To obtain copies of your military records and/or  Report of Separation from Active Military Service (DD Form 214 or equivalent)  you must submit a Request Pertaining to Military Records (Standard Form 180) to the records custodian of your branch of service.  Addresses for each service’s records custodian are found on page 2 of the SF 180.  The SF 180 requires a signature and must be submitted either by mail or fax.

The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is the official repository for records of discharged military personnel. Paper copies of military service and pension records held may be ordered from the facility which holds the records, either the National Archives in Washington, DC or the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis, MO. Please see this website for further information: http://www.archives.gov/veterans/military-service-records/get-service-records.html.

Military records are found in several Record and Manuscript Groups. Click here for information on the French and Indian War, Revolutionary War, War of 1812, Mexican War, Civil War, Pennsylvania National Guard, Spanish-American War, Mexican Border Campaign, World War I, World War II, and Vietnam Conflict. Yes. There is an online name index to Revolutionary War pension records at the Pennsylvania State Archives.

Various archives and libraries in Pittsburgh maintain records of some religious institutions. Search the online catalog at the History Center or visit the Archives Service Center's online research guide to see if these institutions hold relevant religious records. (Archives Service Center contact information and location can be found on their home page.) Also, contact the Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh Archives and Record Center for information about Pittsburgh's Catholic parishes.

The Veterans History Project does not hold any veterans’ records. To request replacement records you need to contact the National Personnel Records Center, Military Personnel Records (NPRC-MPR) in St. Louis. View instructions for requesting replacement records.

In order to get your military service records upgraded/changes, you must contact your respective service Board for Correction of Military Records. Contact information for each board is listed below:

To obtain copies of your mother’s record - write to the National Personnel Records Center, Military Personnel Records, 9700 Page Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63132-5100, fax request to (314) 538-4175, or access their website:  center@stlouis.nara.gov

Military veterans and the next of kin of deceased former military members may now use a new on-line military personnel records system to request documents. The National Personnel Records Center is working to make it easier of veterans with computers and Internet access to obtain copies of documents from their military files. Other individuals with a need for documents must still complete a Standard Form 180 that can be downloaded from the on-line web site.

The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is the official repository for records of military personnel who have been discharged from the U.S. Air Force, Army, Marine Corps, Navy and Coast Guard. Paper copies of military service and pension records can be ordered by mail from the facility which holds the records. Visit National Personal Records Center.

Military records are federal records that are maintained by the National Archives. The Archives does have copies of Veterans Bonus Records for veterans who filed for a Bonus Payment after they served. These records documenting WWI, WWII, Korea, and Vietnam contain copies of the individual's discharge papers. Veteran Bonus Records are restricted but permission to view them may be obtained by the Office of Veterans Affairs.

Try NARA (US National Archives & Records Administration) Access to Military Service and Pension Records :

You can obtain your own military personnel and medical records by filling out "Standard Form 180" which is available for you to print out at the National Archives and Records Administration website: http://www.nara.gov/regional/mpr.html You may also contact your County Veterans Service Officer for assistance in completing any forms for veterans services. He or she can help you get the most efficient service from the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Individual military departments do not maintain files or records pertaining to individuals no longer on Active Duty. When an individual is separated from military service (because of retirement, discharge from Active Duty or death), his/her Field Personnel File (containing all military and health records) is forwarded for storage to the National Personnel Records (Military).

Even if your physician moved, retired, or died, his/her estate has an obligation to retain your records, including immunization records, for a period defined by federal and state law. Often this retention period is 10 years following your last visit (or until a child/ patient is 21). You may be able to locate your records by contacting:

The ADVA web locator has had good success in connecting veterans to former buddies. The web locator contains hundreds of requests from veterans seeking other veterans. The locator is classified by major unit and you can submit your request in a matter of minutes. For more information, go to the ADVA Locator. item can also be inserted into the Americal Newsletter. Space is limited but every attempt is made to publish all locator requests.

The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) Great Lakes Region office in Chicago. Holds retired records from federal agencies and courts in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin. Go to this section of the NARA website where you'll find that Census Bureau records are in Record Group (RG) 29. Read "Know Before You Go: U.S. Customs and Border Protection Regulations for U.S. Residents" produced by U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

They are not being destroyed. The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) preserves and protects the files because they are permanently valuable records that document the essential evidence of military service for veterans. However, there is a rumor circulating on the Internet that advises veterans to apply for their Official Military Personnel Files to save them from destruction. There is no truth to this "urban legend" being perpetuated on the Web.

All personnel rosters and card indices (Stammrollen und Karteimittel) of the Prussian Army, the transition army (Übergangsheeres), the Army (Reichswehr), and the Imperial Navy (Kaiserlichen Marine) were burned in an air raid on Berlin in February 1945. Preserved are medical records of those soldiers who were being treated in military hospitals (Lazarett).

No. The Illinois Department of Public Health, Division of Vital Records only has birth, death, marriage and divorce records. Military service information is available from the Illinois State Archives. Information about these records and how to access them can be found on the Genealogy in the Illinois State Archives page of the Illinois Secretary of State's Web site.

II. The section is derived mostly from Form 180 (rev.7/86) which is used to request information about Military Personnel:

All personnel rosters and card indices (Stammrollen und Karteimittel) of the Prussian Army, the transition army (Übergangsheeres), the Army (Reichswehr), and the Imperial Navy (Kaiserlichen Marine) were burned in an air raid on Berlin in February 1945. Preserved are medical records of those soldiers who were being treated in military hospitals (Lazarett).

Most Canadian military records are held by the National Archives of Canada. Please see the Military and Civilian Personnel Records section of the National Archives website, at the following address: Also, the Regina location of Saskatchewan Archives has some records pertaining to Saskatchewan servicemen. The records of the Department of Public Works contain nominal rolls of the Canadian Expeditionary Force in World War I. The names are arranged by battalion only.

These are federal records held by the National Archives and Records Administration. For information about requesting these records, please see their web page on access to military service and pension records Our state military records include Civil War muster rolls and copies of World War I enlistment/discharge records for some Kansas servicemen. For more information, please see our military records page.

My office can help you obtain military records and discharge papers. To begin the process of obtaining your military records, please begin to prepare your case. Then, fill out form 180 and mail it to my Clarks Summit office: If you have further questions or would like to follow up, please contact Joe Fabricatore in my Clarks Summit office at (570) 585 - 9988 or call 866-846-8124 toll free. You may also contact Joe Fabricatore via e-mail at Joe.fabricatore@mail.house.gov.

Submit your request on Standard Form 180, "Request Pertaining to Military Records", available at most government offices such as the Veterans Administration. The form is broken down by service...Air Force, Coast Guard, Marine Corps, Army, and Navy. A list of custodians corresponding to your category of service (active, reserve, officer, enlisted, etc.) is provided with a specific mailing address to where your records are kept.

Military service records, military pensions records, and bounty land warrants would all be useful. Genealogy Research in Military Records should be one of your first stops.

Requests can be made by veterans or their next of kin and should be made on a government form that is called the Standard Form 180. It provides information about the service history of the veteran and the specifics of the request being made. The form must be submitted to the appropriate Military Records Center. Assistance in obtaining records or medals can be provided by Veterans Service Organizations such as the VFW, American Legion, DAV, VVA, etc. and local and state veterans agencies.

We recommend that you use Standard Form (SF) 180, Request Pertaining to Military Records. Instructions for obtaining a copy are available through: http://www.archives.gov/research_room/vetrecs Generally, military service records prior to the 20th Century are in the National Archives Building, Washington, D.C. More information is available on NARA's research room page. You may also wish to contact the National Archives Inquire mailbox