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Delays Obtaining Military Records

Published by girights

A lot of people have contacted the GI Rights Network with frustrations about delays in obtaining military records from the National Archives (NPRC) which currently posts its status as: “The National Personnel Records Center is Closed - Except for Emergencies”

However many people whose records have been put into electronic format can still obtain records through the online system.  Here are the instructions from NPRC:

Are there alternate sources to obtain military service records?

Yes, modern service records, generally for veterans who separated after Calendar Year 2000, are available in electronic format. NPRC has deployed new digital delivery functionality to enable some of these requests to be serviced by its staff from remote locations. To be eligible for this service it is imperative that requesters submit a request using our online application, eVetRecs, and provide an email address with their request. If you provide an email address and your request involves records available in electronic format, our staff will obtain the records and provide you with credentials that will enable you to download the requested records from a secure server. This service is available only when (1) the responsive records are available in digital format, and (2) requesters provide an email address with their request.

In many instances, records that are available in electronic formats may also be accessed directly by veterans, without involvement from NPRC, through the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) eBenefits application at https://www.ebenefits.va.gov/ebenefits/homepage or the Department of Defense milConnect application at https://milconnect.dmdc.osd.mil/milconnect/ .  Modern military medical records may be accessed through the VA’s Blue Button application at https://www.va.gov/health-care/get-medical-records/. For more information regarding the online availability of VA and military records, please visit https://www.va.gov/records/.

We regret we are unable to provide a more optimistic forecast for the resumption of normal service levels. We hope the above on-line resources are helpful and greatly appreciate your patience during these unprecedented times.


More information about the National Archives' response to coronavirus can be found at archives.gov/coronavirus .