Service Record

Having an updated copy of your service record is like having a copy of your birth certificate — you never know when you might need to provide a copy of it. If you don’t have a copy of your service record, it can take a long time to get one, but if you have one in a file already, you can send a copy to a potential employer the same day they ask.

Using Your Service Record to Prepare for Civilian Life

The best time to make sure your service record is accurate is when you’re still on active duty. Follow these tips to work on your service record while you get ready for your transition to civilian life:

• Read your service record carefully to make sure it lists all schools, awards, copies of Permanent Change of Duty Station Orders and Active Duty for Training Orders, and documentation of Earned Retirement Points if you were ever in the Selected Reserve.
• Use your service record to make a list of all the jobs and positions you’ve held in the past.
  • Start with your current position and work backwards. List each job title with a one-line description of duties and dates (for example, “March 2008 – June 2013”).
  • If you held more than one job within the same command, list them individually.
  • Also list any equipment you worked on and the command or unit you were assigned to.
  • Keep this list in a simple one- or two-line format.
  • Where you can, translate the military jargon and acronyms into civilian terms. This will help when you want to put this list information into a resume format. Military.com offers a Military Skills Translator and CareerOneStop.org provides lists possible civilian words for military terms and acronyms.

Requesting Your Service Record

The U.S. Armed Forces keep an Official Military Personnel File (OMPF) for every veteran and service member. This includes your military discharge paperwork, known as a DD214.

If you don’t have a current one, ask for a copy of your complete service record. There are many reasons you may need your record to prove something in the future, such as trainings you completed or awards you got.

• If you are a veteran or a service member serving as active duty, Reserve, or Guard, or if you are retired, then you can use the Defense Personnel Records Information Retrieval System (DPRIS) page on the milConnect website to ask for and get scanned copies of documents in your OMPF.
  • Not all OMPF records are on DPRIS on milConnect. To find out if your documents are there, what to do if they are not, and for other details about your OMPF documents, visit the DPRIS section in the frequently asked questions page on milConnect.
• For OMPF records not available on milConnect and for veteran health records, or if you are a family member of a veteran or a member of the public (and therefore cannot access milConnect), the National Archives explains how to request Military Service Records in a variety of situations.
  • The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) explains the type of records available and how to request them.
  • The National Archives gets thousands of requests for records daily, so it can take time to get a response. To avoid causing further delays, the Archives website recommends waiting 90 days before sending a follow-up request.