This page shows textual changes in the document between the two versions indicated in the dates above. Textual matter removed in the later version is indicated with red strikethrough and textual matter added in the later version is indicated with blue.
This guide provides information on locating military unit histories and individual service records of discharged, retired, and deceased military personnel. It also provides information on locating and replacing military awards and medals. Included is contact information for military history centers, websites for additional sources of research, and a bibliography of other publications, including related CRS reports.
The Military Personnel Records division of the National Personnel Records Center (NPRC), —a component of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) located in St. Louis, Missouri, MO—holds most existing U.S. military personnel, health, and medical records of discharged and deceased servicemembers of all services from World War I to the present.1 Some older records have been electronically scanned to reduce the handling of fragile records. See NARA's site "Access to Military Service and Pension Records" at https://www.archives.gov/research/order/research/order/order-vets-records.2
Official Military Personnel File (OMPF) records may be requested online at https://www.archives.gov/veterans/military-service-records, via the eVetRecs online system,3 or by using the Standard Form (SF)180 and submitting by mail (the appropriate address listed on the back of the form), or fax (314-801-9195).
. According to NPRC, OMPF is primarily an administrative record, containing information about the subject's service history such as: date and type of enlistment/appointment; duty stations and assignments; training, qualifications, performance; awards and decorations received; disciplinary actions; insurance; emergency data; administrative remarks; date and type of separation/discharge/retirement (including DD Form 214, Report of Separation, or equivalent); and other personnel actions. Detailed information about the veteran's participation in battles and their military engagements is NOT contained in the record.4.1 of the deceased veteran."5
If an individual does not meet the definition of a NOK, he or she is considered a member of the general public and may request military personnel records via the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). See "Access to Official Military Personnel Files (OMPF) for the General Public" at https://www.archives.gov/personnel-records-center/ompf-access-public.
More information about obtaining military personnel files from 1917 to present can be found on the NPRC website, https://www.archives.gov/personnel-records-center/military-personnel, or by contacting the center at
National Personnel Records Center
1 Archives Drive
St. Louis, MO 63138
Tel: [phone number scrubbed] public customer service line
Status Update Request Form: https://www.archives.gov/personnel-records-center/forms
Older military personnel records (generally prior to 1917) are located at
National Archives and Records Administration (NARA)
Textual Archives Services Division
Washington, DC 20408
https://www.archives.gov/veterans/military-service-records/pre-ww-1-records
Types of military service records stored in Washington, DC:, can be found at https://www.archives.gov/veterans/military-service-records/pre-ww-1-records#nwctb-list.
Information on this site includes how to order copies of military pension application files from the U.S. federal government between 1775 and 1903. This does not include state or Confederate military pension application files.
Information for Congressional Officescongressional offices is available at https://www.archives.gov/veterans/military-service-records/congressional-information.
The information on this page is specifically to help congressional offices respond to constituents who have contacted their Members of Congress asking for assistance. This contact information follows:
Tel: [phone number scrubbed]
Fax: [phone number scrubbed]
Email: [email protected]
https://www.archives.gov/veterans/military-service-records/congressional-information
In 1973, a fire at NPRC destroyed approximately 16 million to 18 million Army and Air Force official military personnel files.26 In such cases where files were lost, NPRC uses alternate sources of information to respond to requests.
See also the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) site on how to reconstruct military records destroyed in the NPRC fire at https://www.va.gov/records/get-military-service-records/reconstruct-records/. This site provides guidance on military records needed to submit disability compensation claims and explains how the VA reconstructs service records lost in the 1973 NPRC Firefire.
For guidance on the review of discharges and military corrections boards, see NARA's "Veterans' Service Records: Correcting Military Service Records."37 For information on the military service review boards this page lists, see the following contact information:
Air Force Review Boards Agency:8: https://afrba-portal.cce.af.mil/
Army Review Board Agency: https://www.army.mil/arba
Board for Correction of Military Records for the Coast Guard: https://www.uscg.mil/resources/legal/bcmr/
Board for Correction of Naval Records [Navy and Marine Corps]: https://www.secnav.navy.mil/mra/bcnr/Pages/default.aspx
Secretary of the Navy – —Council of Review Boards [Navy and Marine Corps]: https://www.secnav.navy.mil/mra/CORB/Pages/default.aspx
Don't Ask, Don't Tell (DADT)
On September 20, 2023, the 12th anniversary of the repeal of DADT (P.L. 111-321), the Department of Defense (DOD)9 announced its review of the records of eligible servicemembers administratively separated for their sexual orientation during DADT with a less than fully honorable discharge characterization.410 The review was completed in October 2024, and the corrected records were sent by DOD to the National Archives.511 Letters to affected individuals were then sent by DOD on how to obtain a copycopies of their new discharge certificatecertificates.
The NPRC also provides information and guidance on issuance of military awards; how to request replacing certain military awards and decorations for veterans, their NOK, and the general public; and obtaining a Cold War Recognition Certificate.6 Individuals can request information on military service medals, decorations, and awards online: at https://www.archives.gov/personnel-records-center/awards-and-decorations.
By military service (Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force including Army Air Corps and, Army Air Forces, and Space Force12) via mail or online:
National Personnel Records Center
1 Archives Drive
St. Louis, MO 63138
https://www.archives.gov/veterans/military-service-records
For Coast Guard:
Coast Guard Personnel Service Center
4200 Wilson Blvd., Suite 900 (PSC-PSD-MA)
Stop 7200
Arlington, VA 20598-7200
The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 1998 (P.L. 105-85) in Section 1084 required the Secretary of Defense to prepare a certificate recognizing the Cold War service of qualifying members of the Armed Forces and civilian personnel of DOD and other government agencies contributing to national security. This certificate, known as the "Cold War Recognition Certificate," may be awarded upon individual request to all members of the Armed Forces and qualified federal government civilian personnel who served the United States during the Cold War era from September 2, 1945, to December 26, 1991.713
The NDAA for Fiscal Year 2022 (P.L. 117-81) in Section 583 required the Defense Secretary to design and produce a commemorative military service medal known as the ''Atomic Veterans Commemorative Service Medal" to honor the service and sacrifice of veterans who were instrumental in the development of the U.S. atomic and nuclear weapons programs. Veterans eligible for the medal are those who, while performing official military duties during the period of July 1, 1945, to October 1, 1992,
(1) directly participated in the detonation of an atomic weapon or device;
(2) directly participated in the cleanup of radioactive material resulting from any such atmospheric detonation;
(3) directly participated in the cleanup of radioactive material resulting from an accident associated with an atomic weapon; or
(4) were exposed to ionizing radiation resulting from the operational use of atomic weapons during World War II.814
See the links below for additional details on the commemorative medal and certificate.
The Modern Military Records office of NARA has custody of records relating to World War I, World War II, Korea, and Vietnam. The records vary by conflict and branch of service; for. For example, the records for Army units active during the interwar periods (1920-1939 and 1945-1950) are incomplete. For more information, contact Textual Consultation at the following:
Textual Consultation
National Archives and Records Administration at College Park
8601 Adelphi Road
College Park, MD 20740
https://www.archives.gov/college-park
Email: [email protected]
If a military unit record is not publicly available, a FOIA request may be submitted to the agency where the record is held. For example, for special access records held at the National Archives at College Park, contact the Archives FOIA office at the following:
Special Access and FOIA Program
National Archives and Records Administration at College Park
8601 Adelphi Road
Room 5500
College Park, MD 20740-6001
Tel: [phone number scrubbed]
https://www.archives.gov/research/foia
Email: [email protected]
For more information on how to submit a FOIA request, visit https://www.foia.gov/how-to.html.
Other types of auxiliary and organizational records, —including Army morning reports, Army unit rosters, Army officer pay cards (WWI and WWII), Air Force morning reports, Navy muster rolls (ships only), U.S. Army Surgeon General's office records, and VA and Veterans Administration index cards (WWI and WWII) are maintained at the National Archives in St. Louis, MO. Further information regarding these records, as well as the timespan of available records for each category, are available at https://www.archives.gov/st-louis/other-records. Certain published unit histories can also be found in the collections of the military departments (see Table 1).
|
Center or Museum |
Telephone Number |
|
|
Air Force |
||
|
U.S. Air Force Historical Research Agency |
[phone number scrubbed] |
|
|
Email preferred for requesting information. Note: Due to recent staff reductions, this division is accepting official requests only from congressional staff. The public is directed to submit requests to the AF Historical Research Agency. |
|
From the AFHRA website: "Due to an increase in official requests and low manning, the AFHRA is not accepting unofficial requests at this time. Veterans who need supporting documentation to support a VA claim should use the Contact Us link with 'VETERAN CLAIM ASSISTANCE' written in the subject line." For official congressional inquiries, please contact the Secretary of Air Force/Office of Legislative Liaison. Contact information is available for congressional clients in CRS Report 98-446, Congressional Liaison Offices of Selected Federal Agencies, by Audrey Celeste Crane-Hirsch. |
[phone number scrubbed] |
|
|
Army |
||
|
U.S. Army Center of Military History |
|
|
|
U.S. Army Heritage and Education Center (USAHEC) Note: USAHEC has a large collection of veterans' surveys from the Spanish American War to the present that is not found elsewhere. |
The USAHEC LibAnswers page is the preferred means for requesting information at https://usawc.libanswers.com/ahec |
|
|
Coast Guard |
||
|
U.S. Coast Guard Historian's Office |
Email preferred for requesting information . |
|
|
U.S. Coast Guard Museum |
[phone number scrubbed] |
|
|
Marine Corps |
||
|
Archives Branch, Marine Corps History Division
|
From the Archives Branch, Marine Corps History Division website: "If you are inquiring from the office of a member of Congress, please direct your question to the Congressional Liaison Service, Office of Congressional and Legislative Affairs."
|
|
|
Marine Corps Heritage Foundation |
[phone number scrubbed] toll free |
|
|
National Museum of the Marine Corps |
[phone number scrubbed] toll free |
|
|
Merchant Marine |
||
|
American Merchant Marine Museum |
[phone number scrubbed] |
|
|
Navy |
||
|
Naval History and Heritage Command |
[phone number scrubbed] library |
|
Source: Table compiled by the Congressional Research Service.
Notes:
a. AFHRA retains copies of submitted U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force unit histories. b. Due to recent staff reductions, this division is accepting official requests only from congressional staff. The public is directed to submit requests to AFHRA. c. USAHEC has a large collection of veterans' surveys from the Spanish American War to the present that is not found elsewhere.d. The link to the "Requests for Information, Support, Appointments, or Donations Form" is available at the following address: https://www.usmcu.edu/Research/History-Division/#tab_requests-for-information-support-appointments-or-donations.
VA's "Duty to Assist" and Veterans Accredited RepresentativesTo support disability claims of exposure to hazardous materials (e.g., Agent Orange, asbestos, radiation), some veterans may seek access to Army morning reports, unit rosters, pay cards, Navy muster rolls, Captaincaptain logs/Navy Deckdeck logs, and other records from their time in military service.15
Please note: If a veteran is searching for records to support a claim for VA benefits, VA is required "make a reasonable effort to help"16 collect evidence for the veteran. This is known as VA's "Duty to Assist." This evidence may include "VA medical records, military service records, other types of federal records, [and] private medical records, like reports from a non-VA hospital or from your private health care providers."17 For more information, see CRS In Focus IF12799, Veteran Disability Compensation and Pension Exams, by T. Lynn Sears. The VA also accredits attorneys, claims agents, and Veterans Service Organization representatives to assist veterans filing claims.18 Also see, CRS Report R46428, Veterans Accredited Representatives: Frequently Asked Questions, by Tamar B. Breslauer. logs, and other records from their time in military service.
For more information on hazardous material exposures, see the VA's Military Exposure site at https://www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/index.asp and the Exposures by Wars and Operations site at https://www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/wars-operations/index.asp.
For Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans see the VA's Blue Water Navy Veterans and Agent Orange Exposure site at https://www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/agentorange/locations/blue-water-veterans.asp. The Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act of 2019 (P.L. 116-23) extended the presumption of herbicide exposure, such as Agent Orange, to veterans who served in the offshore waters of the Republic of Vietnam between January 9, 1962, and May 7, 1975. See CRS In Focus IF11368, Expansion of Benefits to Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans, by Sidath Viranga Panangala.
For Airborne Hazards and Burn Pit Exposures see the VA's Public Health site at https://www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/burnpits/. The VA continues to study the long-term health issues of deployed veterans and their exposure to burn pits used at military waste sites in Iraq, Afghanistan, and other areas of the Southwest Asia Theater of military operations.
On August 10, 2022, P.L. 117-168, —also known as the Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act of 2022, or the Honoring our PACT Act of 2022, —became law. This act addresses "health care, presumption of service-connection, research, resources, and other matters related to veterans who were exposed to toxic substances during military service."919
For Contaminated Water Exposure at Camp Lejeune, see Section 804 of the PACT Act known as the Camp Lejeune Justice Act (CLJA) of 2022. The CLJA allowed people including veterans previously exposed to contaminated water at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North CarolinaNC, to file a new claimnew claims with the Department of the Navy. The CLJA deadline to file a claim was August 10, 2024, and the Navy is no longer accepting new CLJA claims. See the Navy Judge Advocate General's website for additional information including the status of a claim filed.10
For background information, see also archived CRS Report R46107, FY2020 National Defense Authorization Act: Selected Military Personnel Issues, coordinated by Bryce H. P. Mendez, in the section "Screening and Testing for Environmental and Occupational Exposures"; archived CRS In Focus IF11813, Presumptive Service Connection: Former Servicemembers of Camp Stronghold Freedom at Karshi-Khanabad (K2) Airbase, by Bryce H. P. Mendez; and related CRS products on VA health care and disability in the sources listed in the next section.
Record requests for Merchant Mariners (members of the U.S. Merchant Marines) are available on the U.S. Coast Guard's National Maritime Center (NMC) website. Merchant Mariners or their next-of-kin (NOK) may obtain copies of their records.
Contact information follows:
National Maritime CenterAttn.: Correspondence (NMC-41)100 Forbes DriveMartinsburg, WV 25404
The National Maritime Center recommends use of its record request form: https://www.dco.uscg.mil/Portals/9/NMC/pdfs/records_request/correspondence_request.pdf.
The Department of Transportation Maritime Administration (MARAD) maintains a website about Mariner Medals, including eligibility. These medals are granted by the Department of Transportation. Merchant Mariners and civilian mariners who supported the nation's Armed Forces in combat may be eligible for medals. Conflicts for which medals are granted include "World War II, Korea, Vietnam, Operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom, and Operations Restore Hope and United Shield and related operations in Somalia from December 5, 1992 to March 31, 1995."1121 For service during World War II, some Department of DefenseDOD and foreign government recognition medals are available.1222 P.L. 100-324 allows MARAD to accept original applications for awards World War II mariners were eligible for but for which they did not apply. Mariners and their NOK may also make such applications.1323
Merchant Mariners and civilian mariners may qualify as veterans under specific circumstances, depending largely on when the marinerthey served. For more information, see CRS In Focus IF12242, Veteran Status Based on Service with Certain Civilian Groups, by Scott D. Szymendera.
[Archived] CRS In Focus IF11813, Presumptive Service Connection: Former Servicemembers of Camp Stronghold Freedom at Karshi-Khanabad (K2) Airbase, by Bryce H. P. Mendez [Archived] CRS Report R46107, FY2020 National Defense Authorization Act: Selected Military Personnel Issues, coordinated by Bryce H. P. Mendez
CRS In Focus IF10418, Do Veterans Have Choices in How They Access Health Care?, by Sidath Viranga Panangala
CRS In Focus IF10490, Veterans' Employment, by Benjamin Collins
CRS In Focus IF10594, Defense Primer: Concurrent Receipt of Military Retirement and VA Disability, by Kristy N. Kamarck
CRS In Focus IF11082, Veterans Health Administration: Gender-Specific Health Care Services for Women Veterans, by Jared S. Sussman
CRS In Focus IF11368, Expansion of Benefits to Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans, by Sidath Viranga Panangala CRS In Focus IF11656, State Veterans Homes, by Jared S. Sussman
CRS In Focus IF11886, Veteran Suicide Prevention, by Michele L. Malloy and Jared S. Sussman
CRS In Focus IF11200, Gold Star Designation: An Overview, by Carly A. Miller
CRS In Focus IF13019, The VA Fiduciary Program: An Overview, by T. Lynn Sears CRS In Focus IF13213, Veterans Affairs Life Insurance (VALife), by T. Lynn Sears CRS In Focus IF12799, Veteran Disability Compensation and Pension Exams, by T. Lynn Sears CRS In Focus IF12799, Veteran Disability Compensation and Pension Exams, by T. Lynn SearsScott D. Szymendera
CRS Report 95-519, Medal of Honor: History and Issues, by Barbara Salazar Torreon
CRS Report R42704, The Purple Heart: Background and Issues for Congress, by Barbara Salazar Torreon and Carly A. Miller
CRS Report R42747, Health Care for Veterans: Answers to Frequently Asked Questions, by Sidath Viranga Panangala and Jared S. Sussman
CRS Report R44837, Benefits for Service-Disabled Veterans, coordinated by Scott D. Szymendera
CRS Report R46412, Veterans Service Organizations (VSOs): Frequently Asked Questions, by Tamar B. Breslauer
CRS Report R46428, Veterans Accredited Representatives: Frequently Asked Questions, by Tamar B. Breslauer
CRS Report R46511, Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA): Pension Programs, by Madeline E. MorenoScott D. SzymenderaMadeline E. Moreno and Tamar B. Breslauer
CRS Report R47212, Modernizing Access to Military Service Records: Frequently Asked Questions, by Meghan M. Stuessy
CRS Report R42755, The Post-9/11 GI Bill: A Primer, by Cassandria Dortch
CRS Report R42785, Veterans' Educational Assistance Programs and Benefits: A Primer, by Cassandria DortchScott D. SzymenderaMadeline E. Moreno
CRS Report R47337, Military Memorials, Monuments, and Museums: Selected Resources for Federal, State, and Local Funding, by Carly A. Miller
CRS Report R48056, Department of Veterans Affairs FY2024 Appropriations, by Sidath Viranga Panangala and Jared S. Sussman
R47542, Honoring Our PACT Act of 2022 (P.L. 117-168): Expansion of Health Care Eligibility and Toxic Exposure Screenings, by Sidath Viranga Panangala
CRS Report R48907, Military Discharges: Character of Service and Eligibility for Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Benefits, coordinated by Madeline E. Moreno
CRS Report RS22483, Health Care for Dependents and Survivors of Veterans, by Sidath Viranga Panangala
Selected Web ResourcesAfrican American Heritage of the Civil War, National Park Service
https://www.nps.gov/subjects/africanamericanheritage/civil-war.htm
This website contains resources about African American military service during the Civil War.
American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC)
The website contains databases of veterans interred or memorialized at overseas American military cemeteries and memorials.
American Revolutionary War Pension Files Transcription Mission https://www.archives.gov/citizen-archivist/missions/revolutionary-war-pension-files
In celebration of the 250th anniversary of American independence on July 4, 2026, NARA and the National Park Service are collaborating on a special project to transcribe Case Files of Pension and Bounty-Land Warrant Applications Basedcase files of pension and bounty land warrant applications based on Revolutionary War Service,service from 1800 to 1912. These Revolutionary War Pension Filespension files consist of applications and other records pertaining to claims for pensions and bounty land warrants.
This project is ongoing, but the "Stories from the Pension Files" page (https://www.archives.gov/citizen-archivist/missions/stories) provides access to those files that have been transcribed.Buffalo Soldiers
https://www.nps.gov/subjects/buffalosoldiers/index.htm
The website contains resources about the Buffalo Soldiers, African Americans who served between 1866 and 1951.
Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System, National Park Service
https://www.nps.gov/civilwar/soldiers-and-sailors-database.htm
This website contains a database of the men who served in the Union and Confederate armies during the Civil War, as well as information on regiment histories, significant battles, and some prisoner-of-war records and cemetery records.
Confederate States of America (CSA) Records at the Library of Congress
https://www.loc.gov/collections/confederate-states-of-america-records/about-this-collection/
This resource provides links to the Official Recordsofficial records of the Union and Confederate Armies, Official Recordsarmies, official records of the Union and Confederate Naviesnavies, and the War Department Collection of Confederate Records. The records of the CSA span the years 1854-1889, with the bulk of the material concentrated in the period 1861-1865, during the Civil War.
Collections and Research from the National WWI Museum and Memorial https://www.theworldwar.org/collections-research
The site provides access to the records of the National WWI Museum and Memorial, which is one ofone the largest WWI collections in the world. Access includes state-level WWI service records.
Military Awards for Valor—Top 3
Official DOD site for the top 3 military awards for valor (the Medal of Honor, Distinguished Service Crosses, and the Silver Star) that lists the names of recipients alphabetically by each military department.
Military Resources: Veterans at the National Archives Library Information Center (ALIC) https://www.archives.gov/research/alic/reference/military/veterans-related.html
This site provides links to veterans' information, military casualties, Prisoners of War/Missing in Action (POW/MIAs)prisoners of war/missing in action, and medals and honors.
Philippine Army and Guerilla Records at the National Archives
https://www.archives.gov/personnel-records-center/military-personnel/philippine-army-records
The collection includes records of the Philippine Commonwealth Army of the United States Armed Forces Far East (USAFFE), including recognized Philippine Guerrillaguerrilla forces (not the Army of the United States or Philippine Scoutsscouts) during World War II.
U.S. Air University Press
https://www.airuniversity.af.edu/AUPress/
This site provides access to the U.S. Air University Press, which includes historical monographs and articles.
U.S. Army Center for Military History
This site contains numerous historical monographs relating to the history of the U.S. Army. This includes the U.S. Army in World War II "Green Books" and the U.S. Army in the Korean War "Black Books."
U.S. Army University Press
https://www.armyupress.army.mil/
This site provides access to the U.S. Army University Press, which includes historical monographs and articles.
U.S. Army War College Publications
https://publications.armywarcollege.edu/
This site provides access to the U.S. Army War College Publications page, which includes historical monographs and articles.
U.S. Marine Corps University Press
https://www.usmcu.edu/MCUPress/MarineCorps-University-Press/
This site provides access to the U.S. Marine Corps University Press, which includes historical monographs and articles.
U..S. National Defense University Press
This site provides access to the U.S. National Defense University Press, which includes historical monographs and articles.
U.S. Naval Postgraduate School Publications
This site provides access to the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School Publications page, which includes historical monographs and articles.
U.S. Naval War College Press
https://usnwc.edu/Publications/Naval-War-College-Press
This site provides access to the U.S. Naval War College press, which includes historical monographs and articles.
VA Nationwide Gravesite Locator at https://gravelocator.cem.va.gov/ngl/index.jsp
The database contains burial locations of veterans and their family members.
Veterans History Project (VHP) at the Library of Congress at http://www.loc.gov/vets/
VHPThis project collects, preserves, and makes accessible the personal accounts of American veterans.
Absher, Jim. "Rebuilding Service Records," April 8, 2022, Military.com at." Military.com, April 8, 2022. https://www.military.com/benefits/records-and-forms/rebuilding-service-records.html.
Beers, Henry Putney. The Confederacy: A Guide to the Archives of the Government of the Confederate States of America. Washington, DC: National Archives and Records Administration, 1998, at. https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015015323671&seq=5.
Borch, Fred L. For Military Merit: Recipients of the Purple Heart. Annapolis, MD: Naval Institute Press, 2010.
Center of Military History. Order of Battle of the United States Land Forces in the World War. Washington, DC:. 3 vols. Center of Military History, U.S. Army, 1988. 3 volumes, at https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/000440953https://history.army.mil/Publications/Publications-Catalog/Order-of-Battle-of-the-United-States-Land-Forces-in-the-World-War/.
Center of Military History. U.S. Army in the Korean War. Washington, DC:. 5 vols. Center of Military History, U.S. Army, 5 volumes, at. https://hdl.handle.net/2027/mdp.39015006562758 (Vol. 1); https://hdl.handle.net/2027/uc1.31210019942117 (Vol. 2); https://hdl.handle.net/2027/uiug.30112051847157 (Vol. 3); https://hdl.handle.net/2027/uc1.l0063408041 (Vol. 4); and https://hdl.handle.net/2027/mdp.39015032208715 (Vol. 5)
Center of Military History. U.S. Army in World War II. Washington, DC:79 vols. Center of Military History, U.S. Army, 79 volumes, at. https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/001546776.
Controvich, James T. United States Army Unit and Organizational Histories: A Bibliography. Lanham, MD: 2 vols. Scarecrow Press, 2003.
——United States Air Force and Its Antecedents: Published and Printed Unit Histories, a Bibliography. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow Press, 2004. January 2001 edition available at https://permanent.fdlp.gov/airforcehistory/www.airforcehistory.hq.af.mil/Publications/fulltext/printed_unit_histories.pdf.
Dinackus, Thomas D. Order of Battle: Allied Ground Forces of Operation Desert Storm. Central Point, OR: . Hellgate Press, 2000.
Dornbusch, C. E. Military Bibliography of the Civil War.. New York: New York Public Library, 1971.
Dyer, Frederick H. A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion. New York:. 3 vols. T. Yoseloff, 1959. 3 volumes, at https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/007123888.
Johnson, Lt. Col. Richard S., and Debra Johnson Knox. How to Locate Anyone Who Is or Has Been in the Military: Armed Forces Locator Guide.. Spartanburg, SC: MIE Publishing, 1999.
Kratz, Jessica,. "Atomic Veterans Commemorative Service Medal," National Archives ." Pieces of History Blog (blog). National Archives, February 21, 2024, at. https://prologue.blogs.archives.gov/2024/02/21/atomic-veterans-commemorative-service-medal/.
Mears, Dwight S. The Medal of Honor: The Evolution of America's Highest Military Decoration. Lawrence, KS: University Press of Kansas, 2018.
National World War II Museum. "St. Louis, July 12, 1973: A Disaster with Long-Last Repercussions,." July 12, 2020, at. https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/articles/st-louis-national-records-fire-july-12-1973.
Olsen, Wyatt. "The Painstaking Effort to Recover Millions of Burned Military Service Records,." Stars and Stripes, August 5, 2013, at. https://www.stripes.com/news/2013-08-05/the-painstaking-effort-to-recover-millions-of-burned-military-service-records-1836051.html1.
Owens, Ron. Medal of Honor: Historical Facts and Figures. . Paducah, KY: Turner Publishing Company, 2004.
Plante, Trevor K. Military Service Records at the National Archives.. Washington, DC: National Archives and Records Administration, 2009, at. https://www.archives.gov/files/publications/ref-info-papers/rip109.pdf.
Stanton, Shelby L. World War II Order of Battle, U.S. Army (Ground Force Units). Mechanicsburg, PA:Order of Battle, U.S. Army (Ground Force Units). Stackpole Books, 2006.
——Vietnam Order of Battle: A Complete Illustrated Reference to U.S. Army Combat and Support Forces in Vietnam 1961-1973. Mechanicsburg, PA: Stackpole Books, 2003.
Stender, Walter and Evans Walker. "The National Personnel Records Center Fire: A Study in Disaster,." The American Archivist, Vol. 37, No. 4. (October 1974), pp.no. 4 (1974): 521-529, at. https://www.archives.gov/files/st-louis/military-personnel/NPRC_fire_a_study_in_disaster.pdf.
U.S. Department of the Army. Office of Military History. Order of Battle of the United States Army Ground Forces in World War II, Pacific Theater of Operations: Administrative and Logistical Commands, Armies, Corps, and Divisions.. Washington, DC: Department of the Army, 1959, at. https://cgsc.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p4013coll8/id/2984.
U.S. Department of the Army. Office of the Theater Historian European Theater. Order of Battle of the United States Army World War II, European Theater of Operation, Divisions. Department of the Army, 1945. https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/tr/pdf/ADA590011.pdf.
U.S. Naval War Records Office. Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion. Harrisburg, PA:. 30 vols. National Historical Society, 1987. 30 volumes, digitalDigital copies of the original editions from the Government Printing Office are available at http://collections.library.cornell.edu/moa_new/ofre.html.
U.S. War Department. The War of the Rebellion: A Compilation of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies. Washington, DC:70 vols. GPO, 1880-1901. 70 volumes, at http://collections.library.cornell.edu/moa_new/waro.html.
| 1. |
National Personnel Records Center, "Access to Official Military Personnel Files (OMPF) - Veterans and Next-of-Kin," site at https://www.archives.gov/personnel-records-center/ompf-access. |
|||||||||
Footnotes1.
|
|
"Starting in 1995, the military service departments gradually began retaining their personnel records in electronic format…. All branches of service have granted NPRC access to the electronic OMPFs of its former military personnel (except for General Officers) to respond to reference requests." See National Personnel Records Center (NPRC), "What Is an Official Military Personnel File (OMPF)?," March 31, 2026, https://www.archives.gov/personnel-records-center/ompf-background. 2.
|
Also see "Who Can Request Documents?" and "Restrictions on Disclosure" in CRS Report R47212, Modernizing Access to Military Service Records: Frequently Asked Questions, by Meghan M. Stuessy.
3.
|
|
"Users are required to verify their identity through the third-party service, ID.me when submitting new requests and retrieving electronic responses. Clicking on Start Request Online [on the webpage] will initiate that process." See NPRC, "Request Military Service Records," March 3, 2026, https://www.archives.gov/veterans/military-service-records. 4.
|
|
NPRC, "What Is an Official Military Personnel File (OMPF)?" 5.
|
|
NPRC, "Access to Official Military Personnel Files (OMPF)—Veterans and Next-of-Kin," March 3, 2026, https://www.archives.gov/personnel-records-center/ompf-access. |
Kerri Lawrence, "Archives Recalls Fire That Claimed Millions of Military Personnel Files," National Archives News, July 23, 2018, |
|
NARA |
||||||||||
|
| ||||||||||
| 9.
|
|
DOD is "using a secondary Department of War designation" under Executive Order 14347 of September 5, 2025, "Restoring the United States Department of War," 90 Federal Register 43893, September 10, 2025, https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/09/10/2025-17508/restoring-the-united-states-department-of-war. 10.
|
DOD, "Don't Ask, Don't Tell Resources," https://www.war.gov/Spotlights/Dont-Ask-Dont-Tell-Resources/.
11.
|
Jim Garamone, "DOD Finishes 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' Discharge Reviews," DOD News, October 15, 2024, |
||||||
|
|
According to an email from NARA dated July 9, 2026, "Space Force operates under the Department of the Air Force, similar to how the Navy and U.S. Marine Corps both operate under the Department of the Navy. The process for requesting records, medals, correcting records, etc. is the same process used for U.S. Air Force veterans." 13.
|
Information on the |
Military Awards and Decorations at https://www.archives.gov/personnel-records-center/awards-and-decorations. |
|||||||
| 7. |
|
|||||||||
|
DOD, "Defense Department Announces Atomic Veterans Commemorative Service Medal," |
||||||||||
| 9. | Also see "How Do Agencies Collect and Manage Military Service Records" in CRS Report R47212, Modernizing Access to Military Service Records: Frequently Asked Questions, by Meghan M. Stuessy. VA, "VA's Duty to Assist." |
|||||||||
|
|
||||||||||
|
MARAD |
||||||||||
|
MARAD |
||||||||||
|
MARAD |