved in
the 1973 fire, also include:
- Place of discharge
- Last unit of assignment
- Place of entry into the service, if known.
Please submit a separate request (either SF 180 or
letter) for each individual whose records are being requested. |
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