Official Military Personnel Files (OMPFs)
(including active duty health records)
NPRC (MPR) stores records of individual military service pertaining to former service members who no longer have a service obligation. Included are records of veterans who are completely discharged (with no remaining reserve commitment), or who are retired or have died. Starting in 1995, the military service departments gradually began retaining their personnel records in electronic format and all but the Coast Guard now have stopped transferring them to NPRC-MPR. NPRC (MPR) does not have records of members who are still in the active or inactive reserves or in the National Guard. The records of each military service department on file at NPRC (MPR) include the specific dates listed below:
| Branch of Service | Earliest Official Military Personnel Folders at NPRC (MPR) |
|---|---|
| Air Force | Officers and Enlisted separated September 25, 1947 - September 30, 2004 |
| Army | Officers separated July 1, 1917 - September 30, 2002 Enlisted separated November 1, 1912 - September 30, 2002 |
| Navy | Officers separated January 1, 1903 - December 31, 1994 Enlisted separated January 1, 1886 - December 31, 1994 |
| Marine Corps | Officers and Enlisted separated January 1, 1905 - December 31, 1998 |
| Coast Guard | Officers and Enlisted separated on or after January 1, 1898 |
Notes: Military personnel records for individuals separated before these dates are on file at the National Archives and Records Administration, Old Military and Civil Records Branch (NWCTB), Washington, DC 20408. E-mail address: http://www.archives.gov/contact/inquire-form.html. *
Approximately 16-18 million Official Military Personnel Files pertaining to certain Army and Air Force service members were destroyed in a disastrous fire at NPRC (MPR) in 1973. Alternate record sources are used to reconstruct basic service information destroyed in the fire.
Most Official Military Personnel Files at NPRC (MPR) contain both personnel and active duty health records. However, in 1992 the Army began retiring health records to the Department of Veterans Affairs. The other services (except the Coast Guard) implemented this change during 1994. The Coast Guard completed implementation in 1998.
Personnel Record Portion: The military personnel record was created to be an administrative record. It documents enlistment/appointment, duty stations and assignments, training, qualifications, performance, awards and medals, disciplinary actions, insurance, emergency data, administrative remarks, separation/discharge/retirement, and other personnel actions. The DD Form 214, Report of Separation, or equivalent is filed in the Official Military Personnel File. Detailed information about the veteran's participation in military battles and engagements is NOT contained in the record.
Health Record Portion: Health records cover outpatient, dental, and mental health treatment which a former member received while in the military service. Health records documents include induction and separation physical examinations, and routine medical care (doctor/dental visits, lab tests, etc.) when the patient was not admitted to a hospital. In comparison, clinical (hospital inpatient) records are NOT filed with the health records but are generally retired to NPRC (MPR) by the facility which created them.
The health records were formerly retired to NPRC (MPR) with the personnel record portion when a member was released, discharged, or retired from active duty. That practice has been discontinued. In 1992, the Army began retiring most of its former members' health records to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The other services made this change on the dates shown below:
| Branch | Status | Health Record To VA |
|---|---|---|
| Army | Discharged, retired, or separated from any component | October 16, 1992 |
| Air Force | Discharged, retired, or separated from Active
Duty Discharged or retired from Reserves or National Guard |
May 1, 1994 June 1, 1994 |
| Navy | Discharged, retired, or separated from any component | January 31, 1994 |
| Marine Corps | Discharged, retired, or separated from any component | May 1, 1994 |
| Coast Guard | Discharged, retired, or separated from Active Duty - Reservists with 90 days active duty for training | April 1, 1998 |
After the dates shown on the chart above, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Records Management Center , St. Louis, MO, maintains the active duty health records or manages their whereabouts when on loan within the VA. Call the VA toll free number at 1-800-827-1000 to identify the current location of specific health records and to find out how to obtain releasable documents or information.
* Please see our Privacy Statement
"NARA ensures, for the Citizen and the Public Servant, for the President and the Congress and the Courts, ready access to essential evidence."
