Military Personnel Records and Duty History
Personnel and duty records can document where, when, how, and in what status a veteran served—facts that medical records often do not contain.
About this guide
Educational information only. Semper Guide is self-directed software, not a VA-accredited representative, law firm, claims agent, VSO, or medical provider. It does not submit claims or guarantee outcomes.
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Quick answer
The Official Military Personnel File and related duty records may show assignments, occupational specialty, evaluations, awards, deployments, orders, schools, disciplinary actions, and status changes. These records can help verify an event or exposure theory without proving the current medical condition by themselves.
Records that may matterDetails
- DD214 or other separation documents.
- Assignment history, orders, travel vouchers, deployment records, and unit information.
- Performance evaluations describing duties, changes, or attendance.
- Awards, citations, qualifications, flight or jump records, and occupational health information.
- Line-of-duty findings, incident investigations, and administrative actions when relevant.
How they support different claimsDetails
- Location and dates can establish presence in an area covered by a presumption.
- Job descriptions may document routine noise, lifting, airborne, chemical, or other occupational conditions.
- Evaluations and attendance records may corroborate behavioral or functional changes.
- Duty-status records can be critical for Guard and Reserve claims.
Review without overclaimingDetails
- An occupational specialty may make an exposure plausible but does not prove every claimed exposure.
- An award or deployment does not automatically establish a specific injury or stressor.
- Use the record’s exact date, unit, location, and description.
- Pair personnel facts with medical or lay evidence when the claim requires current disability and nexus.
Requesting recordsDetails
- Use the National Archives eVetRecs system or Standard Form 180 when appropriate.
- Some more recent records may be available through milConnect or the service personnel command.
- VA states it will request a DD214 for a benefits application; personal requests can still help you understand the file.
- Do not repeatedly submit identical requests before the record custodian’s response window.
Common questionsDetails
- Are unit records in the personnel file? — Some are not; unit histories, deck logs, and operational reports may require a different request.
- Will the file contain detailed combat narratives? — National Archives notes that detailed battle participation is generally not in the individual personnel record.
- Are old files public? — Federal military records become archival 62 years after separation; access rules differ before then.