United States Military Service Records

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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 ArchivesBuilding 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.

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 &amp; 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 (NPRC) in St. Louis.

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 Representativefor more information.

Please note: The service records of all former active military service personnel who were discharged, retired, or who had died in service, prior to 1949, are now open to the public. These archival records are treasured by family members, historians, researchers, and genealogists.

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.

National Guard Records
Serivce records of former National Guard members who were not called into active Federal military service are held by the state. Contact the Adjutant General of the state in which the member served.