The Official Military Personnel Files (OMPF), housed at the National Personnel Records Center (NPRC), are administrative records that contain details about an individual’s military service history. While many OMPFs used to include both personnel and active-duty health records, this practice was discontinued in the 1990s by the various military branches.
In the past, all military services transferred a service member’s individual health records to the NPRC upon separation from service, along with the personnel records. The Army and Air Force retired health records with the OMPF, while the Department of the Navy (including the Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard) sent these files separately to the NPRC until the 1980s.
Health records document outpatient, dental, and mental health treatment received during military service. They include induction and separation physical exams, routine medical care (such as doctor visits, lab tests, dental check-ups), but not inpatient records.
Clinical (hospital inpatient) records, which are created during hospital stays, are typically not filed with health records. Instead, they are retired to the NPRC by the facility that generated them. Medical records from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) are also not part of these files.
Changes in Record Handling
Starting in the 1990s, the military branches stopped including health records with the personnel portion of the OMPF sent to NPRC. The Army began sending most health records to the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) in 1992, with other services following suit by 1998. By 2014, the practice of transferring these records to the VA was discontinued. To find out where your medical record is located, refer to the chart below:
| Branch | Status | Date | Record Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Army | Discharged, retired, or separated from any component | 10/16/1992 to 12/31/2013 | Department of VA, Records Management Center |
| on or after 01/01/2014 | AMEDD Record Processing Center | ||
| Navy | Discharged, retired, or separated from any component | 01/31/1994 to 12/31/2013 | Department of VA, Records Management Center |
| on or after 01/01/2014 | BUMED Navy Medicine Records Activity | ||
| Air Force | Discharged, retired, or separated from any component | 05/01/1994 to 12/31/2013 | Department of VA, Records Management Center |
| on or after 01/01/2014 | AF STR Processing Center | ||
| Discharged or retired from Reserves or National Guard | 06/01/1994 to 12/31/2013 | Department of VA, Records Management Center | |
| on or after 01/01/2014 | AF STR Processing Center | ||
| Marine Corps | Discharged, retired, or separated from any component | 05/01/1994 to 12/31/2013 | Department of VA, Records Management Center |
| on or after 01/01/2014 | BUMED Navy Medicine Records Activity | ||
| Coast Guard | Discharged, retired, or separated from Active Duty | 04/01/1998 to 09/30/2014 | Department of VA, Records Management Center |
| Reservists with 90 days active duty for training | On or after 10/01/2014 | USCG HSWL SC Medical Administration |
VA Records Center and Vault
Secure, Reliable, Responsive Records Storage and Management Services
VA Records Center and Vault (RCV) provides short- and long-term records storage and records management services for VA and other Federal government agency customers. Located in a subterranean, climate-controlled facility, RC&V provides storage for general, vital, and unscheduled records as well as records held pending litigation freezes. We are committed to providing our customers with the most secure, reliable, and responsible records storage services available at competitive rates.
Fast, Personalized Service
Storing critical records and being able to quickly retrieve them can be burdensome and costly. We understand the importance on providing timely and accurate retrieval of records. Documents stored at the RC&V can be in your hands next business day, or faxed to you within hours. At the RCV, we customize our service to meet your security and access needs.
VA Records Center and Vault Source: https://www.rcv.va.gov/
Filing a Claim for Medical Benefits
Veterans intending to file a medical benefits claim with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) do not need to request their military health records from the NPRC. Once a claim is filed, the VA will obtain the original health record from the NPRC. Additionally, many health records were transferred to the VA prior to the 1973 Fire at the NPRC.
Veterans who have already filed a medical claim should contact the VA to verify if their records are on file. For assistance, veterans can contact the VA at 1-800-827-1000, which will connect them to the nearest VA office.
This information ensures veterans have access to the correct channels to retrieve their records and file claims for medical benefits.
Source: Archives.gov
