Your military benefits/admin.

[Canis-Lupus]

How to Request Military Service Records or Prove Military Service

This belongs in this social group so I'll cut to the why? Because many Vets get out and think they left with every shred of paperwork they needed (or will ever need) for the rest of their lives, most only get a fraction of what is on file, FACT! When you start putting it all together, especially if you plan on approaching the Department of Veterans Affairs, (V.A.) for a Compensation and Pension request/appeal, in my experience of working those with fellow Vets over the past decade new to the ordeal they have ahead: Prove this, who was a witness, where were you when this accident happened, name your C.O. etc., most can't who did more than 3 years and ETS-ed or were discharged by your branch of service. A lot of things were generated on you that are never given out when the uniform is taken off and civilian life kicks back in.
All the questions a DD214 does not answer, they have to start digging and this is the best place to start no matter which branch you served in. Here goes the way to get all the military has on you, I did a long while back, about 6 months went by and then a box arrived in USPS mail, inside a copy of everything from an evaluation report I never saw written on me by my Squad Leader back in 1977 to the reams of official stuff that accurately mapped out 20 years and some months of my life as filed into my records. That is gold dust if you get your medical as well as (2-oh-1) admin files too, one set helps justify the other out, together they give truth to what you now can prove, trust me on that. This link will take you to the place to start, for yourself or a military NOK if it allows you benefits like survivor ones.

How to Request Military Service Records or Prove Military Service (DD Form 214, DD-214, DD214

Some of you may find some pretty amazing stuff about you that you never even saw before or knew your name was say on a list submitted when a unit was awarded a Presidential Unit Citation or campaign ribbon that you have the ribbon for but not your name on the list/orders of all who earned it doing some very hairy stuff!
Good luck & make sure your computer's security is tight if you are sending cyber-requests with personal info on it through your ISP. Please try to keep this thread for this subject/topic [MILITARY BENEFITS] and send me internal e-mail if you need the privacy an open forum doesn't give you, and the pointers I may be able to shoot your way in private USA-Carry e-mails. I can't do your C & P for you but the link above is the 1st thing any VSO will ask you about.

Canis-Lupus