Name searches, identity confusion, aliases, common name problems, DOB/address history basics, what’s public vs not.

military records search

Military Records Search

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Table of contents

Can I look up someone’s military record?

The Defense Department provides a website that allows you to do a military records search. The website is easy to use, and all you need to do is enter your last name, first name, and social security number. Some states even offer a similar search method. If the person you are trying to get information on is deceased, you may be able to find the death certificate on the search result page.

Can you look up military records for free?

There are two basic types of military service records but the “Official Military Personnel Files” (OMPF) is the official repository for all documentation regarding a serviceperson’s period of service and will most often contain the information you seek. The OMPF is a collection of documents that chronicle a serviceperson’s history from when they join the United States Armed Forces, until their retirement, discharge, or transfer to another military service. The OMPF also contains the serviceperson’s military personnel, medical records, and service history which may include the following::

  • Enlistment and separation dates
  • Military service title and type
  • Military duty assignments
  • Training schools attended
  • Promotions, awards, and decorations
  • Medical care received
  • Emergency Data
  • Discharge status
  • Separation information

Found in several places, military service records can be a genealogical gold mine. The National Archives and Records Administration has a special collection of more than 20 million military personnel records online—many of these are digitized World War II-era records. The military keeps most records for 100 to 200 years and is usually a good source for records. The only catch is that the records are sometimes incomplete, particularly if a soldier was wounded or killed in battle.

Are military records public?

Military records are public records although there are no guarantees on what you can find. The Department of Defense has a nice guide on how to obtain military records. You can use the guide to request records from the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) for free. You can also visit your local veteran’s affairs office. Military records are a great place to start your genealogy search.

What are the types of military discharges?

The following are the types of discharges from the military:

Honorable Discharge: An honorable discharge is the highest type of discharge given to a person who fulfilled their contractual obligation and performed their duties honorably.

General Discharge: This is the most common type of discharge. A general discharge is given to a person who has fulfilled their contractual obligation but has not served honorably.

Bad Conduct Discharge: This is given to a person who has not fulfilled their contractual obligation or performed their duties honorably, but not so badly that they are considered a felon.

Dishonorable Discharge: This is a discharge given as punishment to a person who has committed a serious offense that is considered detrimental to the military

Can you look up if someone was dishonorably discharged?

Firstly, let’s take a look at what it means to be honorably discharged. A military person has to have a record of good behavior. The military has a system of awards, commendations, and punishments called “conduct and performance reports.” If a military person had an issue with other people or their job, a negative report is put into their official record. If a person is reported for doing something illegal, immoral or improper, the report is often considered dishonorable and the person is usually discharged.

In conclusion, the Department of Veterans Affairs makes available a multitude of resources, including indexes of military records. Its Veterans Online website provides indexed access to service records such as discharge papers and medical records, as well as searchable indexes of pension applications and applications and claims files. While it may be time-consuming to track down military records, the internet is a wonderful place to start.

Free People Finder Resources

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Free people finder resources are abundant and easy to find on the internet today. Check out our list of some of the most popular free people finder resources.

Possibly one of the biggest people finder resources on the net today is Anywho.com. AnyWho is a free directory service with residential, business, and government white and yellow page listings. Use AnyWho to find phone numbers, addresses, maps & directions for Business and People in the U.S.

Bigfoot is another of the more popular free people finder resources available. Bigfoot has the Internet’s largest collection of email addresses and ‘white page’ listings. Finding family friends and colleagues starts here!

Last but not least is Switchboard. Anyone with a Web browser can look up names, phone numbers and street addresses of friends, colleagues and businesses, typically in less than a second using Switchboard.

As you can tell by the descriptions above, any of the free people finder resources mentioned will do what you want: look for people, addresses, or e-mail addresses. Be sure to try all the resources available. The information contained in each may be a little different than the others depending on when they last updated their information.

Keep in mind that there are many other places to find this type of information and I have only mentioned the most popular. Other, smaller sites can provide you with as much accurate and relevent information as those discussed above. So be sure to look around, find one you like, stick with it and support them. They may become the next Bigfoot, Anywho or Switchboard.

Free People Search Tips

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A free people search should start close to home. Often overlooked, the local telephone directory can often be helpful in locating people. If the people you are searching for are not in your local area, a free people finder on the internet is a good starting point. A free people search is often very easy if you are sure to check the most obvious and easiest places first.

Contact family, friends, and neighbors of the people you are looking for. Call and ask for them there like you expect them to be there. Generally, a more honest response can be obtained this way. If they are not there, continue your free people search by asking if they, or anyone else in the house, know how to get in touch with the individual.

Call the Department of Motor Vehicles and ask to have a name search ran. Amazingly, this can be one of your best options when doing a free people search. Some states permit this type of search but others do not. Be sure to contact the Department of Motor Vehicles for the state you a looking for the person in. If you have the subject’s license plate number, they can also trace his vehicle. For a complete listing of Drivers License Bureaus for each state: Click Here

The next step in a free people search is to contact the subject’s employer. Call the employer and ask to speak to the subject. If the person is no longer working there, act surprised and ask where they presently work and how to get in touch with them.

A Criss Cross Directory, which can be found at most city or county libraries, is a good place to continue your free people search. A Criss Cross directory contains a list of telephone numbers listed in numerical order showing who the number is listed to and their address. It costs nothing, and the library assistant should be able to help you if you ask. Even if you do not find the listing you are looking for, you may find leads or obtain information about neighbors, landlords or apartment managers that you can use as contact information. This can give you more telephone leads to call and question saving you alot of time.