DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY -- NAVAL HISTORICAL CENTER
901 M STREET SE -- WASHINGTON NAVY YARD
WASHINGTON DC 20374-5060

Official Service And Medical Records

The Naval Historical Center does not have custody of any personnel or medical records. The Military Reference Branch, National Archives, Washington, DC 20408 (phone 202-501-5671) has custody of records relating to naval officers from 1798 to 1902 and enlisted men from 1798 to 1885. Naval service records of the Revolutionary War period are fragmentary, including only such information as the serviceman's name and rank, the name of the vessel on which he served, and the dates of his service or the dates on which he was paid. Abstracts of service performed by most commissioned Regular Navy officers, volunteer naval officers of the Civil War period, some noncommissioned officers, and a few professors and teachers at the U.S. Naval Academy were compiled by the Navy Department.

These abstracts, covering the period 1798 to 1924, usually provide the date of the officer's appointment, the date and nature of changes in rank, as well as the date and nature of the termination of his service. Prior to 1885, the Navy Department did not assemble any compilations of service for enlisted men. Records pertaining to such service are scattered among many files, registers, returns, reports, and other related records held by the National Archives.

The National Personnel Records Center, 9700 Page Boulevard, St. Louis, Missouri 63132-5100 has custody of the official individual personnel records of Navy commissioned officers separated after 1902 and Navy enlisted personnel separated after 1885. These records include the full name of the serviceman, next of kin, date of enlistment, date retired, units with which he served, and any medals and awards to which the veteran was entitled, as well as other details. Information from these records is available to the veteran, or if deceased, to the next of kin. A separate request should be sent for each veteran. If signed by the next of kin, the relationship to the veteran must be specified and proof of death presented. In order to get information on an individual's naval career, please fill out the Standard Form 180 and send it to that agency. All requests must include full name, service number (social security number after 1970), date and place of birth, and calendar years of naval service. If the service number is unknown, it can usually be located by specifying the individual's name, his command, and when he served in a letter to the Military Reference Branch, National Archives, Washington, DC 20408. That office can usually discern the service number from the command's muster rolls or the list of officers in the deck log of a ship.

Veterans are entitled to one set of their medals and awards. To request his medals, a veteran should send in a separate completed form to the Naval Liaison Office, National Personnel Records Center, 9700 Page Boulevard, St. Louis, Missouri 63132-5100. Please write "Do not open in mailroom" on the outer envelope.

The official medical records of retired servicemen, as well as hospital and some ship sick call logs, are held by the National Personnel Records Center. Information from these records is available to the veteran, or if deceased, to the next of kin. A separate request should be sent for each veteran. If signed by the next of kin, the relationship to the veteran must be specified and proof of death presented. In order to get information from medical records and/or sick call logs, please fill out the attached form, Request for Information Needed to Locate Medical Records, as well as Standard Form 180 mentioning you want medical records, and send it to the National Personnel Records Center, ATTN: NCPMA-O, 9700 Page Boulevard, St. Louis, Missouri 63132-5100.

For recently retired personnel for the first fifteen months after discharge, transfer to the fleet reserve, or retirement, any personnel questions should be sent to Commander, Naval Military Personnel Command, Washington, DC 20370, while medical questions should be directed to Commanding Officer, Naval Reserve Personnel Center, New Orleans, Louisiana 70149.

Generally after 15 months, all questions should be referred to National Personnel Records Center as described previously. However, there are two exceptions, questions about identification cards, qualifications status, mobilization, changes of address and changes in the status of dependents should go to Commanding Officer, Naval Reserve Personnel Center, New Orleans, Louisiana 70149. Any questions on retirement pay should be sent to Commanding Officer, Navy Finance Center, Retired Pay Department, Anthony J. Celebrezze Federal Building, Cleveland, Ohio 44199.

12 May 1996