If the evidence of record indicates there is a legal bar to benefits, such as a dishonorable discharge, deny the claim on that basis, and do not ask the claimant to complete NA Form 13055, or prepare a memorandum of service record unavailability. For information on legal bars to benefits, see . Reference: Complete a memorandum of service record unavailability and refer the d. Handling Negative corresponding claim to the rating activity for a decision based on the evidence Replies to PIES of record if Requests Submitted a claimant returns a completed NA Form 13055 Under Request VA uses information from the form to submit a PIES request under request Code M05 code M05, and NPRC provides a negative response to the request. For information on memorandums of service record Reference: unavailability, see . 27. Evidence That Supplements or Substitutes for Service Treatment Records (STRs) Introduction This topic contains information about evidence that supplements or substitutes for STRs, including reasons VA does not rely exclusively on STRs to decide claims, and types of evidence VA may use to supplement or as a substitute for STRs. Change Date February 6, 2012 For reasons that include the following, VA does not rely exclusively on STRs a. Reasons VA Does Not Rely when deciding a claim: Veteran’s Exclusively on STRs to Decide the loss of many STRs in a fire at the NPRC in 1973, and Veterans’ Claims the absence of documentation in most STRs of treatment by private health care providers during service or shortly after separation. For information about service records that the fire at NPRC Reference: destroyed, see .
If the evidence of record indicates there is a legal bar to benefits, such as a dishonorable discharge, deny the claim on that basis, and do not ask the claimant to complete NA Form 13055, or prepare a memorandum of service record unavailability. Reference: For information on legal bars to benefits, see . d. Handling Negative Replies to PIES Requests Submitted Under Request Code M05 Complete a memorandum of service record unavailability and refer the corresponding claim to the rating activity for a decision based on the evidence of record if a claimant returns a completed NA Form 13055 VA uses information from the form to submit a PIES request under request code M05, and NPRC provides a negative response to the request. Reference: For information on memorandums of service record unavailability, see . 27. Evidence That Supplements or Substitutes for Service Treatment Records (STRs) Introduction This topic contains information about evidence that supplements or substitutes for STRs, including reasons VA does not rely exclusively on STRs to decide claims, and types of evidence VA may use to supplement or as a substitute for STRs. Change Date February 6, 2012 a. Reasons VA Does Not Rely Exclusively on STRs to Decide Claims For reasons that include the following, VA does not rely exclusively on STRs when deciding a Veteran’s claim: the loss of many Veterans’ STRs in a fire at the NPRC in 1973, and the absence of documentation in most STRs of treatment by private health care providers during service or shortly after separation. Reference: For information about service records that the fire at NPRC destroyed, see .