About Requesting Your C-file (claims File).

[LarryJ]

Bare in mind, Your C-File will ONLY have those records that have been ASSOCIATED with your PRIOR claims, and will not necessarily have current, up-to-date Service OR VA medical treatment records AND, also remember, there is NOT just ONE place that your records MAY BE located, NOT just TWO places your records MAY BE located, BUT THREE PLACES your records MAY BE located, and this does NOT include the simple fact that, according to WHERE your current claim is, in the processing procedures, your CURRENT claim may be either located at your VA REGIONAL OFFICE, or the AMC, or the BVA..........and this does NOT necessarily include your current C&P (Claims & Pension) examination records.

Okay, now, do I have you TOTALLY CONFUSED? If I do not have you totally confused, then I have MYSELF mostly confused and I am the one that is trying to 'splain all this!

First of all, get yourself SEVERAL blank copies of the form SF-180 (Standard Form 180) which you can obtain via the VA.gov website (look under the "forms" button) and which you can fill out on-line and print out to be mailed, or you can also access this same form on the NARA (National Archives and Records Administration) website.

You will be filling out AT LEAST three of these SF-180's.

When you "open up" this form on-line, you will notice that there are multiple pages to this form, the first page you fill out, the second page has the "Location Of Military Records".

READ THIS PAGE COMPLETELY! Pay attention to the DATES of your service and NOTE that there are at LEAST TWO different locations where your records might be stored.

Generally, EVERYBODY will have records in TWO of these locations.

Location #11:

Department of Veterans Affairs

Records Management Center

P. O. Box 5020

St. Louis, MO 63115-5020

and

Location #14:

National Personnel Records Center

(Military Personnel Records)

9700 Page Avenue

St. Louis, MO 63132-5100

YUP, that's right, there are TWO different St. Louis locations. And, you will need to send a form SF-180 to BOTH locations.

Also note on this page number two of your SF-180 that your particular service branch has different locations where your records may ALSO be located. If this is your case, then, YES, send THEM a copy of your SF-180, ALSO (that's THREE, so far, right?). And, this does not include ANY of your CURRENT files (files that may be associated with your CURRENT claim(s), which you will have to request from your VARO, AMC, BVA, and, for current medical treatment and C&P documentation, either your VA Medical Center, or your VA CBOC or Vet's Center, as the case may be.

Now, as to page #1 of your SF-180 request:

YOU must ASK for ANY records that they (whomever you wind up sending this darn thing to) send you ALL of your records, ALL of your SMT's, ALL of your RECORDS.

Because (and the NARA, in St. Louis, actually STATES this in their "fine print") they WILL only SEND to YOU what THEY think that you want, in other words, what is the EASIEST for them to send to you, without them having to go to a lot of trouble. That's right, they send to you what they think that you want...........if you do not explicitly ASK for EVERYTHING! And, if you are VERY "on-the-ball", then you will explicitly request on the SF-180, that they go over your file(s) and ATTEMPT TO reconstruct any MISSING files/time frames, that they notice are missing. IF YOU DO NOT DO THIS, YOU WILL GET WHAT THEY WANT YOU TO HAVE!

R EWE KEWL W/THAT?

Okay?

Okay.

Annnnnnd, if you are using a Service Organization, MAKE SURE that your VSO does all of the above.

Now, it's time for me another cup of coffee.

Oh, and a couple of cherry turnovers.

:D YUMMY!

[Vync]

If you go to a VA outreach medical clinic, you probably will not be able to get a copy of your records from them. I found this out recently. I had to go to the primary VA hospital they are associated with and they were able to provide them.

Depending on the medical facility, more recent data (2001 forward) might be stored on their computers. Older paper records tend to be stored in St.Louis, as Larry explained.

In my case, the Release of Information office at the VA hospital provided me with all of my records from the facility, the outreach clinic, and St.Louis (RMC). I requested my St.Louis (MPR) records separately, as Larry explained.

The only thing was some of my lab results were missing. Bergie said these would be in my 'in-patient' records. I plan to call them today to find out, but I was never admitted. Should be interesting to see what they say...

Now, I am also hungry for some cherry turnovers, too...

[Pete53]

Another VA shady trick as well as VA keeps more than one file on Veterans. You have Medical, Administrative, Voc Rehab and probably others I don't know about it. Bear in mind that VA will never give you more than you ask for.

[deltaj]

Another VA shady trick as well as VA keeps more than one file on Veterans. You have Medical, Administrative, Voc Rehab and probably others I don't know about it. Bear in mind that VA will never give you more than you ask for.

Pete, if a veteran does want to obtain copies of his vocational rehabilitation file how does the veteran obtain copies of that file? In March 1989 a V.A. doctor was evaluating my husband for vocational rehabilitation and determined that he could not be vocationally rehabilitated. That doctor stated he had looked at the records from VAMC Liverpool and VA OPC Sacramento before concluding this. I still wonder if those medical records are in that voc rehab file or if they are in the outpatient records from those facilities? Does V.A. destroy medical records after a certain number of years?

[deltaj]

Another VA shady trick as well as VA keeps more than one file on Veterans. You have Medical, Administrative, Voc Rehab and probably others I don't know about it. Bear in mind that VA will never give you more than you ask for.

Pete, if a veteran does want to obtain copies of his vocational rehabilitation file how does the veteran obtain copies of that file? In March 1989 a V.A. doctor was evaluating my husband for vocational rehabilitation and determined that he could not be vocationally rehabilitated. That doctor stated he had looked at the records from VAMC Liverpool and VA OPC Sacramento before concluding this. I still wonder if those medical records are in that voc rehab file or if they are in the outpatient records from those facilities? Does V.A. destroy medical records after a certain number of years?

[cowgirl]

Not Pete, but I requested my records from Vocational Rehabilitation, took about a month to recieve in the mail. Suggest you start there and if not, ask again and again. I do not think the VA is supposed to destroy records, maybe retire them after veteran passes. My vocational records showed some 'career vocational testing results, but no specific personal medical information that I recall.

Best to ya,

cg'up2009!

Pete, if a veteran does want to obtain copies of his vocational rehabilitation file how does the veteran obtain copies of that file? In March 1989 a V.A. doctor was evaluating my husband for vocational rehabilitation and determined that he could not be vocationally rehabilitated. That doctor stated he had looked at the records from VAMC Liverpool and VA OPC Sacramento before concluding this. I still wonder if those medical records are in that voc rehab file or if they are in the outpatient records from those facilities? Does V.A. destroy medical records after a certain number of years?

[Pete53]

I agree with Cowgirl