How to Access Military Service Records
ACTIVE DUTY AND RESERVE:
Veterans who served on active duty or in the Reserve, and the family members of those veterans, are eligible to receive service-related documents for free. Submit a signed Standard Form 180/Request Pertaining to Military Records standard-form-180.html to the National Personnel Records Center or to the individual services based on the contact information on page 2 of the SF-180.
- Request a copy of DD-214 online or by mail of fax using form SF-180 through the National Archives website.
- Individuals with an ebenefits Premium account can also access their DD-214 through the ebenefits portal.
Veterans can also access their information directly through the federal Office of Veterans Affairs after setting up a Milconnect account on the VA website. https://www.va.gov/records/get-military-service-records/
NATIONAL GUARD:
National Guard members are encouraged to contact their State Adjutant General. Contact information for each State National Guard Agency can be found at https://www.nationalguard.mil/Resources/State-Websites/
Rhode Island National Guard (RING): https://ri.ng.mil/
Members of the Rhode Island National Guard (RING) that are currently serving can access their service documents through their respective service administrative portal:
https://iperms.hrc.army.mil/login/
https://myfss.us.af.mil/USAFCommunity/s/login/
Former or Retired members of the RING may request their service documents by emailing ng.ri.riarng.list.j1-perms@army.mil or calling the Personnel Services Branch at 401-275-4174
Retired members of the RING can also request their service documents through the active duty links above.
NOTE:
Many “for profit” third-party commercial businesses are charging for the services described above, often advertising that they can expedite processing or delivery times for documents. These claims are false, because no increased levels of service or access to veteran records are provided to these commercial entities. By requesting these documents directly through the government agencies listed, you can eliminate the middle man, saving yourself time and money.