Press Release
September 22, 2004
False Rumor Regarding Destruction of Veterans Records Rumor Hinders
National Personnel Records Center’s Ability to Answer Veterans’ Reference Requests
Washington, DC. . . There is a false rumor circulating on the Internet, in
e-mails, and among veteran service organizations that Official Military Personnel
Files (OMPFs) at the National Personnel Records Center, operated by the National
Archives and Records Administration, will be digitized and then destroyed. This
rumor is NOT TRUE.
Neither the Department of Defense (DoD) nor the National Personnel Records
Center intend to destroy any OMPFs stored at the Center. The purpose of any electronic
scanning would be to help preserve the originals and increase efficiency in handling
reference requests.
The National Archives and Records Administration preserves
and protects OMPFs that were transferred from the military service
departments because they are permanently valuable records that document the essential
evidence of military service for the veterans of our nation. NPRC stores and
services OMPFs for retired, discharged, or deceased military personnel.
The National Personnel Records Center responds to approximately 4,000 requests
pertaining to military records each day, totaling more than one million requests
each year. Many of those requests are for Separation Documents (usually DD Form
214) and the Center answers the majority of those inquiries in ten days or less.
Requests resulting from this false rumor will have a negative impact on NPRC’s
ability to respond to requests from veterans with real immediate needs, such
as medical treatment, employment, retirement, etc.
* * *
For press information, contact the National Archives Public Affairs staff
at 202-501-5526 or 301-837-1700.
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