In addition, 200 OMPFs of 'Persons of Exceptional Prominence' (PEP files) - such as Presidents, members of Congress and the Supreme Court famous military leaders decorated heroes celebrities and other cultural figures who served in the military - were also made available to the public for the first time (see below for additional information). This schedule mandates the legal transfer of these files from DOD ownership to NARA ownership 62 years after the service member's separation from the military.Īs part of the initial transfer, the records of 1.2 million veterans who served with the United States Navy and Marine Corps were opened to the public in July 2005. In an effort to expand access to and ensure the preservation of the records, the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) together with the Department of Defense (DOD) developed a schedule, signed July 8, 2004, making the Official Military Personnel Files (OMPF) permanent records of the United States. The records of each military service department on file at NPRC are listed under Location of Military Service Records.

NPRC does not have records of members who are still in the active or inactive reserves or in the National Guard. Records are usually transferred to NPRC within six months after these events. Included are records of veterans who are completely discharged (with no remaining reserve commitment), or who are retired or have died. The National Archives' National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) stores records of individual military service pertaining to former service members who no longer have a service obligation. See Military Medical and Health Records for more details. Most Official Military Personnel Files contain both personnel and active duty health records, but this practice was discontinued by the service branches beginning in 1992. separation/discharge/retirement (including DD Form 214, Report of Separation, or equivalent)ĭetailed information about the veteran's participation in military battles and engagements is NOT contained in the record.Military personnel records are primarily administrative records and can contain information such as: Learn more about requesting military service records.Use our eVetRecs system to create your request.However, most veterans and their next-of-kin can obtain free copies of their DD Form 214 (Report of Separation) and other records several ways: If you are a recently separated veteran, records can be found online via the VA eBenefits portal.

Service: a navy seal at war