unit. The personnel records of these service members remain with their respective units. f. How Records The NPRC maintains a registry of most of the service records in its custody. Are Filed at the These records are filed by the former service member’s name and NPRC Social Security number, or service number. are filed by hospital name or number, then chronologically Clinical records by year, or month and year, of treatment. The MTF that provided treatment Note: creates and maintains clinical records, and normally retires its records to the NPRC when there has been no treatment for a certain number of years. For more information on Reference: the distinction between STRs and clinical records, and the number of years military hospitals and medical facilities retain clinical records before retiring them to the NPRC, see M21-1, Part III, Subpart iii, 2.B.3. g. NPRC’s NPRC’s Records Reconstruction Unit relies on unit records and Records alternative documents to reconstruct records destroyed in the 1973 fire at Reconstruction NPRC. Unit For more information on records destroyed by fire at the NPRC, Reference: see M21-1, Part III, Subpart iii, 2.E.1. h. Using PIES PIES is the primary means ROs use to request STRs and personnel records to Request from the NPRC. Such requests are electronically matched against NPRC’s Service Records registry holdings to determine whether the NPRC has custody of the record an RO is requesting. Notes: Use PIES request code O50 when requesting the STRs of a former service member whose claim for VA benefits is being processed in VBMS. The VALO, shares office space with the NPRC, processes PIES requests electronically. For more information on PIES, see Reference: M21-1, Part III, Subpart iii, 2.D, and the .
unit. The personnel records of these service members remain with their respective units. f. How Records Are Filed at the NPRC The NPRC maintains a registry of most of the service records in its custody. These records are filed by the former service member’s name and Social Security number, or service number. Clinical records are filed by hospital name or number, then chronologically by year, or month and year, of treatment. Note: The MTF that provided treatment creates and maintains clinical records, and normally retires its records to the NPRC when there has been no treatment for a certain number of years. Reference: For more information on the distinction between STRs and clinical records, and the number of years military hospitals and medical facilities retain clinical records before retiring them to the NPRC, see M21-1, Part III, Subpart iii, 2.B.3. g. NPRC’s Records Reconstruction Unit NPRC’s Records Reconstruction Unit relies on unit records and alternative documents to reconstruct records destroyed in the 1973 fire at NPRC. Reference: For more information on records destroyed by fire at the NPRC, see M21-1, Part III, Subpart iii, 2.E.1. h. Using PIES to Request Service Records PIES is the primary means ROs use to request STRs and personnel records from the NPRC. Such requests are electronically matched against NPRC’s registry holdings to determine whether the NPRC has custody of the record an RO is requesting. Notes: Use PIES request code O50 when requesting the STRs of a former service member whose claim for VA benefits is being processed in VBMS. The VALO, shares office space with the NPRC, processes PIES requests electronically. Reference: For more information on PIES, see M21-1, Part III, Subpart iii, 2.D, and the .
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