Sorry for the mess!

The site is undergoing a massive update. All the content on the site still works but things just might look a little messy and disorganized. Most of the upgrades will probably be don by the end of the month. Thank you for your understanding!

Updated Jan 23, 2025

 

In This Section

  
This section contains the following topics:
 
Topic
Topic Name
1
2
3
4
5
6

1.  Requests for Records Held by NPRC That Require Priority Handling

Change Date

   January 25, 2024

III.ii.2.D.1.a.  Priority Processing of Requests for Records Held by NPRC in Certain Circumstances

  

Priority handling of requests for records at the National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) is necessary under certain circumstances.

Claims processors submitting priority Personnel Information Exchange System (PIES) requests must notify the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Liaison Office (VALO) of the request, by sending an e-mail to the VAVBASTL/RO/LNO mailbox, tagged with High Importance, containing the PIES request ID number and the former service member’s Electronic Data Interchange Personal Identifier (EDIPI).

The following circumstances are eligible for priority processing requests:

  • Purple Heart recipient
    • who submits an original claim, or
    • whose service is the basis of an original death claim
  • emergency admission of a Veteran to a hospital
  • claim involving
    • military sexual trauma, or
    • a disability of a very serious nature, such as carcinoma, paraplegia, or severe burns
  • claim from any Veteran who
    • is homeless
    • is diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) or Lou Gehrig’s disease
    • was seriously injured/very seriously injured in service and is not in receipt of VA benefits
    • is a former prisoner of war (FPOW)
    • received the Medal of Honor
    • is terminally ill
    • is 85 years of age and older, or
    • is experiencing severe financial hardship
  • claim from claimant who is
    • terminally ill
    • a survivor of an FPOW, or
    • experiencing severe financial hardship, or
  • claim has been pending for over one year.

Important:

  • After the priority PIES request is submitted, any claims processor may send follow-up e-mails to the mailbox listed above if the PIES request
    • remains in an Incomplete or Submitted status after 15 days, or
    • has been completed for at least 15 days, but the records are not available in the Veterans Benefits Management System (VBMS).
  • The follow-up e-mail must be tagged as High Importance and include Priority PIES follow-up in the subject line.  Include a copy of the e-mail to and responses from the VAVBASTL/RO/LNO mailbox in the claims folder.
  • The VALO will coordinate with the National Archives and Records Administration to expedite records requests for Veterans over 85 years of age.  However, the majority of these records have been archived or exist in a delicate state due to the fire at NPRC.  A response to the records request may take longer than other expedited requests.

References:  For more information on

2.  Checking the Status of a Request for STRs Transmitted via HAIMS

Change Date

   January 25, 2024

III.ii.2.D.2.a.  Checking the Status of a Request for STRs Transmitted via HAIMS

  

Service treatment records (STRs) are typically received within 45 days from the interface between VBMS and Healthcare Artifacts and Image Management Solution (HAIMS).

When the STR request status message displays a warning or error message, and the guidance in M21-1, Part III, Subpart ii, 2.B.1.e, directs to this block for follow-up,

  • submit a request for STRs using the O99 request code in PIES
  • self-address PIES request address code 7 under tab for the appropriate branch of service, and
  • in the O99 request code free-text box, state,

The STRs have not been received from HAIMS within 45 days.  Please contact the Single Point of Entry (SPoE) to locate the STRs and upload the STRs into HAIMS.

Note:  When a regional office (RO) submits a proper PIES request, the VALO within the Centralized Support Division contacts the appropriate branch of service for the STRs.

Reference:  For more information on locating, obtaining, and following up on STRs for members of the Reserve or National Guard, see M21-1, Part III, Subpart ii, 2.B.1.b.

3.  Following up on Requests for Records Submitted Though PIES

Introduction

  

This topic contains general information on requests for records submitted through PIES, including

Change Date

   January 25, 2024

III.ii.2.D.3.a.  Following Up on PIES Requests for Records Held by NPRC

  

Except as noted in M21-1, Part III, Subpart ii, 2.D.3.c, users may determine the status of any requests they previously submitted for records held by NPRC (PIES address code 13) by viewing the status codes that PIES displays for each request.  Once the VALO at NPRC responds to a request, the overall status of that request changes to CO (closed out).

After the PIES request has been submitted, any claims processor may send a follow-up e-mail to the VALO staff at the VAVBASTL/RO/LNO mailbox if the PIES request:

  • remains in an Incomplete or Submitted status after 45 days, or
  • has been completed for at least 15 days, but the records are not available in VBMS.

Important:  Include a copy of the communication to and responses from the VALO staff in the claims folder to prevent duplicate development by claims processors assigned the claim after the initial follow-up has been sent.  Do not send additional follow-up requests.  Update tracked item suspense dates while the request is pending following standard time frames unless specifically directed by the VALO or Compensation Service staffs.

Exception:  When following up on PIES requests for records that require priority handling, see M21-1, Part III, Subpart ii, 2.D.1.a.

Reference:  For more information on PIES, see the PIES User Guide.

III.ii.2.D.3.b. Following Up on PIES Requests for Records Held by the National Guard or Reserves

  

When a request for service records presumed to be held by a National Guard or Reserve unit has been submitted to PIES address code 7, users may determine the status of the request by viewing the PIES status codes.

Send a final notification letter to the Veteran when the branch-of-service status code is PL (Pending – submit development letter to Veteran), which indicates that 60 days have lapsed with no indication of the location of the records.  The status code should be considered a negative response to the request.  No additional action should be taken in PIES, as the RO will be notified if the records are located at a later date.

Note:  Send a follow-up email to the VAVBASTL/RO/NGRESERVES mailbox if an internal message has been displayed for more than 30 days.  Include a copy of the e-mail to and responses from the VAVBASTL/RO/NGRESERVES mailbox in the claims folder to prevent duplicate development by claims processors assigned the claim after the initial follow-up has been sent.  Do not send additional follow-up requests.

References:  For more information on

III.ii.2.D.3.c.  Handling Incomplete or Inaccurate Responses to PIES Requests for Records Held by NPRC

  
Send an e-mail to VAVBASTL/RO/LNO if
  • a response to a PIES request for records held by NPRC
    • is incomplete, incorrect, or incomprehensible, or
    • contains information about a different Veteran, or
  • records the VALO provided in response to a PIES request do not arrive within five business days.

4.  Requests for Information From DPRIS and RRC

Introduction

  
This topic contains general information on requests for information from DPRIS and MRRC, including

Change Date

  
January 25, 2024

III.ii.2.D.4.a.  Requesting Service Personnel Records Through DPRIS

  
Service personnel records of Veterans who were discharged, having no further service obligation, on or after the dates shown below relative to their individual branches of service are available only through the Defense Personnel Records Information Retrieval System (DPRIS):
  • Army – July 1, 2002
  • Navy – January 1, 1995
  • Air Force – October 1, 2004
  • Marine Corps – January 1, 1999
  • Coast Guard – October 1, 2006, and
  • Space Force – December 20, 2019.
DPRIS pulls electronic copies of service personnel records from image repositories based on information (such as the Veteran’s name, Social Security number (SSN), and branch of service) a user enters when submitting a request for records through this system.  Any erroneous information a user enters may prevent DPRIS from locating the records requested.
 
Notes:
  • Space Force is not currently listed as a branch of service in DPRIS.  Select Air Force as the branch of service when requesting personnel records for Space Force Veterans.
  • The dates above are subject to change as service departments continue to convert older, paper records into electronic images.
  • Follow the instructions in M21-1, Part III, Subpart ii, 2.C.2.b if a negative response is received based on Army service between October 1994 and June 2002.
  • Prior to submitting the request through DPRIS, the user must
    • take a screenshot of the personnel records request page that captures the specific details of the request (and no other parts of the claims processor’s screen), and
    • place the screenshot in the claims folder.
  • When uploading the screenshot to the electronic claims folder (eFolder), use the attributes provided in the table below.
In the document field …
Enter …
SUBJECT
Personnel Records Request Screenshot.
CATEGORY – TYPE
Correspondence – Miscellaneous : Identification Materials.
SOURCE
DPRIS.
DATE OF RECEIPT
the date the request was submitted.
 
Reference:  For information on using DPRIS, see the DPRIS User Guide.

III.ii.2.D.4.b.  Providing Specific Information in MRRC Requests

  
Requests to the VA Military Records Research Center (MRRC) for verification of in-service stressors or exposures are submitted through VBMS.  Military records are organized by units, and further organized by date.  Therefore, MRRC must know the unit designation down to the lowest possible level and most specific date(s) of the incidents.
 
To assist MRRC in conducting optimal research, in addition to the 120-day research window required for stressor and exposure verification requests,
  • include the Veteran’s complete tour dates related to the unit of assignment when the incident/exposure occurred, and
  • use the table below to provide complete unit designation information.
If the Veteran served in the …
Then provide …
Army
full unit designation to the company level.
 
Example:  HHC, 1st Brigade, 2d Armored Division.
Navy
full unit designation and hull numbers for ships.
 
Example:  USS Franklin D. Roosevelt (CVA-42).
 
Reminder:  Some of the ships/units have similar names.
Air Force
squadron and group designations, at a minimum.
 
Example:  366th Field Maintenance Squadron, 366th Combat Support Group.
 
Important:  Providing just the wing is insufficient because there are numerous units under a wing and various unit locations.
 
Notes:
  • Provide precise locations (for example, Seoul, Korea, rather than just Korea).
  • For herbicide exposure verification, provide the circumstances surrounding the Veteran’s exposure, rather than just stating that the Veteran was exposed.
Reference:  For more information on using VBMS to submit requests to MRRC, see the VBMS Core User Guide.

III.ii.2.D.4.c.  Following Up on Requests Submitted Through DPRIS

  
Because DPRIS typically provides responses to requests within one hour, there is no need to follow up on the status of a DPRIS request.
 
Users should submit a follow-up message to a service department action officer using the DPRIS FOLLOW-UP button upon receipt of a response that does not contain the record(s) they requested or there is an issue with the quality of scanned documents received.
  • Upload a copy of the follow-up request to the eFolder.
  • If an action officer does not respond to a follow-up message within 30 days,
    • send an email to the HAIMS-DPRIS corporate mailbox at VAVBAWAS/CO/HAIMS-DPRIS, and
    • attach a copy of the DPRIS follow-up request in the e-mail sent to the HAIMS-DPRIS corporate mailbox.
  • If attempts to obtain copies of records that should be accessible through DPRIS are unsuccessful, follow the instructions in M21-1, Part III, Subpart ii, 1.A.1.e.
Exception:  Users cannot submit follow-up messages through DPRIS to an Army action officer.  Claim processors should e-mail the Army corporate mailbox following instructions in M21-1, Part III, Subpart ii, 2.D.4.d.
 
Important:  Before sending a follow-up message to an action officer, carefully review the original request to ensure it was valid, complete, and routed to the correct service department.  If it was not, submit a new request.
 
Reference:  For more information on submitting follow-up messages to an Army action officer, see M21-1, Part III, Subpart ii, 2.D.4.d.

III.ii.2.D.4.d.  Following Up on DPRIS Requests for Army Records

  
If it becomes necessary to follow up on a DPRIS request for Army records, send an encrypted e-mail to the Army Human Resources Command (HRC) at usarmy.knox.hrc.mbx.tagd-ask-hrc@army.mil and associate a copy of the e-mail with the claims folder.  Users must not include personally identifiable information in the subject line of the e-mail.
 
The e-mail to HRC must contain the following information:
  • Veteran’s full name
  • Veteran’s dates of service
  • last four numbers of the Veteran’s SSN, and
  • a description of the specific records the user is seeking.

III.ii.2.D.4.e.  Following Up on Requests to MRRC

  
View the status of MRRC research requests by selecting the RECORD RESEARCH REQUESTS chevron under the associated end product (EP) in VBMS.  All requests submitted for the claim will be listed separately.  The status of each research request is displayed after the Submitted Request date.
Do not send follow-up email requests to MRRC, as the status of a research request is readily available in VBMS.
 
Note:  If MRRC cannot provide a response due to the required records being unavailable, follow the instructions in M21-1, Part III, Subpart ii, 1.A.1.e.
 
References:  For more information on
  • RO Research Coordinator duty to forward inquiries from the RO to MRRC, see M21-1, Part VIII, Subpart iv, 1.A.4.a, and
  • submitting research requests to MRRC, see the VBMS Core User Guide.

5.  General Information on the Position of MRS

Introduction

  
This topic contains general information on the position of MRS, including

Change Date

  
January 5, 2023

III.ii.2.D.5.a.  Assignment of and Qualifications for an MRS

  
Each RO must designate an employee to serve as Military Records Specialist (MRS).
 
The designated employee must
  • possess expertise in military records, and
  • be thoroughly familiar with the information this chapter contains.

Important:

  • Each RO must designate at least one alternate MRS.
  • If an RO does not have sufficient staffing to designate an MRS, the Veterans Service Center Manager should request an exception to this requirement from the Office of Field Operations.

III.ii.2.D.5.b.  Duties of an MRS

  
An MRS
  • is responsible for local training on requests for service records
  • serves as the subject matter expert with whom claims processors may collaborate on cases with extenuating circumstances
  • completes the formal finding on evidence of service for fire-related cases, as indicated in M21-1, Part III, Subpart ii, 2.F.1.h
  • carries out specific responsibilities that are described in M21-1, Part III, Subpart ii, 2.D.6.

III.ii.2.D.5.c.  Compensation Service Responsibility for Maintaining a List of MRSs

  
Compensation Service maintains a list of MRSs and their alternates.
 
E-mail notification of any change in personnel assigned as an MRS or alternate to the VAVBAWAS/CO/212A corporate mailbox.

III.ii.2.D.5.d.  Electronic Mailboxes for MRSs

  
Each RO must maintain an electronic mailbox to which its MRSs and their alternates have access.  The mailbox will be used by
  • Compensation Service to disseminate instruction, guidance, and training, and
  • Federal records custodians as a means of communicating with individual ROs.
Note:  ROs must e-mail notification of any changes to the name of the electronic mailbox to the Compensation Service corporate mailbox at VAVBAWAS/CO/212A.

6.  MRS Requests for Assistance from Compensation Service

 

  
This topic contains information on MRS requests for assistance from Compensation Service in obtaining service records, including

Change Date

   September 30, 2021

III.ii.2.D.6.a.  When to Contact the Compensation Service  Corporate Mailbox

  
MRSs may contact Compensation Service’s corporate mailbox via e-mail at VAVBAWAS/CO/212A for assistance if
  • all attempts to obtain a Veteran’s service records have been unsuccessful, and
  • there is evidence in the claims folder or an allegation by the claimant of unusual circumstances that could explain the difficulty in locating the Veteran’s records.
Examples:
  • Unsuccessful attempts to obtain the records of general or flag officers.
  • Unsuccessful attempts to obtain records because doing so would require the disclosure of classified information.
  • A records custodian confirms possession of records VA is seeking but
    • denies VA access to the records, or
    • refuses to release the records to VA.
Important:
  • The MRS must utilize the RO military records corporate mailbox discussed in M21-1, Part III, Subpart ii, 2.D.5.d to submit their request for assistance.  Do not use the personal VA e-mail address to submit requests.
  • The MRS must add the Specialized Records Review special issue indicator to a contention on the corresponding EP when contacting the Compensation Service corporate mailbox for assistance.

III.ii.2.D.6.b. Information the Compensation Service  Corporate Mailbox Might Need From an MRS

  
When an MRS requests assistance from Compensation Service, the corporate mailbox might ask them to furnish – preferably by e-mail – a complete history of the attempts made to obtain a Veteran’s records, to include the
  • date of each request for records
  • response(s) to each request, if any
  • names and telephone numbers of persons who have been contacted in an attempt to locate the records, and
  • results of any telephone contacts.
Note:  The MRS should also be prepared to mail or fax copies of all PIES requests/responses and VA Forms 27-0820, Report of General Information, that document telephone contacts made in connection with the search for the Veteran’s records.  Do not send this documentation unless the VAVBAWAS/CO/212A mailbox specifically requests it.
 
Important:  The MRS must add the Specialized Records Review special issue indicator to a contention on the corresponding EP when contacting the Compensation Service VAVBAWAS/CO/212A mailbox for assistance.