Help Obtaining Army Medical Records

[flow1972]

I'm helping my husband work through his claim process, and I'm having a very difficult time getting ahold of his Medical Records.  I have no idea why he didn't get a copy of them when he got out like I did, but it just should NOT be this difficult to get them.  I've gone through all of the websites that tell you where they should be, and the info I got was that his records were sent to the VA.  I submitted a request MONTHS AGO by fax using a letter I found on this site.  Never got a reply.  Can someone tell me HOW ON EARTH does he get a copy!????

[flow1972]

35 minutes ago, Berta said:

Flow- you said:

 "the info I got was that his records were sent to the VA."

This happened to me years ago- I sent a SF 180 for my husband's military records from the US Navy as well as USMC.

NARA sent me the Navy records and said the USMC records were at the Buffalo VA. That is where I wanted them to be and was glad the RO had obtained them.

Unfortunatey I believe you will have to wait for their decision to get them- but I am not sure-have you requested them directly from your VARO? 

VA breezes through SMRS- if the decision says something like the vetersn'dSMR's do not reveal a nexus to whatever they claimed, Then you should immediately request them from the VARO, because they might have committed a CUE under 38 CFR 4.6, if they overlooked significant info in them.

Does your husband have his Discharge certificate, and if so does that list anything he claimed?

 

 

We are just now starting to work on SC for my husband, so nothing has been denied as of yet.  My biggest issue is that I need to know what the Army had on record as far as injuries and such in order to know how difficult/or not it was going to be to SC his conditions.  To be honest, I never expected the VA to actually review the entire contents of my medical files when I did my claims.  I always included what I wanted them to look at (highlighted) and listed on a claim outline I included when I filed.  That way I KNEW they at least were presented up front with what I wanted them to see whether they went through everything they had access to or not.  For him, I need to know what is actually on record.  For his OSA claim, we knew nothing would be there because he never went to the Dr for it.  I went at that claim by obtaining multiple notarized witness statements from several people he shared sleeping quarters with over his time in service (including two supervisors) to show symptomology across a range of time while in service at an excellent BMI along with his current diagnosis.  He has a C&P scheduled for that next month.  I now know that there is record of a pretty severe accident, so I'll be able to move forward with some other claims.  None of the VARO offices are open, which is why it's difficult to even get a look at what the VA has...so, he did submit a request from the VARMC yesterday to get whatever they have; but we know it will take a while.  It's just frustrating.  In the age of technology, if the VA can download a pdf of service medical records; you would think the Veteran would have the same access.

[Berta]

I agree Flow-why cant the records be sent to the veteran ,they belong to, at the same time they (NARA) send them to the RO?

You sure did the right thing to get those buddy statements!!!!!!!

Years ago Iraq vets here were realizing they needed to leave the Mil ,not only with their SMRs and 201 files,  but also with a diary of specific dates etc as well as a contact info for their unit buddys.

And they needed to remind their relatives back home to save their letters and the envelopes..

 

 

[Mark D Worthen PsyD]

It is definitely confusing! 

I suggest that in almost all instances you communicate via U.S. Postal Service mail, sending all correspondence via Certified Mail, Return Receipt requested:

Certified Mail - Prove you sent it. See when it was delivered or that a delivery attempt was made, and get the signature of the person who accepts the mailing when combined with Return Receipt. $3.55

Return Receipt - Get an electronic or hardcopy delivery record showing the recipient’s signature. $2.85 for mail receipt. $1.70 for email receipt.

Detailed info on this USPS web page - Insurance & Extra Services: Add Proof of Mailing, Delivery Confirmation, & More

----

I think you know this, but just in case ...

If your husband was discharged between 16 Oct 1992 and 31 Dec 2013, the records are supposed to be at:

Department of Veterans Affairs
Records Management Center (VARMC)
4300 Goodfellow Blvd., Bldg# 104
St. Louis, MO 63120
Telephone: 1-800-827-1000

If he was discharged after 1 Jan 2014, the records should be at:

AMEDD Record Processing Center
3370 Nacogdoches Road, Suite 116
San Antonio, TX 78217

All the best,

Mark

[Buck52]

12 hours ago, Mark D Worthen PsyD said:

It is definitely confusing! 

I suggest that in almost all instances you communicate via U.S. Postal Service mail, sending all correspondence via Certified Mail, Return Receipt requested:

Certified Mail - Prove you sent it. See when it was delivered or that a delivery attempt was made, and get the signature of the person who accepts the mailing when combined with Return Receipt. $3.55

Return Receipt - Get an electronic or hardcopy delivery record showing the recipient’s signature. $2.85 for mail receipt. $1.70 for email receipt.

Detailed info on this USPS web page - Insurance & Extra Services: Add Proof of Mailing, Delivery Confirmation, & More

----

I think you know this, but just in case ...

If your husband was discharged between 16 Oct 1992 and 31 Dec 2013, the records are supposed to be at:

Department of Veterans Affairs
Records Management Center (VARMC)
4300 Goodfellow Blvd., Bldg# 104
St. Louis, MO 63120
Telephone: 1-800-827-1000

If he was discharged after 1 Jan 2014, the records should be at:

AMEDD Record Processing Center
3370 Nacogdoches Road, Suite 116
San Antonio, TX 78217

All the best,

Mark

This is good information for veterans to request their records, Unfortunately  the Crew in St Louis is running a skeleton crew due to the covid 19 pandemic

And most likely true with all the other locations.

So this leaves them way behind and there's no  way to tell how long the Veteran must wait.