To order a free copy of your military service records go to the National Archives website http://www.archives.gov/ and follow the link to Request Military Service Records. There's a form (SF-180) there you can print, fill out requesting your records, and then you mail it in. There's no fee required. There's an online short way link for ordering them but it looks like it's mostly to get just things like a DD-214. You want more than just that. I suggest you print and fill in form SF-180 and and mail it.
It takes a while to get anything back. In my case I waited two months before I received anything. I didn't get back anything too useful but a letter was included that said there are/may be additional misc records available for me but they didn't send them to save printing costs and the labor to do it ( I do agree that they are pretty busy busy there) . It further said that if I did want those additional records that I was to write a short letter requesting them . Again no fee required. I did that and asked for all my records that they had in my file. After three more months of waiting I figured there must have not been any more in my file to send me. I then received a large envelope that contained a bunch of records I had never seen before. In my case, there was no pay or medical records sent to me but there was some very good stuff in them that I submitted to the VA (through my VSO). Those new records offered proof of what I had made written and verbal statements about in my claim process. Get your own set of records. You may find some very good evidence information in them.
If you are a healthy vet then I hope you stay that way. But, I suggest you still get a copy of your records now in case find you do need to file a claim with the VA some day. I hope you never have that need but if you do you'll be glad you already have a copy of all your available records for your claim process.
1
Message Thread
« Back to index | View thread »