b. Requesting Reconstruction of a Veteran’s Records If it appears the fire at NPRC might have destroyed medical records pertinent to a pending claim, submit a request for the Veteran’s service treatment records (STRs) to NPRC through the Personnel Information Exchange System (PIES), using request code M01, and ask the claimant to complete NA Form 13055, Request for Information Needed to Reconstruct Medical Data, and return the form within 30 days. Rationale: If NPRC responds to the request by stating that fire destroyed the Veteran’s records, the regional office (RO) uses information from the completed NA Form 13055 to submit a request to NPRC through PIES for reconstruction of the Veteran’s records, using request code M05. Important: When asking a claimant to complete NA Form 13055, avoid giving the impression the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is less likely to grant his/her claim because the fire at NPRC destroyed his/her records. Exception: If the information NPRC requires to process a request under request code M05 is already of record in the Veteran’s claims folder, do not delay in submitting the request. Under these circumstances, do not submit a PIES request using request code M01, or send NA Form 13055 to the claimant for completion. References: For more information about PIES and the request codes associated with it, see the , and evidence VA may use to substitute for missing STRs, see . Continued on next page , Continued c. Action to Take When a Claimant Fails to Return a Completed NA Form 13055 Follow the instructions in the table below if a claimant returns an incomplete NA Form 13055, or fails to return NA Form 13055. If ... Then ...
disposition of the service member following discharge from the hospital. Important: Extracts from records dated 1944 and 1945 also contain the following: circumstances leading to hospitalization, and line-of-duty determinations. Continued on next page , Continued e. Determining Whether NPRC Previously Searched for Extracts for a Specific Veteran If NPRC responded to a VA request for STRs after May 18, 1990, assume NPRC included copies of any existing extracts in its response, or prior to May 18, 1990, and the fire in 1973 at NPRC might have destroyed the Veteran’s service records, submit a new PIES request using request code M06. Note: May 18, 1990, represents the date NPRC finished decoding information contained in the extracts. References: For more information about service records that the fire at NPRC destroyed, see , and PIES, see the . f. When to Submit a Request for Copies of Extracts Submit a request to NPRC through PIES for copies of extracts from SGO records if the evidence of record suggests the Veteran was hospitalized during service as early as 1940, or as late as 1958. Important: Extracts from SGO records are identified by the patient’s service number rather than the patient’s name. It is for this reason that requests for copies of extracts from NPRC must include the Veteran’s service number. Note: NPRC will search for any extracts under the Veteran’s service number, regardless of the date VA indicates the Veteran was treated. References: For information about controlling and following up on requests for records from NPRC, see . Continued on next page
c. Requesting a Dependent’s Treatment Records Through PIES Submit requests for the treatment records of a service member’s dependent to NPRC through PIES by using request code C03 for inpatient treatment records, or C04 for outpatient treatment records. Exception: If the dependent received treatment after 2004, attempt to access his/her treatment records by following the instructions in before submitting a request for the records through PIES. Note: In most cases, PIES automatically assigns the correct address code to each request it accepts, based on the request code a user enters. Therefore, the address codes shown below for obtaining dependents’ treatment records are primarily provided for informational purposes: address code 75 – treatment records from Army and Air Force facilities address code 13 – treatment records from Navy and Marine Corps facilities. References: For more information about PIES, see the , and PIES address codes, see . d. Information ROs Must Provide in a PIES Request The table below shows the information ROs must provide to NPRC when requesting the treatment records of a service member’s dependent through PIES: If the dependent received treatment as an ... Then the RO must provide NPRC with the ... inpatient year(s) of treatment, and full name of the last facility to treat the dependent. outpatient last year of treatment, and full name of the facility that treated the dependent. Note: NPRC may occasionally request additional information that an RO must provide in order for NPRC to continue searching for a dependent’s treatment records. Continued on next page , Continued e. Accessing a Dependent’s Treatment Records If a Veteran was treated in a military facility as a dependent after 2004, electronic copies of corresponding treatment records should be accessible under the VISTAWEB/DOD RECORDS tab in the Compensation and Pension Record Interchange (CAPRI).
Through CAPRI Reference: For information about accessing a dependent’s treatment records through CAPRI, see the . 30. Alternative Means of Verifying Service Introduction This topic contains information on alternative means of verifying a Veteran’s service, including using Beneficiary Identification and Records Locator Subsystem (BIRLS) to verify service, and alternative sources for evidence of service. Change Date February 6, 2012 a. Using BIRLS to Verify Service The Beneficiary Identification and Records Locator Subsystem (BIRLS) VETERANS IDENTIFICATION DATA (VID) screen contains basic information about a Veteran’s service, to include entrance and discharge dates branch of service, and character of service. VA considers a Veteran’s service “verified” if the BIRLS VID screen contains the entries described in . Reference: For more information about BIRLS and the VID screen, see the or press the HELP button on the VBA READY SCREEN in Share. Continued on next page , Continued
b. Verifying Service Information of the Author of a Buddy Statement To obtain evidence to verify service information of the author of a buddy statement, submit a request through PIES, as follows: enter identifying information about the Veteran on the 3101 – PAGE 1 screen enter identifying information about the author of the buddy statement on the 3101 – PAGE 2 screen select request code O38, and enter the following in the free-text section of the request: a description of the information or records required to determine the credibility of the buddy statement, and the complete organizational structure of the unit to which the author of the buddy statement was assigned during the period of time he/she references in the statement. Exception: Service personnel records that may be useful in determining the credibility of a buddy statement are available only through DPRIS if the author of the buddy statement was discharged from the Army on or after October 1, 1994 Navy on or after January 1, 1995 Air Force on or after October 1, 2004, or Marine Corps on or after January 1, 1999. Depending on the content of the buddy statement, select those types of records on the OMPF REQUEST FORM that would likely contain information to confirm or refute the credibility of the buddy statement. References: For more information about requesting records through PIES, see the , and DPRIS, select the HELP tab within the DPRIS application, which is accessible at . (Registration is required.) Continued on next page , Continued