The current benefits guide is available in English and Spanish.

• Federal Benefits for Veterans and Dependents (2004 Edition) - [PDF]
  This booklet lists the variety of federal benefits available to veterans and their dependents. Selecting the link above will download the booklet as a PDF file.

• Beneficios Federales para los Veteranos y sus Dependientes
  La versiуn en Espaсol de el folleto "Beneficios Federales para los Veteranos y sus Dependientes", el cual explica la variedad de beneficios disponibles para los veteranos y sus dependientes, se encuentra disponible en versiуn PDF al presionar aquн.

You can download a free copy of Acrobat Reader.

Frequently Asked Benefit Questions

How do I Obtain My Medals?

Your military discharge form will provide you with a list of medals  your final military unit earned at the time of your discharge. These are the medals that you are authorized to possess.  You can purchase copies of your medals from any military medals retailer.

If you feel your discharge form does not accurately list all the medals you received, you will need to request a copy/review of your military records to determine if orders were cut, and placed in your military personnel file, awarding you other medals.

What is the Procedure to Obtain a Copy of My Military Records?

1. Complete a Standard Form 180 (SF 180), Request Pertaining to Military Records (See below)

2. Mail the completed SF 180 to:

The National Personnel Records Center
Military Personnel Records
9700 Page Avenue
St. Louis, MO 63132-5100

The SF 180 is available by viewing and downloading the form with Adobe Acrobat, Portable Document Format (PDF) or printing the GIF versions. You will have to download and install the free copy of Adobe Acrobat Reader if it is not available on your computer. This will allow you to access the PDF files in your web browser. Unfortunately, previous PDF readers will not work with this format. If you do not have the specified hardware, you may continue to use the lesser quality of the GIF versions provided.

To request a copy of the SF 180 to be mailed to you, please call one of the national records request lines. (See below)

Where Can I Find the SF 180, "Request Pertaining To Military Records"? 

This form is used to request a person’s military record.

Complete the form using Acrobat Reader, available for free at http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html

Click Here for more information about military record requests.

 

What happened during the 1973 Fire at the National Personnel Records Center (MPR)?

On July 12, 1973, a disastrous fire at NPRC(MPR) destroyed approximately 16-18 million Official Military Personnel Files. The affected record collections are described below.

Branch	Personnel and Period Affected	Estimated Loss
Army	Personnel discharged November 1, 1912, to January 1, 1960	80%
Air Force	Personnel discharged, September 25, 1947, to January 1, 1964 (with names alphabetically after Hubbard, James E.)	75%

No duplicate copies of the records that were destroyed in the fire were maintained, nor was a microfilm copy ever produced. There were no indexes created prior to the fire. In addition, millions of documents had been lent to the Department of Veterans Affairs before the fire occurred. Therefore, a complete listing of the records that were lost is not available.

How Do I Obtain a Copy of My Health Record?

1. Complete a  Standard Form 180 (SF 180), Request Pertaining to Military Records

2. Submit  the completed SF 180 (See above)

3. Medical records are kept at one of 58 regional VA centers around the country or at the national Veterans Administration Records Management Center in St. Louis, (314) 263-2800

4. Consult you local telephone directory for the address of your nearest VA office, or phone toll-free, 1-800-827-1000

What are the Telephone Numbers to the National Personnel Records Center?

Air Force: (314) 538-4243
Army: (314) 538-4261
Navy/ Marine Corps/ Coast Guard: (314) 538-4141

Callers to these lines will receive a tape recorded statement and be able to leave a message with their name and address. The center will mail the forms necessary to submit a request.