I get questions all of the time about getting military records. If you’re trying to find the records of a deceased family member or your own records, you can use the form at the National Archives and Records Administration’s website – their Standard Form (SF) 180. It will take 4-6 weeks after they receive the form from you through snail mail.
Hondo wrote a series of posts about filing for a Freedom of Information Act response. He’s since expanded that article series to cover the 1973 NPRC Fire and some aspects of “former POW” claims. These are the links:
The FOIA Process: Part 1 – Intro
The FOIA Process: Part 2 – What Do I Need?
The FOIA Process: Part 3 – What Do I Send, and Where Do I Send It?
The FOIA Process: Part 4 – How Long Will It Take, and How Much Will It Cost?
The FOIA Process: Part 5 – So, What Will I Get?
The FOIA Process: Part 6 – Interpreting the Results and Miscellaneous Thoughts
Military Records and “the Records Fire”
About Those “I Escaped from the VC/NVA” Claims
A Word of Caution Regarding DPAA’s Korean War “POW/MIA Lists”
Korean War POWs: The PRC Detainees
US POWs Since Vietnam – Addendum: the Tehran Embassy Seizure
Non-Vietnam POWs – A Few Others
If you need to correct your records (DD215), the best way is to contact your local Veterans’ Service Organization (VSO – American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Disabled Veterans of America, etc…) and ask them for help. It’s their job, it’s what they do.
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