In-person request and retrieval for military records?

[Rivet62]

Going on 4 months now, waiting for military service records and military in-service medical records. Not me, but two vets I know.  Out of sheer desperation (knowing it's a no) I wonder if anyone has obtained these records in person?  Like, can you go in person to see these records and/or have them printed out so you can walk out with them?  At this point it's worth the drive. 

I know the idea is ridiculous because just locating the records out of boxes somewhere probably takes a lot of time.

 

 

[broncovet]

You posted:

Quote

I might be better off not knowing what's in there

(in reference to your cfile).  

   Im a very curious person, and I want to know.  I found it far less stressful "knowing" what VA knows about me, rather than me guessing what they know.  It "evens it up" for me..we both know the same things about me, when I read the cfile..except I know "a few things about me" that are not contained in the cfile.  

And, some of those things I know may well be relevant to my claim.  Thus, most Vets advocates agree, that you should get your cfile, review it, and especially, fix it if its in error.  

There is a specific regulation where you can correct errors in your record(s):

If there ARE errors in your cfile, this is the procedure for correcting them:

https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/38/1.579

I recommend following the above regulation to the letter.  

[Rivet62]

12 minutes ago, brokensoldier244th said:

It is a mess. There is a reason that a VSR does one of a few things- doesn't make it past the first year (3-4 months training, a month or 3 of handholding, then off to the races), promotes out of it to something else on another path like supervisory or trainer or sometimes to a different federal agency, or gets carried out on a stretcher after 15 or 20 yrs (figuratively- they retire just like everyone else). Ive been here almost 2 yrs- I haven't decided which direction im in, since I have IT training, and also an Ed degree. I could pivot within VA in a few directions I just haven't been here long enough to get quite to that point. Most of those beginning opportunities start opening up around GS10 which won't happen for a few months. 

Which is why you have to be careful which path you take in a VA career. Maybe IT is better. I don't know. When I worked at a VAMC (not even 2 years), I encountered a networking guy who I went to school with (I bombed out) and he seemed really happy like he was calling the shots. I know networking is different from IT generally speaking.  I'd say VA employment is just stressful, and where it shouldn't be stressful they make it stressful.

 

16 minutes ago, brokensoldier244th said:

There is a also a reason that there is an Employee Assistance Program with MH people available, too. I work in MST claims exclusively. We have access to a phone number to call 24 hrs a day thats independent of the crisis line (unless its that bad) but also independent of management. VSRs in general can call EAP for guidance to services for helping to process some of the stress that some people develop. Plus, there are many of us that are veterans and we have our own issues that are baggage also. 

We had that independent employee assistance program line too, but the amount of variables you deal with just wasn't in my position. I was basically employed by VA under the Schedule A hiring authority and so they were extra nice, and nice I got a job in the first place...but stress...It's just baked in the VA cake I guess.

19 minutes ago, brokensoldier244th said:

I work in MST claims exclusively.

What are MST claims?

[Rivet62]

14 minutes ago, broncovet said:

I found it far less stressful "knowing" what VA knows about me, rather than me guessing what they know.  It "evens it up" for me..we both know the same things about me, when I read the cfile..except I know "a few things about me" that are not contained in the cfile.  

And, some of those things I know may well be relevant to my claim.  Thus, most Vets advocates agree, that you should get your cfile, review it, and especially, fix it if its in error.  

There is a specific regulation where you can correct errors in your record(s):

If there ARE errors in your cfile, this is the procedure for correcting them:

https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/38/1.579

I recommend following the above regulation to the letter.  

THANK YOU!  You're right. You mentioned elsewhere that vets run out of batteries and quit too early when pursuing their SSDI claims. You're right, here too.  Thanks.

[brokensoldier244th]

1 hour ago, Rivet62 said:

Which is why you have to be careful which path you take in a VA career. Maybe IT is better. I don't know. When I worked at a VAMC (not even 2 years), I encountered a networking guy who I went to school with (I bombed out) and he seemed really happy like he was calling the shots. I know networking is different from IT generally speaking.  I'd say VA employment is just stressful, and where it shouldn't be stressful they make it stressful.

 

We had that independent employee assistance program line too, but the amount of variables you deal with just wasn't in my position. I was basically employed by VA under the Schedule A hiring authority and so they were extra nice, and nice I got a job in the first place...but stress...It's just baked in the VA cake I guess.

What are MST claims?

Military sexual trauma. I'm on a tiger team, of sorts, with different training. We're a subgroup, there about 15 of us in my RO, and about the same at 5 others. We do all the mst claims in the system right now. All Mst all the time on every channel. 

[Rivet62]

9 minutes ago, brokensoldier244th said:

Military sexual trauma. I'm on a tiger team, of sorts, with different training. We're a subgroup, there about 15 of us in my RO, and about the same at 5 others. We do all the mst claims in the system right now. All Mst all the time on every channel. 

Oh wow. That's a sub-group for sure.

[brokensoldier244th]

44 minutes ago, Rivet62 said:

Oh wow. That's a sub-group for sure.

Lol, it has its days. I'm buried in NCIS/CID/Police reports and veteran self statements, etc, all day, Same with searching for behavioral markers.