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Request Your Military Service Records (including DD214)

Find out how to request your military records, including your DD214, through the milConnect website.

Once I’ve signed in to MilConnect, how do I request my military service records?

Follow the steps below to request your records.

  1. From your signed-in homepage, click or tap on Correspondence/ Documentation. Then select Defense Personnel Records Information (DPRIS) from the drop-down menu.
  2. Choose the Personnel File tab.
  3. Select Request My Personnel File.
  4. Fill out the form. In the Document Index section, check the boxes next to the document(s) you'd like to request.
  5. Click or tap on the Create and Send Request button.

What types of records can I request with this tool?

You can request documents from your Official Military Personnel File to view and download.

You can request your:

  • DD214
  • DD215
  • Report of Separation
  • Other release papers

You can also request documents with information about your service, such as your:

  • Orders and endorsements
  • Performance reports
  • Awards and decorations (commendatory items)
  • Qualifications, licenses, and certificates
  • Security clearance

What happens after I request my records?

You’ll receive an email letting you know your request is being processed. You’ll receive a second email when your request is complete and your files are ready for you to view and download.

You can also check the status of your request by signing in to milConnect and going to the Personnel File tab within the Defense Personnel Records Information (DPRIS) section. This is also where you’ll view and download your files once they’re ready.

Are there other ways to get my military service records?

Yes.

You can request your military records in any of these ways:

  • Mail or fax a Request Pertaining to Military Records (Standard Form SF 180) to the National Personnel Records Center (NPRC).
    Download Form SF 180.
  • Write a letter to the NPRC. Send it to:

    1 Archives Drive
    St. Louis, Missouri 63138

  • Visit the NPRC in person
  • Contact your state or county Veterans agency
  • Hire an independent researcher

How do I request someone else’s military records?

If you’re a family member planning a burial for a Veteran in a VA national cemetery

Call our National Cemetery Scheduling Office at 1-800-535-1117. We can help you get the Veteran’s DD214 or other discharge documents you may need.
Get more information about planning a burial.

If you’re the next of kin of a Veteran who has passed away

You can request a copy of the Veteran’s military records in any of these ways:

  • Mail or fax a Request Pertaining to Military Records (Standard Form SF 180) to the National Personnel Records Center (NPRC).
    Download Form SF 180.
  • Write a letter to the NPRC. Send it to:

    1 Archives Drive
    St. Louis, Missouri 63138

  • Visit the NPRC in person
  • Contact your state or county Veterans agency
  • Hire an independent researcher

You may be considered the next of kin if you’re related to the Veteran in any of these ways:

  • Surviving spouse who hasn't remarried, or
  • Parent, or
  • Child, or
  • Sibling

If you’re not the Veteran’s next of kin

If the Veteran was discharged more than 62 years ago, you can order a copy of their military records. The National Archives opens all records to the public 62 years after discharge.
Learn how to access archived records.

If the Veteran was discharged less than 62 years ago, you may be able to request limited information from their Military Personnel File.
Find out about general public access to military records.