Are there any public military database records I can search online?
Reasons include employment verification, checking the background of a relative (like a grandfather) or boyfriend / girlfriend. Unfortunately, there aren’t any public military database records that one can easily search online. We’ve gotten a lot of questions about this. Questions like: How do you do a military lookup by name?
Is there a database of active duty military family members?
There’s no database to search. And privacy laws and military rules don’t allow the services to share this information. If you can’t reach a family member on active duty in an emergency, contact the American Red Cross.
Where can I find the military bases dataset?
The Military Bases dataset is May 21, 2019, and is part of the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT)/Bureau of Transportation Statistics's (BTS's) National Transportation Atlas Database (NTAD).
What kind of information can military records provide?
Military records can often provide valuable information on the veteran, as well as on all members of the family. For example: Compiled Service Records: Compiled service records consist of an envelope containing card abstracts taken from muster rolls, returns, pay vouchers,...
Is there a way to look up someone's military record?
You can find veterans' military service records from World War I to the present from the National Personnel Records Center (NPRC). The NPRC houses many types of records, including Official Military Personnel Files (OMPF).
Are people's military records public?
Military personnel records are open to the public 62 years after they leave the military. (To calculate this, take the current year and subtract 62.) Records of any veteran who separated from the military 62 (or more) years ago can be ordered by anyone for a copying fee (detailed below under “cost”).
Are military records confidential?
A certificate of release or discharge , casualty report, death notice or other record pertaining to active duty service issued by the United States Government, classified by the United States Government as confidential and filed for safekeeping with any state, county or local government authority is confidential for a ...
How do I find my father's WWII military records?
To find out if they have any information on your veteran, call them at 800-827-1000. If the Department of Veteran Affairs does not have any information you can try contacting the Veteran Affairs Insurance Center at 800-669-8477.
What Military Records Does Nara have?
The National Archives holds Federal military service records from the Revolutionary War to 1912 in the National Archives Building in Washington, D....
How Can Military Records Help in My Genealogy Research?
Military records can often provide valuable information on the veteran, as well as on all members of the family. For example: 1. Compiled Service R...
How Can I Search The Military Records?
The National Archives holds Federal military service records in two repositories: 1. The National Archives Building in Washington, D.C., for Revolu...
What is AAD in the military?
Using the Access to Archival Databases (AAD) System, you can access and search some of the National Archives' holdings of databases and other electronic or computerized records. These include many military records, such as Enlistment Records, Casualty Reports, Prisoner of War Data, and other records that may be of interest to anyone doing veterans or military research.
Where is the Combat Area Casualties File?
The best known of the electronic records, the Combat Area Casualties File from the Vietnamese Conflict, was one of the primary sources used to determine the names of casualties for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C.
Contact a Service Member in an Emergency
If you can’t reach a family member on active duty in an emergency, contact the American Red Cross. Their Hero Care Center will get information from you and relay it to the service member. You can reach the Red Cross:
Verify Military Service
You may be able to verify a person's active duty status on a given date. You will need their Social Security number and/or date of birth.
Watch Out for Romance Scammers
Beware of people pretending to be military members on social media and dating websites. These scammers will try to get in an online relationship with you. Then they’ll ask for money for fake service-related needs, like travel costs or medical fees. Learn how to avoid military romance scams.
Get Help Contacting a Veteran
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) may be able to put you in touch with a veteran. The VA will forward your written message to the vet if they have their current address on file.
Research by War or Conflict
The National Archives holds Federal military service records from the Revolutionary War to 1912 in the National Archives in Washington, D.C. Military service records from WWI - present are held in the National Military Personnel Records Center (NPRC), in St. Louis, Missouri. See details of holdings.
Research by Topic
Explore records, information, articles and resources at the National Archives organized by subject area.
Military Search Databases for the Army, Air Force, and Navy
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Military Record Search Tools
Veterans History Project: Library of Congress includes this veteran finder tool that lets you locate someone who served in the military. Browse by last name, war, military branch, state of residence, or race.
Other People Search Tools
Other people finders exist, too, that might not be focused on showing military information but could still provide it.
Where can I find military records?
Find military records with the National Personnel Records Center. Image: Army.com. The National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) is located in St. Louis, Missouri. For those that are not able to attend NPRC in-person, the national archives are also available to request online.
Why are military records public?
Our founding fathers established public records to offer full transparency between U.S. citizens and the U.S. government, which is why matters of public health and safety are made readily available.
What is the military verification service?
The first method that you’ll come across when doing a search for something like “verify military service” is the Defense Finance and Accounting Service, otherwise known as DFAS. DFAS is an agency of the Department of Defense that was originally established in 1991 with the sole purpose of managing the DOD’s finances.
What is the requirement for federal agencies to disclose information?
Federal agencies are required by law to disclose any information that is requested by U.S. citizens (or non U.S. citizens) under the FOIA, unless it falls under one of nine exemptions.
How long does it take to check if someone is in the military?
There are many ways to check to see if someone was in the military. Some may takes days or weeks to get verified. Others, like online background checks, may produce results in minutes yet cost a fee.
How to tell if someone is a veteran?
Image: Wikimedia. Another way to find out if someone is a veteran or not is to ask him or her for a copy of their DD-214. The DD Form 214, or DD-214, is a Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty. It is provided to every service member of the U.S. Military upon discharge.
Why do we need to verify if someone is serving in the military?
Reasons include employment verification, checking the background of a relative (like a grandfather) or boyfriend / girlfriend.
What is GPS in the military?
The Global Positioning System (GPS) is a space-based satellite navigation system built and maintained by DoD and is freely available to anyone in the world with a GPS receiver. In addition to navigation, uses of GPS include precise timing for financial transactions, search and rescue, communications, farming, recreation and both military and commercial aviation. GPS is operated by the 2nd Space Operations Squadron at Schriever Air Force Base, Colorado.
Why was the National Weather Service called the Weather Bureau?
The National Weather Service was originally known as the Weather Bureau of the United States under the Secretary of War as Congress felt that "military discipline would probably secure the greatest promptness, regularity, and accuracy in the required observations.".
What is the USACE? What are its functions?
USACE maintains direct control of 609 dams, maintains and/or operates 257 navigation locks, and operates 75 hydroelectric facilities generating 24% of the nation's hydropower and three percent of its total electricity. In addition, USACE inspects over 2,000 Federal and non-Federal levees every two years. Information about the river traffic through USACE locks and dams is available at the Lock Performance Monitoring System.
