How do you verify military service?
It’s a common question that many folks have about service members.
Unfortunately, some people attempt to take advantage of others by posing as if they served in the U.S. Armed Forces.
Therefore, conducting a quick background investigation confirms the identity of the person and military service.
Discover 6 easy (and free) ways to verify military service, below:
6 Easy & Free Ways To Verify Military Service
Note: If you’re looking for the quickest way to find someone in the military, check out a background check service called Truthfinder.
You’ll find exactly who you’re looking for in literally minutes. Even better, you’ll be able to access info like:
- Current & previous contact phone numbers
- Current & previous addresses
- Criminal records
- Social media profiles
- Businesses
- Licenses
- Finances
- And much more
Click Here Now to visit the official Truthfinder website.
There are many advantages and benefits of serving in the U.S. military.
Often, these benefits continue after service, which causes some individuals to take advantage of the system.
It’s a crime to fake your identity and pose as military personnel.
Nevertheless, some folks will attempt to fake their identity to receive military benefits or other types of special treatment.
For this reason, it’s crucial for employers and companies to confirm the identity of service members.
Thankfully, there are many avenues to consider if you need to verify military service.
These web services offer a quick, free, and effective way to confirm that someone has served in the military.
Conducting a background investigation or people-finder check can avoid major hassles or issues later on down the road.
As a result, many consider the 6 best places to verify military service as follows:
- Online Background Check
- National Archives
- Defense Finance and Accounting Service
- Freedom of Information Act
- National Personnel Records Center
- Commendation Medals Search
These websites offer a fast, free method to verify military service.
The sites are easy to use and produce the background investigation you need to confirm an identity.
Learn more about the 6 best websites to verify military service, below:
#1. People Search / Background Check
Click Here Now to visit the official Truthfinder website.
Are you still having trouble verifying military service?
Truthfinder.com is one of the best websites for getting down to the bottom line.
The website produces a detailed report after scanning the web for billions of public records.
As a result, Truthfinder searches and background checks are a great method for confirming military service.
The people search report contains information about previous addresses, work history, and known work associates.
Truthfinder can determine whether the person served in the military and the specific branch.
However, it may not provide all the other details (medical records, etc.) produced in an official National Archives or FOIA request.
Be that as it may, Truthfinder uncovers more details and hidden secrets compared to other people-finder websites.
You’ll discover thousands of 5-star reviews from satisfied people who found success locating people on Truthfinder.com.
The website averages 9 million monthly users with over 300,000 daily people searches.
Truthfinder has a more extensive public records database and people search engine compared to the rest of the guys.
As such, if you need to find someone online, Truthfinder is the best place to start.
The website was launched in 2015 and has the best reputation of any people-finder website.
Click Here Now to visit the official Truthfinder website.
#2. National Archives Military Service Verification
The National Archives is one of the best places to verify military service.
The department is tasked with the responsibility of maintaining and storing the massive collection of U.S. government documents.
Accordingly, the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) maintains an extensive database of military records.
For this reason, you can request military service records online, by mail, or by fax.
The National Archives can produce military records, including:
- DD Form 214 / Separation Documents
- Military Personnel Records
- Medical Records
However, not all military records may be accessible online, depending on the years of service.
The National Archives maintains a military database of over 100 million veterans, many of which are paper-based and not available online.
Notwithstanding, veterans who recently served in the military should have their records available through the online portal.
For now, the National Archives military records are only available to the military veteran or next of kin of the deceased veteran.
The next of kin can be a surviving spouse, father, mother, brother, sister, son, or daughter of the veteran.
Additionally, people not related to the veteran may request military records with a discharge date of 1960 or prior.
These military records are archival and, thus, available to the public upon request.
Meanwhile, Official Military Personnel Files (OMPF) with a discharge date of 1961 or thereafter are subject to access restrictions.
Consequently, if you are not related to the service member, you may want to pursue alternative means to verify military service.
Obtaining Official Military Personnel Files (OMPF)
In general, the National Archives requires personal information about the service member to conduct an investigation.
It generally includes the service number, branch of service, dates of service, and social security number of the individual.
Moreover, the next of kin of a deceased veteran must provide a copy of the death certificate with the initial request.
The National Archives does take some time to process military records due to the large volume of requests.
Be that as it may, the National Archives does not charge a fee to process most requests.
Those with questions or want to check the status of an investigation should contact customer support at (314) 801-0800.
The NPRC Customer Service Center is also available via email ([emailprotected]).
#3. Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS)
The Defense Finance and Accounting Service, otherwise known as DFAS, is another way to check military service.
DFAS operates under the Department of Defense (DoD) and was established in 1991.
The purpose of DFAS is to manage the finances of the Department of Defense as well as maintain a collection of military records.
DFAS uses the Defense Manpower Data Center to confirm the military service of individuals.
The website is very easy and simple to use.
It can quickly establish whether or not someone actually served in the military.
More importantly, the database is available 24 hours a day for quick reference.
The Defense Manpower Data Center does need a social security number to begin processing a request.
In general, other personal information (i.e. birth date) is helpful to conduct an accurate background check.
New users will need to create an online account to request military records.
Then, after the background check is completed, will notify you whether or not the person ever served in the U.S. Armed Forces.
The final report contains this information in a signed printable letter which contains the Department of Defense (DoD) seal.
DFAS has the ability to process both Single Record Requests and Multiple Record Requests.
The DFAS system is a great, quick, free way to verify military service.
However, the system does have some limitations, especially for people who do not have much personal information on the subject.
It also helps to know the service date(s) of the individual, which may be difficult for members of the public to find.
Regardless, the ability to conduct a free background check is worth the time and effort of creating an account.
Nevertheless, those who struggle to find information on DFAS should pursue a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request.
#4. Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Military Verification
The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) is an important federal law that requires full or partial disclosure of most U.S. government documents.
For this reason, many U.S. military records are available upon request.
The Freedom of Information Act was established in 1967 and has since been amended on several occasions.
FOIA defines the government agencies that must follow the law along with what records may be disclosed.
However, there are 9 exemptions that prevent the U.S. government from releasing certain types of information.
In general, most military records are open to the public and available upon request.
It holds the Department of Defense (DoD) accountable for its actions and makes the government agency more transparent.
As such, FOIA is frequently invoked not only by journalists but also by businesses and private citizens.
Often, employers need to use FOIA requests to verify military service for new hires.
Be that as it may, information that affects national security or threatens its safety may not be available.
Submit a FOIA Request
Citizens may submit a FOIA request without having to go through a formal process.
You need only submit a letter outlining the military records requested; no further explanation is required.
Next, send the FOIA request to the appropriate government agency or branch of the U.S. military.
You’ll discover that each branch of the U.S. Armed Forces handles its military records differently.
Accordingly, the processing and response time varies depending on the FOIA request.
Generally, most people report that it takes 4 – 8 weeks for the Department of Defense (DoD) to process most requests.
The government agency will send you a letter after they receive your request and usually provide a tracking number.
Thus, it’s not the fastest way to find out if someone served in the U.S. military.
Notwithstanding, FOIA requests are one of the most thorough and accurate ways to determine military service.
#5. National Personnel Records Center (NPRC)
The National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) operates in accordance with the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA).
As such, the NPRC is one of the department’s largest operations.
The National Personnel Records Center is the primary repository of military personnel records.
Accordingly, the military records center is one of the first places you should visit to confirm service.
The NPRC, as it exists today, is the result of several previous operations that worked under the National Archives.
Today, the NPRC is much more streamlined and equipped to handle military records of veterans.
The National Personnel Records Center is located in St. Louis, Missouri, for those able to attend in person.
Meanwhile, others may submit a military records request through the official website.
The National Personnel Records Center is a huge database which contains military documents, including:
- Official Military Personnel Files (OMPF)
- Military Health / Medical Records
- Service Dates, Medals Awarded, etc.
Those who submit a request online need to download and complete form SF-180.
Next, mail the form SF-180 to the National Personnel Records Center:
National Personnel Records Center
1 Archives Drive
St. Louis, Missouri 63138
The National Personnel Records Center is a great resource, but it may take some time to process requests.
You may request an update on the military background check after waiting 10 days by submitting the Online Status Update Request form.
The National Personnel Records Center is also available by phone (1-866-272-6272).
Customer support is available Monday through Friday, 8am – 4pm CST.
#6. Commendation Medals Search To Verify Military Service
Military personnel are awarded medals and ribbons for a variety of reasons.
Often, these military awards acknowledge acts of heroism or other actions that go above and beyond.
Unfortunately, con artists also lie about having received military medals or even producing cheap knockoffs.
Thus, one of the best ways to check if someone received a military medal is to conduct an online investigation.
The top military awards (Medal of Honor, Purple Heart, etc) all contain their own official databases of previous recipients.
The Medal of Honor database allows individuals to search by categories such as recently added, living / deceased recipients, or double recipients.
Moreover, the list of previous Purple Heart recipients is available online at the official website.
Users may search for recipients by conflict, branch of service, or place of origin.
Additionally, many other military awards have online databases to determine if the person actually accomplished what they claimed.
Furthermore, you may directly ask a former service member for proof, such as producing DD Form 214.
These are the official discharge / separation papers presented by the U.S. military and another excellent way to confirm service.
6 Easy & Free Ways To Verify Military Service Summary
Click Here Now to check out Truthfinder, and use the data to help verify if someone actually served in the US military.
What is the best way to verify military service?
There are many quick and effective ways to confirm military service.
In general, many people use DFAS for quick reference.
Whereas, other resources like the National Archives and Freedom of Information (FOIA) requests take longer to process.
Nonetheless, these places are great references because they produce very accurate results.
The National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) is worth visiting for Midwest residents near St. Louis.
These websites and resources offer a fast, free way to verify military service.
- Author
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Rob V.
Rob V. is the founder of OperationMilitaryKids.org. While he never actually served in the US Military, he has a passion for writing about military related topics.
Born and raised in Woodbridge, NJ, he graduated from the New Jersey Institute Of Technology with an MBA in eCommerce.His hobbies include beach volleyball, target shooting, and lifting.
Rob is also a Commercially rated pilot and Certified Flight Instructor (CFI), with over 1,500 hours of flight time.
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