Military Awards and Decorations
- How Do I Request Military Awards and Decorations?
- Important information for Next-of-Kin
- Cold War Recognition Certificate
The National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) does not issue service medals; that is a function of each military service department. Requests for the issuance or replacement of military service medals, decorations and awards should be directed to the specific branch of the military in which the veteran served. However, for cases involving Air Force and Army personnel (click here for exceptions), the NPRC will verify the awards to which a veteran is entitled and forward the request along with the records verification to the appropriate service department for issuance of the medals. Use the addresses listed below, and mail your request accordingly.
How Do I Request Military Awards and Decorations?
For the Veteran: in general, the military services will work replacement medal requests for the veteran at no cost. This includes family members with the signed authorization of the veteran.
For the Next-of-Kin: the process (and cost) for replacement medals requests differs among the service branches and is dependent upon who is requesting the medal, particularly if the request involves an archival record. Click here for details.
For the General Public: if the service member separated from military service 62 (or more) years ago, the public may purchase a copy of the veteran's Official Military Personnel File (OMPF) to determine the awards due and obtain the medals from a commercial source. If the service member separated less than 62 years ago, the public may request such information from the OMPF via the Freedom of Information Act ( see Access to OMPFs by the General Public).
Important Information for the Next-of-Kin (NOK):
Who is the Next-of-Kin (NOK)?
- For the Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps & Coast Guard, the NOK is defined as: the un-remarried widow or widower, son, daughter, father, mother, brother or sister
- For the Army, the NOK is defined as: the surviving spouse, eldest child, father or mother, eldest sibling or eldest grandchild
If you do not meet the definition of NOK, you are considered a member of the general public.
How the type of record (archival or non-archival) affects NOK requests for medals:
The Official Military Personnel File (OMPF) is used to verify awards to which a veteran may be entitled. OMPFs are accessioned into the National Archives, and become archival, 62 years after the service member's separation from the military. Separation from service is defined as discharge, retirement or death in service based on a rolling date. (To calculate this, take the current year and subtract 62.) Records with a discharge date 62 (or more) years ago are archival and are open to the public. Records with a discharge date less than 62 years ago are non-archival and are maintained under the Federal Records Center program. Non-archival records are subject to access restrictions. As such, the veteran's date of separation (separation is defined as discharge, retirement or death in service) will affect how the request is processed. See below:
Cold War Recognition Certificate:
In accordance with section 1084 of the Fiscal Year 1998 National Defense Authorization Act, the Secretary of Defense approved awarding Cold War Recognition Certificates to all members of the armed forces and qualified Federal government civilian personnel who faithfully served the United States during the Cold War era from September 2, 1945 to December 26, 1991.
What Service does the NPRC Provide?
The NPRC, upon request, will provide copies of DD-214s (or equivalent) or SF-50s to authorized requesters. These documents may be used to apply for the Certificate. For information on how to obtain a copy of your DD-214 (for military service personnel) or SF-50 (for Federal civilian personnel) see:
How Do I apply for a Cold War Recognition Certificate?
While the NPRC provides proof of service and separation documents; the Center does not supply the Certificate itself, nor does it have the application form available. For more information concerning the application process visit the Cold War Recognition Certificate webpage.