Difference between revisions of "US Military Service Records"
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*Older military personnel records, from the Revolutionary War to 1917 (depending on the service branch), are on file at the National Archives Building in Washington, D.C. | *Older military personnel records, from the Revolutionary War to 1917 (depending on the service branch), are on file at the National Archives Building in Washington, D.C. | ||
| − | *Military service records from WWI through the present (depending on the service branch) are held at the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis. | + | *Military service records from WWI through the present (depending on the service branch) are held at the National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) in St. Louis. |
==== Older Military Service Records ==== | ==== Older Military Service Records ==== | ||
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Copies of military pension claim files for military service from the American Revolution up to before World War I and bounty-land warrant applications for Federal military service before 1856 can now be [https://eservices.archives.gov/orderonline/start.swe?SWECmd=Start&SWEHo=eservices.archives.gov ordered online], as well as through [http://www.archives.gov/contact/inquire-form.html NATF Form 85]. | Copies of military pension claim files for military service from the American Revolution up to before World War I and bounty-land warrant applications for Federal military service before 1856 can now be [https://eservices.archives.gov/orderonline/start.swe?SWECmd=Start&SWEHo=eservices.archives.gov ordered online], as well as through [http://www.archives.gov/contact/inquire-form.html NATF Form 85]. | ||
| − | Or write: National Archives & Records Administration, Old Military and Civil Records (NWCTB-Military), Textual Services Division, 700 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W., Washington, DC 20408-0001. | + | Or write: National Archives & Records Administration, Old Military and Civil Records (NWCTB-Military), Textual Services Division, 700 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W., Washington, DC 20408-0001. |
==== 20th Century Military Service Records ==== | ==== 20th Century Military Service Records ==== | ||
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*Written requests (using Standard Form 180, or letter) should be mailed to: National Personnel Records Center, 9700 Page Ave., St. Louis, MO 63132-5100 | *Written requests (using Standard Form 180, or letter) should be mailed to: National Personnel Records Center, 9700 Page Ave., St. Louis, MO 63132-5100 | ||
| − | Access to Military Service Records is limited. See [http://www.archives.gov/st-louis/military-personnel/public/general-public.html Services for Veterans, Next-of-Kin, or the Veteran's Representative ]for more information. | + | Access to Military Service Records is limited. See [http://www.archives.gov/st-louis/military-personnel/public/general-public.html Services for Veterans, Next-of-Kin, or the Veteran's Representative ]for more information. |
=== State Records of Service. === | === State Records of Service. === | ||
Revision as of 18:29, 24 February 2011
United States > Military Records > Types of Military Records > Service Records
Contents
Service Records
Service records document an individual’s involvement with the military and can be used for proving military service, or as a valuable tool in genealogical research.
Holdings of the National Archives
The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is the official repository for Federal military service records.
- Older military personnel records, from the Revolutionary War to 1917 (depending on the service branch), are on file at the National Archives Building in Washington, D.C.
- Military service records from WWI through the present (depending on the service branch) are held at the National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) in St. Louis.
Older Military Service Records
Older military personnel records, from the Revolutionary War to 1917 (depending on the service branch), are on file at the National Archives Building in Washington, D.C.
| Branch of Service | Dates of Holdings |
|---|---|
| Volunteers | Military service performed by persons serving during an emergency and whose service was considered to be in the Federal interest, 1775 - 1902 |
| Regular Army | Enlisted personnel, 1789 - November 1, 1912 Officers, 1789 - July 1, 1917 |
| Navy | Enlisted personnel, 1798 - 1885 Officers, 1798 - 1902 |
| Marine Corps | All Personnel, 1798 - 1904 |
| Coast Guard | Persons who served in predecessor agencies to the U.S. Coast Guard: the Revenue Cutter Service (Revenue Marine), the Life-Saving Service, and the Lighthouse Service, December 31, 1897 and prior |
| Confederate States | Persons who rendered military service for the Confederate States government in its armed forces, 1861 - 1865 |
| Veterans Records | Claims files for pensions based on Federal military service, 1775 - 1916 and Bounty land warrant application files relating to claims based on wartime service, 1775 - 1855 |
To order military service records from Washington, D.C., order online or the NATF Form 86.
Copies of military pension claim files for military service from the American Revolution up to before World War I and bounty-land warrant applications for Federal military service before 1856 can now be ordered online, as well as through NATF Form 85.
Or write: National Archives & Records Administration, Old Military and Civil Records (NWCTB-Military), Textual Services Division, 700 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W., Washington, DC 20408-0001.
20th Century Military Service Records
Military service records from WWI through the present (depending on the service branch) are held at the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis.
| Branch of Service | Dates of Holdings |
|---|---|
| U.S. Army (includes Army Air Corps and Army Air Forces) |
Officers separated from July 1, 1917 - September 30, 2002 Enlisted personnel separated from November 1, 1912 - September 30, 2002 Please Note: Many records were destroyed by fire in the St. Louis Center in 1973. Personnel records of Army members discharged/retired after October 1, 2002, are retained in electronic format by the Army. NPRC has access to the Army's electronic system and will respond to requests for those records. |
| U.S. Air Force | Officers and enlisted personnel separated from September 24, 1947 - September 30, 2004 Please Note: Many records were destroyed by fire in the St. Louis Center in 1973. Personnel records of Air Force members discharged/retired after October 1, 2004, are retained in electronic format by the Air Force and are not transferred to NPRC. |
| U.S. Navy | Officers separated from 1902 - December 31, 1994 Enlisted personnel separated from 1885 - December 31, 1994 Personnel records of Navy members discharged/retired after January 1, 1995, are retained in electronic format by the Navy and are not transferred to NPRC. |
| U.S. Marine Corps | Officers and enlisted personnel separated from 1905 - December 31, 1998 Personnel records of Marine Corps members discharged/retired after January 1, 1999, are retained in electronic format by the Marine Corps and are not transferred to NPRC. |
| U.S. Coast Guard (including: Revenue Cutter Service (Revenue Marine), the Life-Saving Service, and the Lighthouse Service) |
Officers and enlisted personnel separated from January 1, 1898 - present |
To order records from the National Personnel Records Center, in St. Louis:
- If you are a veteran or next-of-kin of a deceased veteran, use eVetRecs, at vetrecs.archives.gov (or use the paper form, SF-180);
- All others, use Standard Form 180;
- Written requests (using Standard Form 180, or letter) should be mailed to: National Personnel Records Center, 9700 Page Ave., St. Louis, MO 63132-5100
Access to Military Service Records is limited. See Services for Veterans, Next-of-Kin, or the Veteran's Representative for more information.
State Records of Service.
Each state keeps service records for its own militia, volunteer regiments, or national guard units. These are usually available at state archives, state historical societies, or state adjutant general’s offices. If a state unit was mustered into federal service, the federal government may have sent copies of records to the office of the state adjutant general.
The Family History Library has microfilmed state military records in many states, including Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Virginia. Many early militia and state records have also been published and indexed. These are described in the state Wiki pages.
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