All the records did not burn and you need this file.
The Official Military Personnel File (OMPF) is a much sought after file for every veteran. It contains the building blocks or puzzle pieces of your veteran’s service. You will learn the basics of who the veteran was at the time of service; where they were and the ships/stations or units in which they served; medical information; and other details. All of this information that you discover in these files can be used to build your timeline of military service.
There can be one problem. In 1973 there was a fire at the National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) in St. Louis, Missouri that destroyed or damaged approximately 80% of the Army and Army Air Force/Air Force OMPFs.
All is not lost. NPRC has upgraded their technology over the last ten plus years to allow them to “heal” some of these records and obtain information off others. In fact, if you requested your veteran’s OMPF more than five years ago and were told it all burned, you might check again.
Reconstructing Military Service
A myth that has spread for decades is that only if the OMPF burned, do you reconstruct military service. This isn’t accurate. Even if you have a full OMPF, it doesn’t come with all the information easy to decipher and wrapped in a bow. You still have to create a Timeline of Service and use the puzzle pieces in the OMPF to move your research forward. The OMPF is the start point in some cases to reconstructing the footsteps.
Using the OMPF plus additional branch records and unit histories, you can reconstruct a great deal of the service history and experiences of your veteran.
Questions the OMPF May Answer
What might you discover in an OMPF? Here are a few things you may encounter.
- When and where the service member enlisted and was discharged or died.
- Next of kin and any changes to this status (i.e. a service member married or divorced.)
- I have also seen in some files, the birth certificates of siblings or children, marriage and divorce records, death certificates for parents, adoption papers, and other legal paperwork.
- Insurance and estate information.
- Training dates, locations, MOS (job code), changes in rank.
- Units in which someone served. Often a service member was in more than one unit.
- Dates of illness, wounds, death.
- Change in status such as Prisoner of War (POW), Missing In Action (MIA), Killed In Action, and other status changes.
- Special schools or courses taken for training.
10. Scores on tests administered during training.
11. Locations served overseas and changes in MOS.
12. Dates the service member left the continental U.S. to go to a theatre of war and when he returned.
13. Medical information.
14. Medals awarded during service. I have seen a case where a man applied for his Bronze Star Medal the date he was discharged. In his partially burned OMPF there was a sheet for his application and a sheet saying he received the medal but it was not part of his service file.
15. Court martial or court testimony papers. This will also be a separate file at NPRC.
16. Letters from family members inquiring about monthly pay stipends, status of wounds, MIA or KIA status, burial status.
Civilian Federal Employee Files
Did you know there is a civilian version of the OMPF as well? Civilians participated in the war effort as volunteers, they worked in war manufacturing, as war correspondents, office workers, and in civilian defense positions such as the Civilian Pilot Training Program and the Civilian Defense Program. These individuals were hired by the federal government during the war years to also take up jobs left behind by soldiers.
Civilian records vary in content, but usually contain an Application for Federal Employment, Draft Information, Certificate of Medical Examination, Oath of Office, a photograph, and records pertaining to their specific service. Civilians working for the Federal Government who were Killed In Action, will have Individual Deceased Personnel Files (IDPFs).
Requesting the OMPF or Civilian Federal Employee Files
To obtain records from the NPRC you have three options, all of which will require money for expenses or records.
1. Go there yourself. Schedule an appointment at the NPRC to view the records for your veteran. Rules at the NPRC change often so you must check their website or call to inquire about current visitor rules and requirements.
2. Request records through the website. You can request records through the NPRC website: https://www.archives.gov/personnel-records-center
3. Hire a professional researcher like me to help! Plus, once we complete your research, I can write a book for you to give your family.
View the OMPFs
Have you seen a full military personnel file? I have several available for all branches on my website. This Resource Page also includes other types of records that you might wish to familiarize yourself with.
The OMPF is a valuable resource for every researcher of World War I, World War II, Korea or Vietnam service. Use the contents to build your veteran service puzzle. But remember, even if the record burned, there are so many other resources available to help you reconstruct service. In my 15 years of researching for clients, I have always been able to find answers.
Do you need help researching your WWI or WWII veteran?
I can help! Schedule a free consult with me to research your veteran’s WWI-Vietnam service today by emailing me at jennifer@ancestralsouls.com and I’ll help you find answers.
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