Photo Credit: etsy.com / Various military medals that can be replaced through the National Archives.
Service members move to different duty stations throughout their career, as well as after service. Many times, due to an unfortunates in their lives ranging from divorce or fire to theft, service members may lose their hard-earned medals. Medals are awarded for many different accomplishments, including valor, exemplary performance, and retirement, to name a few.
The National Archives has a system in place in which service members can request those lost medals, mostly for free. There are four steps to make this request and to receive replacement medals:
Confirm your awards: Service members can refer to their DD-214. Every service member receives this when they are discharged from the military. This form is the historical record of the service member's career, and it annotates every medal that the service member has earned.
Identify the correct office. Each branch handles its own replacements
Submit Request: Once the service member has determined the correct office, they must mail a SF-180 (Request Pertaining to Military Records), DD-214, Copy of ID, and any other documents required by the branch office.
Wait for Processing: the typical turnaround is between three and six months for medal manufacturing and mailing.
The first replacement set for veterans and immediate family is usually free. When submitting the requests, be sure to keep all copies of all submissions. If somehow an award is missing from the record, DD-214, request a correction before applying for a replacement. If a need for an appeal exists, the service member must contact the branch’s awards office directly.
Listed below are the branches with accompanying addresses to send in requests:
Army: NPRC, 1 Archives Dr., St. Louis, MO 63138 (or online via archives.gov)
Navy: Bureau of Naval Personnel, 5720 Integrity Dr., Millington, TN 38055
Marine Corps: HQ USMC, 2008 Elliot Rd., Quantico, VA 22134
Air Force/Space Force: HQ AFPC, 550 C St. West, Suite 12, JBSA‑Randolph, TX 78150
Coast Guard: USCG Personnel Service Center, 4200 Wilson Blvd, Ste 900, Arlington, VA 20598
Header Photo Credit: National Archive
To contact me for questions or comments, please email me at james.b@lead4earth.org.
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