NPRC Delays Due to COVID-19

From: Provost, Lawrence A.  

Sent: Friday, November 20, 2020 9:01 AM

Subject: NPRC Delays Due to COVID-19

Good Morning,

Please see the below, important announcement regarding delays at the National Personnel Records Center in obtaining military documents for eligibility determinations due to Covid-19. 

Our very best thoughts and wishes are with you, your loved ones, and the Veterans you serve now and always. 

Larry 

Delays in Obtaining Military Documents for Eligibility Determinations

Notification:  

The federal government’s primary repository for military personnel records, the National Personnel Records Center (NPRC), has been closed to the public since March due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Unfortunately, due to numerous and increasing COVID-19 exposures at the facility, NPRC recently informed Veterans Affairs (VA), they have shut down most of their remaining operations for the foreseeable future.

While NPRC continues to provide military records to determine eligibility for burial in national cemeteries, NCA has found NPRC’s minimal staffing has resulted in delays in obtaining these records  At this time, NPRC is working with NCA to identify records related to casketed interment requests.  Once NPRC can resume normal operations, NCA will then request records for cremated interments.  (NCA can establish eligibility for burial without NPRC coordination in the great majority of cases - approximately 13.5% of burial requests required documents from NPRC in FY2020.)

VA has asked our stakeholders, including funeral home directors, to inform family members of this issue and ask them to search for any additional military documents which may be in their possession.