| Requesting Your Military Records |
| You can request your military records from the National Personnel Records Center (NPRC). They are on the web at http://www.archives.gov/facilities/mo/st_louis/military_personnel_records.html. There are 2 ways to request your records: 1-download the Military Record Request form SF180 (available for D/L from this site & requires Adobe Acrobat), fill it out (it is fillable in Adobe Acrobat so you don't have to hand write it, unless you're fond of hand writing forms) & follow the included instructions, or, 2-go to the Request Copies of Military Personnel Records page at http://vetrecs.archives.gov/. The difference between the 2 methods: A-the online method takes care of all the details by asking you questions, creating the SF180 automatically, supplying you with a copy to print out & then submitting it. Your only responsibility with this method (other than giving the correct answers) is to mail or fax the signature sheet (which is part of your printout) to them. Your request will not be filled w/o the signature sheet. B-manually filling out the SF180 requires you to fill out the form after downloading it (either by hand or in Adobe Acrobat), addressing an envelope, putting a stamp on it & sending it to the correct address (there is an included chart to choose where). If all you're looking for is a copy of your DD214, they make it simple by having a check box for it. From personal experience, you have to be very explicit in asking for your records. For instance, if you want copies of your orders, ask for "a copy of every order in my 201 file." If you think you're due awards, ask for them by name & quote the DAGO (Dept. of Army General Orders) that covers them (unit awards can be found in the Unit Citation and Campaign Participation Credit Register). When you do this, they apparently research the request's validity & it's possible they will find that you're eligible for awards you never knew about. It happened to me. If all you want is the issuance of medals you never received, follow the instructions at http://www.archives.gov/veterans/military-service-records/replacement-medals.html. You will still need form SF180 (or you can do it online as in 2 above). The NPRC will also verify your eligibility for foreign awards (such as the RVNGC & RVNCAHM, which are unit awards unless you received either as an individual award), but the U.S. govt. doesn't issue foreign medals. You have to buy them on your own. Someone suggested asking for an amended DD214. This would be the case (& require another record request) if you find out that you have more awards than you knew about when you filled out the paperwork for your original DD214 & want the new awards listed on it. The biggest annoyance (IMHO) is the wait for a response. Waits are typically 6 months, but some people have gotten a response in slightly shorter time. Your mileage may vary. Patience really is a virtue here. Good luck! |
 |