Search Military Records By Serial Number
Toccara Delacerda
Recent military service and medical records are not online. However, most veterans and their next of kin can obtain free copies of their DD Form 214 (Report of Separation) and the following military service records any of the ways listed below.
Some companies advertise DD Form 214 research services and will charge a fee for obtaining copies. This is provided as a free service by the National Archives and Records Administration.
There is a fee for records that are considered "Archival," which depends on the discharge date. If the request is made 62 years after the service member's separation from the military, the records are now open to the public and subject to the public fee schedule (44 USC 2116c and 44 USC 2307). This is a rolling date, the current year minus 62 years. Learn more.
Response times from NPRC vary depending on the complexity of your request, the availability of the records, and our workload. We work actively to respond to each request in a timely fashion, keep in mind we receive approximately 4,000 - 5,000 requests per day.
Records are accessioned into the National Archives, and become archival, 62 years after the service member's separation from the military. This is a rolling date, the current year minus 62 years. See more information on records older than 62 years.
Archival records are open to the public and can be ordered online for a copying fee. See Access to Military Records by the General Public for more details.
For additional details on what information may or may not be included, please see the Special Notice to Veterans and Family Members regarding requests for copies of military personnel and/or medical files.
You can mail or fax your signed and dated request to the National Archives' National Personnel Record Center (NPRC). Be sure to use the address specified (either in the instructions on the SF-180 or in our online system, eVetRecs). Most, but not all records, are stored at the NPRC. (See full list of Locations of Military Service Records.)
Special Note on Contacting by Email: Requests for military personnel records or information from them cannot be accepted by email at this time. The Privacy Act of 1974 (5 U.S.C. 552a) and Department of Defense directives require a written request, signed and dated, to access information from military personnel records. Our email address should only be used only to request general information (hours of operations, procedures and forms) or to submit compliments, complaints, or concerns.
NOTE: If you send messages using WebTV or a free-email service, you will not receive our response if your mailbox is full. Messages sent to full mailboxes are returned to us as "undeliverable." You may wish to include your mailing address in your message so that we may respond via the U.S. Postal Service.
The National Archives holds Federal military service records from the Revolutionary War to 1912 in the National Archives in Washington, D.C. Military service records from WWI - present are held in the National Military Personnel Records Center (NPRC), in St. Louis, Missouri. See details of holdings.
When I sent my requests, I attached an additional sheet with as much service related information as I had available. Examples would be: place of enlistment, duty stations/units, the dates he was attached to those units, medals awarded, place/date of discharge, etc. In my grandfather's case I even included the fact that his status changed from single to married and the date of the marriage. The more information you can provide, the better the chance of finding the records. By providing this on a separate attachment you eliminate the need for the archives to request additional information.
As Sandra already mentioned, the SSN and service numbers are not always absolutely required, though they can make it easier to narrow down the records. Just send as much info as you can the the NARA staff will do the best they can.
Depending on what branch he served in, there may be additional records that will help you find his service number. For example, if he was in the Navy and his name shows up on muster rolls, those muster rolls will also list his service numbers. Navy muster rolls can be acquired directly from the National Archives or in name searchable form via websites such as Ancestry or Fold3.
If he was in the Army (to include the Army Air Force) and enlisted between roughly 1938 and 1946, you might be able to use the following name searchable database to look up some information about his service, to include his service number. Be aware that there are some gaps in the database, and it does not include officers.
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Also, going back to Ancestry and Fold3, although they will not have the actual Official Military Personnel File, they often have other records (such has the previously mentioned muster rolls) that can provide insight into a person's military service, to say nothing of other aspects of their life. My experience is that exactly what turns up in a search can vary a lot depending on who you are researching. However they are worth checking out. These websites can be used for free at any National Archives location and at some state, local, and university libraries.
All I knew when I started this journey was that he was in the Army in WWII. When my father passed away, I inherited a beat up German officer's sword (a panther, I believe), and a map detailing the 29th Division's movements from Omaha to Saint-L. There was also a pin with the distinctive blue/grey "Yin Yang" symbol. From these latter two, I assumed he was in the 29th. Anecdotally, a family story from years ago led me to believe that he was a combat engineer, but I have no evidence of that - other than a story that my uncle shared with me in the 80's.
The only link I can find on usa.gov is for his DD-214 - is there any way to get his full record, or will the DD-214 tell me what unit he was attached to? Are there any online resources which will allow me to search for different units (regiments, battalions, companies, etc... I'm ex-Navy, so not sure how Army structure is laid out), and possibly get an idea of where he went and what he did?
Military service personnel files and individual medical reports for the period in which you are interested are in the custody of the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis. You should complete a GSA Standard Form 180 and mail to the Military Personnel Records, National Personnel Records Center, 1 Archives Drive, St. Louis, MO 63138-1002. You may also apply online. Please be aware that there was a fire at the Records Center in 1973 and some records were destroyed.
Copies of most of the monthly rosters from 1912-43 and 1947-59 for U.S. Army units (including Army Air Corps) are in the custody of the National Archives in St. Louis, MO. Please contact them for access to these records. The address is the National Archives in St. Louis, 1 Archives Drive, St. Louis, MO 63138-1002 and the email address is stl.ar...@nara.gov. Rosters for units serving in World War II from 1944-46 were destroyed in accordance with U.S. Army disposition authorities during the early postwar period.
The Textual Reference Archives II Branch (RR2RR) has custody of the Records of the Adjutant General's Office, 1917- (Record Group 407) and the Records of U.S. Army Operational, Tactical, and Support Organizations (World War II and Thereafter) (Record Group 338). Military unit files among these records consist mostly of historical reports, after action reports, unit journals, and general orders. These records do not include personnel information, nor do we have a name index to these records.
General orders, as referenced above, do include information about the official bestowal of medals on individual service personnel. However, these records are arranged by unit, thereunder by date and thereunder by general order number. We would need this information to search our records. If you have a copy of his discharge certificate (DD Form 214), this information might be included therein.
We invite you to continue the conversation with community members on History Hub, but should you have follow up questions for the staff at Archives II, please email us at archives2...@nara.gov so that we can assist you further.
Due to the fire at the St. Louis Archives, the best source of information would be your grandfather's discharge papers. Perhaps a member of the family has his papers. If a family member doesn't have the discharge papers, another source may be the county courthouse. Discharged soldiers filed a copy of their discharge papers with the county clerk/courthouse in the county of their residence upon discharge. My county has WWII discharge papers but will release them only to next of kin. The WWII discharge form was AGO 55. The DD-214 discharge form replaced the AGO 55 form in 1950.
The Military Records and Research Branch has personnel files for all former members of the Kentucky Army and Air National Guard and DD-214s for veterans whose home of record was Kentucky when they entered the service.
Personnel desiring to obtain their military records must complete the AGO 26-12 form. The form must be filled out and may be sent via email, fax or regular mail. Do not add Social Security Number or Department of Defense Identification number to this form unless sending by FAX. You may call the Military Records Branch after you have mailed or emailed this form to provide SSN or DOD ID to an authorized representative assisting in your request.
Those requesting a deceased relative's record will need to provide their relationship to the former Airman so the next-of-kin relationship can be verified. If the relative was deceased after their separation or retirement, proof of death must also be provided as described on the instruction page of the SF-180.
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