Military records give access to a person's tenure of service, postings, military history, locations served, citations, and awards. They are considered to be public information. However, they cannot be obtained without certain criteria.

Observing Military Records

The primary goal in observing military records is to determine whether a person has been in the military. You may also want to locate someone in the military at that moment. It can be difficult to obtain these records unless you are directly related to the subject.

The Privacy Act of 1974 placed many restrictions on the process of obtaining military record information. Under its provisions, you must have written consent of the person whose records are to be viewed. If the person is not mentally competent, you must have their guardian sign a release form.

The Privacy Act does not include individuals who are no longer living. However, in this case, the next of kin must give written consent in order to obtain military records. The next of kin category includes a widow that has not remarried, son, daughter, mother, father, sister, or brother.