How to Request Your Service Treatment Records for a VA Claim

The National Personnel Records Center (NPRC)

The NPRC in St. Louis, Missouri, is the repository for most military service records. Request processing times vary significantly:

• Recent separations (post-2000): Records are often digitized and available relatively quickly (2-4 weeks).
• Older records: Processing can take several months. The NPRC has a significant backlog.
• Records destroyed in the 1973 fire: A fire at NPRC destroyed approximately 16-18 million records, primarily affecting Army personnel discharged between 1912-1964 and Air Force personnel discharged between 1947-1964 with names alphabetically after Hubbard, James E. If your records fall in this category, alternative sources must be used.

How to Submit SF-180

The SF-180 can be submitted through multiple channels:

• Online (eVetRecs): The fastest method. Go to the National Archives website and submit electronically. Requires identity verification.
• Mail: Download SF-180, complete it, sign it, and mail to NPRC. Include a copy of your DD-214 or other identification.
• Fax: Fax the completed form to NPRC. Slightly faster than mail.

When completing the form, be specific about what you're requesting. Check all boxes that apply — service treatment records, dental records, and any specific hospitalization records. If you know specific dates of treatment or incidents, include those details to help NPRC locate relevant records.

What to Do When Records Are Missing

Missing or incomplete records are frustratingly common but are not a bar to filing a successful claim. The VA has a heightened duty to assist when records are lost through no fault of the veteran. Alternative evidence options include:

• Buddy statements. Sworn statements from fellow service members who can attest to the in-service event, injury, or condition. These are lay evidence that the VA must consider.
• Personal records. Letters home, photographs, personal journals, or any contemporaneous documentation of the in-service event.
• Surgeon General's Office (SGO) records. For older records, SGO extracts may exist as an alternative source of inpatient treatment information.
• Morning reports and unit records. Unit-level records that document personnel actions, medical evacuations, and significant events.
• VA medical records. If you received VA treatment shortly after separation, those records may document conditions present at discharge.
• Private medical records. Records from civilian physicians shortly after service that document conditions and reference military onset.
• Personnel records (201 file). Even if medical records are lost, personnel records may document injuries (through line of duty determinations), combat action, deployments, or physical profiles that corroborate the veteran's account.

The VA's Duty to Assist

Under 38 U.S.C. § 5103A, the VA has a legal obligation to assist veterans in obtaining evidence necessary for their claims. This duty is heightened when service records are missing due to no fault of the veteran:

• The VA must make reasonable efforts to obtain records from all identified sources.
• If records cannot be obtained, the VA must notify the veteran and explain what further efforts will be made.
• The VA must consider alternative sources of evidence more liberally when official records are unavailable.
• The benefit of the doubt standard (38 C.F.R. § 3.102) applies with particular force when the government has lost the veteran's records.

Types of Military Records Beyond STRs

Several other record types can support a VA claim:

• DD-214 (Certificate of Release or Discharge): Confirms service dates, MOS, decorations, and characterization of service. Essential for establishing qualifying service for presumptive claims.
• Personnel records (Official Military Personnel File): Duty assignments, performance evaluations, disciplinary actions, and administrative records.
• Deployment records: Orders, travel vouchers, and deployment history that establish presence in specific locations for toxic exposure claims.
• Unit histories: Historical records of the veteran's unit that may document environmental conditions, hazards, or significant events.
• Deck logs (Navy): Ship logs that document port calls, operations, and events that may be relevant to exposure claims.

Tips for Working with Records

• Request everything early. Don't wait until you're filing a claim to request records. Processing times can be months.
• Keep copies of everything. Once you receive records, make copies and keep them in a safe location. Records can be lost again.
• Review records carefully before filing. Understand what's documented and what's not. Plan your evidence strategy around what the records show.
• Look for patterns, not just specific incidents. Repeated sick call visits for the same complaint, ongoing medication prescriptions, and physical profile changes all tell a story of a chronic condition.
• Note the separation physical. What was documented (or not documented) at separation is often pivotal. If the separation exam shows a condition, it's strong evidence. If it doesn't mention a known condition, the nexus letter should explain why (conditions can be intermittent, veterans often don't report symptoms at separation).