- 1). Fill out sections I, II and III of Standard Form (SF) 180, Request Pertaining to Military Records. The form asks for the service member's identifying data such as name, date of birth, Social Security number, place of birth and the branch of service as identifying data for records. The first and last name of the person you are researching is required. Provide as much identifying data as you can to better your chances for a successful search. You can still file the form, however, even if you do not have all the identifying data.
- 2). Select the records you wish to request in Section II of the form. You may wish for all or part of the NPRC records. If you would like everything in the file, select "All Documents in the Official Military Personnel File."
- 3). Determine the current status of the service member on Page 3 of SF 180. The table lists all categories of service member by branch of service and whether they are retired or deceased. Once you have found the appropriate category row in the first column, note the address codes in the third and fourth columns of the table.
- 4). Locate the address code in the "List of Custodians" table on the final page of SF180. Each code corresponds to an appropriate mailing address to send your form. Mail the form to the appropriate address.
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