Thu Feb 01, 2007
Decorations
Whom do I contact about medals earned but never received or lost?
The National Personnel Records Center’s website provides information on requests for the issuance or replacement of military service medals, decorations, and awards. That site is http://www.archives.gov/veterans/military-service-records/replacement-medals.html
Hope you receive what you have earned.
Web Sergeant
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Thu Jan 25, 2007
Locating Someone
How can I locate someone?
Responsibility for current military personnel records falls within the jurisdiction of the military departments, not the Office of the Secretary of Defense. Therefore, requests for military addresses should be sent to the respective service of the individual whose address is being sought. There is no comprehensive source for e-mail addresses. Even if there were, military regulations and the Privacy Act of 1974 do not permit the military departments to provide home addresses or telephone numbers of service personnel. Moreover, regulations do not permit random dissemination of listings of names and addresses of service personnel. These regulations have been established to protect individual service men and women from commercial exploitation and to respect their right of privacy. Because of the large volume of requests that each service locator receives, please allow four weeks processing time for written requests.
Specific information
The following information is needed for all requests for all locator services:
Give as much identifying information as possible about the person you wish to locate such as full name, rank, last duty assignment/last known military address, service number, and Social Security number.
The locator service is free to immediate family members and government officials. Other family members, civilian friends, businesses and others must pay $3.50. The check or money order must be made out to the U.S. Treasury. It is not refundable.
Air Force World Wide Locator
The AF World Wide Locator handles official and unofficial requests to locate Air Force Personnel. Official requests are defined as requests received from any government agency and the Department of Defense (DoD). All other requests are considered unofficial in nature.
The AF World Wide Locator only has location information on individuals who are currently receiving compensation from the USAF (Active Duty, Guard, Reserve, Retired, and Civil Service Personnel). If the individual has separated from the AF, no information is available.
LOCATION/MAILING ADDRESS:
HQ AFPC/DPDXIDL
550 C St West Ste 50
Randolph AFB, TX 78150-4752
CUSTOMER SERVICE HOURS:
Monday-Friday (except Federal Holidays)
7:30 am - 4:30 pm (Central Standard Time)
COMMERCIAL: (210) 565-2660
MILITARY TO MILITARY: (DSN) 665-2660
REQUIRED INFORMATION:
The following information is required to make a positive identification:
Full name to include a middle initial, rank (officer/enlisted/GS)
Social Security Number or Air Force serial number
Date of birth or an Air Force duty history including the place, month and year of assignments after June 1970
No assignment information is available prior to June 1970.
OFFICIAL REQUEST:
DoD official requests may be handled over the phone, providing the requester gives their full name, rank, SSN, organization and purpose of the request. Failure to provide requested information will result in non-disclosure of requested information.
Federal or State Government agency requests for information must be in pursuant to the Privacy Act as stated in the United States Code 552(a)(7). The request must be in writing on official letterhead and signed by a Section Chief or higher.
Law enforcement agency requests must be in writing on the appropriate letterhead.
UNOFFICIAL REQUESTS:
All unofficial requests must be in writing and fees may not be applicable.
Your request should state who you are looking for, your name, address and telephone number. Put this information in an unsealed envelope with a return address, proper postage affixed and the individual's name in the addressee portion of the envelope. Place this envelope in a larger envelope with your check or money order for $3.50 made payable to DAO-DE RAFB and mail to the Locator address given above. Your request constitutes consent to release of this information to the member.
FEES:
A fee of $3.50, per individual request, is required from all personnel or businesses requesting addresses on military personnel. Requests must be in writing.
The World Wide Locator also provides a "Statement or Verification of Service". This applies to Active Duty Air Force personnel only. A fee of $5.20, per individual written request, is required.
Checks or money orders must be made payable to DAO-DE RAFB.
There is no fee for requesters that are either on active duty, serving in the guard or reserve, or individuals that are retired.
United States Army
The Army will help you locate individuals on active duty only, not retirees. The place to start is the Army World Wide Locator. The address is:
Commander
U.S. Army Enlisted Records & Evaluation Center
ATTN: Locator
8899 East 56th Street
Fort Benjamin Harrison, IN 46249-5301
United States Navy
The Navy's locator service helps locate individuals on active duty and those whose service ended less than a year ago. In addition, the Navy will forward letters as long as the correct postage is affixed to the envelope. You can call the locator service at 1-901-874-3388. Unless you are active military, local or federal government, or a family member, the fee for researching an address is $3.50 per address. Fees are retained in cases resulting in an unsuccessful search or for unreleasable addresses. Mail your correspondence with your fee, check or money order payable to UNITED STATES TREASURER, to the following address:
World Wide Locator
Bureau of Naval Personnel
PERS 312F
5720 Integrity Drive
Millington, TN 38055-3120
United States Marine Corps
The Marine Corps can provide the duty station for active duty personnel and reservists. For retired individuals, the locator service can provide the city and state, but not an address. The service will provide the service member's current rank and unit address; however, due to the locator's staffing, the office cannot forward mail except in special cases. Telephonic requests to 1-703-640-3942/43 are free of charge to immediate family members and government officials calling on official business. In addition, telephonic service will be provided at no cost to any individual, business or organization, if the Marine locator decides the information would benefit the individual. Send written locator requests to:
Commandant of the Marine Corps
Headquarters, USMC
Code MMSB-10
Quantico, VA 22134-5030
Hope this information is helpful,
Web Sergeant
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Thu Jan 18, 2007
Killed in Action
I heard a friend of mine was killed recently in a military operation. Where is a list of those killed in action so I can confirm this?
Information about those killed in action is available at http://www.defendamerica.mil/fallen.html You can also get the latest casualty reports from Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom at http://www.defenselink.mil/news/casualty.pdf
Hope your friend is not on the list.
Web Sergeant
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Thu Jan 11, 2007
Unidentified Flying Objects
What information is available about UFOs?
If you are looking for admission by the Department of Defense confirming the existence of unidentified flying objects, you won't find it. But to answer your question, you can find information about DoD's participation in investigating UFOs at http://www.defenselink.mil/faq/pis/16.html
Good luck!
Web Sergeant
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Thu Jan 04, 2007
Surplus Auctions
Where can I get information about military surplus auctions?
Please contact the Defense Reutilization and Marketing Service at 1-888-352-9333. You can also visit their website at http://www.drms.dla.mil/
Hope you find what you are looking for.
Web Sergeant
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Thu Dec 28, 2006
Military Records
How can I obtain military records?
Former active-duty Air Force personnel who retired or separated on or after Oct. 1, 2004, can request copies of personnel records by writing to AFPC/DPFFCMP, 550 C St. W., Suite 19, Randolph AFB, TX 78150 or faxing (210) 565-4021 or DSN 665-4021.
People requesting their own records need to send a signed note that includes their name, Social Security number, contact information and specific record requested. Those requesting a relative's record also need to provide their relationship to the former Airman.
Former Guard and Reserve Airmen who retired or separated on or after Oct. 1, 2004, can write to HQ ARPC/PSDC, 6760 E. Irvington Place, Suite 4000, Denver, CO 80280 or fax (303) 676-7071 or DSN 926-7071.
Those who retired or separated before Oct. 1, 2004 can visit the National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) Web site at http://www.archives.gov/st-louis/index.html for record request instructions.
Regardless of date of separation, medical and dental records are sent to the NPRC.
The other military departments do NOT maintain files or records pertaining to individuals no longer on active duty. When an individual is separated from military service (because of retirement, discharge from active duty, or death) his/her Field Personnel File (containing all military and health records) is forwarded for storage to the National Personnel Records Center (Military), 9700 Page Boulevard, St. Louis, MO 63172. The Records Center is under the jurisdiction of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) of the U.S. Government.
An individual's complete service record is available to the former service member or, if deceased, to his/her next of kin (parents, spouse, children, brothers and sisters) at http://www.archives.gov/veterans/evetrecs/. Limited information (such as dates of service, awards, and training) is available to anyone. Not available to the general public is information that would invade an individual's privacy, such as medical records, Social Security number, or present address.
The St. Louis Center receives many thousands of requests for service records each week, so please be aware that there may be a lengthy delay. The St. Louis Center will process requests with greater speed and accuracy if the requestor uses a Standard Form 180, "Request Pertaining to Military Records." The form is available as a Portable Document File (PDF) or through request at the St Louis Center's office.
Standard Form 180, which contains instructions, is also available from most veteran organizations or by writing to the National Personnel Records Center. If requesting the records of a relative, a requester should mention the relationship to the former member (brother, uncle, or other). There is no charge for this service to former service members or their next of kin. For others, a nominal fee is charged for research and reproduction costs. (In this regard, files at the Records Center are maintained as historical records only and are not updated to reflect current data on the former service member.)
Notes:
1) Contrary to published accounts, the Department has not published a "booklet on military records," but I hope the above information will be useful.
2) Of incidental interest for individuals compiling family histories: the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), 8th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20408, (telephone: 202-501-5400) provides assistance to those interested in genealogy. NARA normally charges a nominal fee for research and reproduction costs.
Also, the National Personnel Records Center is working to make it easier for veterans with computers and Internet access to obtain copies of documents from their military files.
Military veterans and the next of kin of deceased former military members may now use a new online military personnel records system to request documents. Other individuals with a need for documents must still complete the Standard Form 180 that can be downloaded from the online web site.
The new web-based application was designed to provide better service on these requests by eliminating the records center's mailroom processing time. Also, because the requester will be asked to supply all information essential for NPRC to process the request, delays that normally occur when NPRC has to ask veterans for additional information will be minimized.
Veterans and next of kin may access this application at http://vetrecs.archives.gov
Great Question!
Web Sergeant
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Fri Dec 22, 2006
Rank Comparison
I am looking for a chart or comparison between military rank and civilian (civil service) rank. Do you know of any such regulation or AFI that might give some guidance on the subject?
The comparison can be found in DOD Instruction 1000.1, Attachment 1. This publication, which covers Identity Cards Required by the Geneva Conventions, can be found at http://www.dtic.mil/whs/directives/corres/pdf/i10001wch2_013074/i10001p.pdf
Thanks for asking,
Web.Sergeant@MilitaryWebs.com
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Thu Dec 21, 2006
Support the Military
How can I support the Military?
There are so many organizations that are dedicated to supporting the military. I recommend starting at AmericaSupportsYou.mil. The Department of Defense gleans organizations before adding them to this site, which gives you a good feeling that the organization is legitimate and not a scam. You can also check out the Support the Military category under the Citizen category on our site. You will find lots of organizations enlisting your support for the military.
Thanks for your question!
Web Sergeant
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Wed Dec 20, 2006
Ask the Web Sergeant
Introducing: Ask the Web Sergeant
Ask the Web Sergeant is a feature of MilitaryWebs.com. You have questions, the Web Sergeant has the answers (ten-hut!). Wonder where on the web something related to the military is? Ask the Web Sergeant. Want your grandfather's service record? Ask the Web Sergeant (no, we don't have the records but we know where you can get them). Need a million dollars? Ask someone else. For most things, the Web Sergeant is all you need. For the others, there's MasterCard.
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