| Military service is an integral part of anyone's personal | | | | military records as well. Here is some of the |
| history and so is an important part of family history. | | | | information that you can access without violating the |
| From knowing if your great-great grandfather fought | | | | veteran's privacy: service number, dates of service, |
| in the Civil War to seeing what branch your cousin | | | | branch, rank, assignments and geographical location, |
| served in the Persian Gulf War, finding military | | | | military education, transcripts of Court Martial |
| records can add a richness to your family story. You | | | | proceedings, and place of entrance and separation. |
| may also want to verify military service for a | | | | This doesn't help much if you want to research a |
| perspective employee. Whatever your reason, here | | | | family member who fought in the Revolutionary War, |
| are some ways to access military records. | | | | so there are sites that can help you focus your |
| First, you can try the National Archives. Most | | | | research on more distant veterans. These require no |
| veterans and their next-of kin can get free copies of | | | | permission because they don't violate the Privacy Act |
| DD Form 214, which is the Report of Separation, | | | | of 1974. |
| discharge papers, medical information and more. To | | | | Finding military records is more challenging than finding |
| request these reports, they have to provide the | | | | other types of records, such as birth, marriage, and |
| veteran's service number and Social Security number, | | | | death records. It is still worth your time, however, to |
| branch of service and dates of service, and date and | | | | do a military records search because it can add a lot |
| place of birth. The National Archives also allow | | | | of detail to your family history. |
| members of the general public to access some | | | | |