National Personnel Records Center Spoof

Since 09-15-04

From: Waspscpo@aol.com [mailto:Waspscpo@aol.com ]
Sent: Tuesday, September 14, 2004 4:21 AM
To: undisclosed-recipients
Subject: National Personnel Records Center Spoof

NPRC Spoof:  A message is being sent around the military community via email that alleges the National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) is automating their storage and management of our military records. When this is complete they plan to destroy the hard copies of records unless requested by the veteran or a deceased veteran's family to send those records to them. It further states that if a veteran or members of the veteran's family wants to request those records be sent to them instead of being destroyed they can make their request by mail to: National Personnel Records Center Military Personnel Records, 9700 Page Ave., St. Louis MO 63132-5100.

     The only part of this allegation that is true is the procedure provided for obtaining copies of a veterans records. There is a study, repeat study, at NPRC to possibly digitize CIVILIAN personnel files if a former federal CIVILIAN employee returns to federal CIVILIAN service. Rather than send the new agency paper, the Civilian Personnel Records area of NPRC may scan and transmit them electronically. The paper file would then go back on the shelf. For the last 10 years all the military services have stored their permanent military personnel records on electronic media. Prior to that the records were on microfiche, and before 1972 those records were paper only. At this time NPRC receives, stores and services military personnel records only in paper and/or fiche.

[Source: NPRC Management Analyst msg dtd 28 AUG 04]
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Contributed,
YNCS Don Harribine, USN(ret)