Need your DD-214, separation paperwork, or military personnel records? Veterans can request available Official Military Personnel File (OMPF) documents through the Department of Defense's (or Department of War's) milConnect portal. You may be able to sign in without a Common Access Card (CAC). Source: DoD DPRIS overview.
Step 1: Sign in to milConnect
Open milConnect, select Sign In, and follow the available authentication prompts. If you are registering through myAuth, you may be prompted to install Okta Verify on your phone to authenticate your sign-in. Follow the official setup instructions shown during registration; authentication options can vary.
Department of Defense milConnect website where veterans can sign in to access military personnel records.
Important: After creating your account, open the account setup or verification email and complete every step outlined in that email. Creating a username and password alone may not finish activation. Once your account is fully set up, return to milConnect and sign in.
myAuth account sign-in and verification screen used to access milConnect without a CAC card.
Step 2: Open DPRIS
In the milConnect navigation (top left side on the banner), choose Correspondence/Documentation → DPRIS. DPRIS is different from eCorrespondence, which is used for benefits-related things. Source: DoD milConnect menus.
milConnect navigation menu showing where veterans can access the Defense Personnel Records Information system (DPRIS).
Step 3: Request your personnel file
Select Request Personnel File, then Request my Personnel File. Enter the required email and branch of service, select one or more document groups in the Document Index, and click Create and Send Request. Source: DoD request instructions.
DPRIS Request Personnel File page where veterans begin requesting their military service records.
Depending on the branch and file, available categories may cover separation and service computation, performance, professional history, and administrative records. Select the categories relevant to your purpose; requesting everything does not guarantee that every historical or medical record is available. Source: DoD DPRIS categories and availability.
DPRIS document selection screen showing categories of military personnel records available to request.
Step 4: Track your request
After submission, return to the Request Personnel File tab to view processing and completed requests. Many requests are answered in fewer than two hours, but some take up to two days. If no response arrives after 48 hours and there is no reported outage, use the DPRIS Support tab. Source: DoD request management; Source: DoD processing guidance.
DPRIS request management page showing where veterans can track the status of their personnel records request.
Step 5: Download your records promptly
DPRIS emails you when the response is ready. Sign back in, find the completed request, and download the PDFs. Completed responses are normally purged after 10 days, although the portal allows a one-month expiration extension. Save your copies securely. Source: DoD DPRIS overview; Source: DoD expiration extension.
DPRIS completed request screen showing where veterans can retrieve and download their military personnel records.
What if records are missing?
DPRIS access varies by service and separation date, and complete medical records are rarely available there. The National Archives provides an alternative records-request route. For an incomplete Navy or Marine Corps response, DPRIS also provides a follow-up option to the service repository. Source: DoD DPRIS FAQ; Source: DoD follow-up instructions.
Official sources
Educational information only. Procedures may change.
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