NA Form 13075 is the National Archives “Questionnaire About Military Service.” It is sent when the National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) cannot locate a record from the information in the original request, or when the record may have been lost in the July 1973 fire at the records center near St. Louis. It is not a VA disability claim, an appeal or a rating decision, and receiving it does not by itself prove that a particular Veteran’s file burned. NA Form 13055 is a separate form about medical treatment. In 2026, VA began sending both forms together in one combined packet that is saved and reused, so most Veterans give the information only once. A missing record does not automatically mean a claim will be denied.
If a form titled Questionnaire About Military Service arrived after you filed a VA claim or asked the National Archives for records, nothing has gone wrong. It is a routine step VA and the National Personnel Records Center use when the paperwork documenting decades-old service is hard to find—common for Army and Air Force Veterans of the mid-20th century because millions of those files were destroyed in a 1973 fire.
What is NA Form 13075?
NA Form 13075 is a National Archives and Records Administration form titled Questionnaire About Military Service. The National Personnel Records Center—the National Archives facility near St. Louis that holds military personnel files—sends it to a Veteran, a next of kin or an authorized representative to collect details that can help the Center find a record or rebuild some basic facts about a period of service.
It is not a Department of Veterans Affairs form. It is not a disability compensation application, a Supplemental Claim, a Higher-Level Review, a Board appeal, a medical opinion, a compensation-and-pension examination or a rating decision. It does not decide whether a condition is service-connected, and it is not a replacement DD214 for every purpose. It is a records-search and reconstruction tool.
VA uses it while developing a claim. When a claim depends on service or treatment that VA cannot confirm from existing records, VA asks the Veteran to complete the National Archives forms and sends the responses to NPRC to search for alternate records.
Why would VA or NPRC send this form?
The current National Archives form explains that it is sent for one of two reasons: the Center could not locate a record using the information in the original request, or the record needed may have been lost in the July 1973 fire. In either case, the extra detail the Veteran supplies may help the Center locate an existing record or use other sources to reconstruct some basic service information.
In a VA claim, this usually happens when a claimed illness, injury or event would normally appear in a service treatment record or personnel file that no longer exists or cannot be found. Rather than stopping there, VA develops the claim by asking for the questionnaire and sending it to NPRC for a reconstruction search.
Does receiving NA Form 13075 mean my records burned?
Not necessarily. The form lists two possible reasons it was sent, and only one is the fire. A record can also be unlocatable because the original request had a name spelling, service number or date that does not match the file, or because the document being sought was never in the personnel file.
So the accurate way to read the form is: VA or NPRC could not find the record it needs, and that record either is not where expected or may have been fire-affected. It is not a finding that your file was destroyed. The National Archives says there is no complete list of the files lost in the fire, so in many cases no one can say with certainty whether a specific file burned.
NA Form 13075 vs NA Form 13055
Veterans affected by the fire often receive two forms, and they are not interchangeable. NA Form 13075 is about service history. NA Form 13055, titled Request for Information Needed to Reconstruct Medical Data, is about medical treatment. VA describes 13055 as its request to NPRC to reconstruct records, and it asks for the treatment details a medical-records search needs.
| Question | NA Form 13075 | NA Form 13055 |
|---|---|---|
| Official title | Questionnaire About Military Service | Request for Information Needed to Reconstruct Medical Data |
| Main purpose | Locate a service record or reconstruct basic service information | Reconstruct information about in-service medical care |
| Information requested | Names used, dates and places of entry and separation, units and organizations, rank, Selective Service and Reserve or Guard service | The illness or injury, approximate treatment dates, the unit at the time, and the hospital, dispensary or facility involved |
| Service history vs treatment history | Service history | Treatment history |
| Why it helps NPRC | Points the Center toward the right personnel and organizational records to search | Points the Center toward the right medical and hospital records to search |
| Used for 1973 fire reconstruction | Yes | Yes |
| Is it the VA disability application? | No | No |
Both forms follow the same pattern: complete them as fully as you can, attach copies of any papers you already have, and return them by the method the instructions give. The National Archives closes a request if it does not receive the information within 30 days, so respond promptly even if some answers are incomplete.
What changed in VA’s fire-record process in 2026?
On August 24, 2026, VA announced that it had made the fire-record claims process more consistent, with the change beginning the previous month. The broad picture, and how it fits the wider record-reconstruction issue, is covered in our records-fire claims-process explainer. For the forms specifically, three things changed.
This is a paperwork and internal-process change. It does not create a new benefit, change eligibility rules or promise a faster decision. It also does not mean VA will never ask again: a later request tied to something NPRC genuinely still needs is allowed. If you receive a second request, read it closely rather than assuming it is a mistake.
Whose military records were affected by the 1973 NPRC fire?
The National Archives says the July 12, 1973 fire destroyed approximately 16 million to 18 million Official Military Personnel Files. Its affected-records description identifies two main groups:
- Army personnel discharged November 1, 1912 to January 1, 1960, with an estimated 80 percent of those records lost; and
- Air Force personnel discharged September 25, 1947 to January 1, 1964, whose surnames fall alphabetically after Hubbard, James E., with an estimated 75 percent of those records lost.
Those bands describe record groups in the affected area. They do not mean every file in the group was destroyed, and they are not a list of specific losses. The National Archives says no duplicate copies, microfilm or pre-fire index covered all of these files, and some records were elsewhere—including documents on loan to VA at the time—so a complete list of what was lost does not exist. Women Veterans of these generations are included even though older records often gave their service less visibility.
What information does NA Form 13075 ask for?
The questionnaire asks for identifying and service-history details in plain categories. Read your own form for the exact questions, but in general it covers:
- the name or names you used during service, including a nickname if one was used;
- date and place of birth, and your Social Security number or service number;
- branch of service and whether you were an officer or enlisted;
- whether you were drafted or enlisted, and the place and date you entered service;
- where you completed basic training;
- the units and organizations you served with, your last organization, and where you separated;
- the date you separated and your final rank;
- Selective Service information;
- any Reserve or National Guard service afterward; and
- whether you have filed a VA claim, plus your signature and contact information.
Use any records you already hold—an old DD214, discharge papers, letters, photographs or unit materials—to refresh dates, names and unit designations. Do not invent details to fill a blank; if you do not know an answer, say so rather than guessing at something that could send the search in the wrong direction. Keep a copy of what you send and note the date and method. Only respond to a form that VA or the National Archives actually sent you.
What if I can’t remember every date or unit?
Complete the form to the best of your ability. Partial, honest information is more useful to a records search than a blank form or a wrong guess presented as fact. If you can give a unit, a base, a year or a season even when you cannot give an exact date, include it and label it approximate.
The two forms have different fields and instructions, so follow each on its own terms. NA Form 13055 is built around treatment episodes—what happened, roughly when, and where. NA Form 13075 is built around the shape of your service—where you entered, where you were assigned and where you left. If a current instruction sheet in your packet explains how to handle unknown information, follow that.
What happens after I send the forms back?
VA receives your response as part of claim development and forwards the reconstruction request to NPRC. Records-reconstruction staff then search the sources that survived the fire or exist outside the personnel file. The National Archives calls these Auxiliary Records, and VA describes searching unit records, morning reports and hospital admission records from the Surgeon General’s Office, among others. Whatever can be found is returned for use in the claim.
VA does not publish a guaranteed turnaround time for this search and does not promise that a specific record will be recovered. The forms start the search; they do not set a decision deadline.
Can VA reconstruct a destroyed military record?
Sometimes, and usually only in part. Reconstruction can often reestablish basic service facts—dates of service, units, duty stations—by piecing together other official records. It is far less likely to recreate a complete medical file; the National Archives says auxiliary records may contain only limited information.
So it helps to separate two questions. Reconstructing basic service data is frequently possible. Reconstructing a complete medical or personnel record generally is not. That matters for a claim, because the missing piece is often a specific diagnosis or treatment note the surviving records do not contain.
Does a missing record mean VA will deny my disability claim?
No. A missing service record does not by itself decide a claim, and VA does not rely only on service treatment records. VA’s evidence guidance lists other medical evidence and lay statements. In its 2026 announcement, VA said it applies a sympathetic evidentiary standard when a Veteran’s records are confirmed or reasonably believed to have been lost in the fire, and that it can accept credible statements from the Veteran, fellow service members or others with knowledge of the event.
That is meaningful help, but not a guarantee. VA weighs whether a statement is credible, and the evidence still has to support the elements the claim requires—a current condition, an in-service event or exposure, and a link between them. A missing record does not automatically prove an in-service event, and a buddy statement does not automatically win a claim. The safest approach is specific and factual: describe what happened, roughly when and where, name the unit or people involved when you can, and keep personal memory separate from documents.
What if I already submitted Forms 13055 and 13075?
Under the 2026 process, VA says a previously submitted packet should be saved and reused, and processors should not request the same forms again just because the information is hard to see internally. If you kept a copy and a record of when and how you submitted it, tell VA or your representative that.
If you receive another request anyway, do not ignore it. Read the letter to see what it actually asks for; NPRC may need information that was not on the first form, or a different detail for a new part of the claim. Respond within the deadline, and contact VA or an accredited representative if the request is unclear. Treat it as a normal step, not a sign that something went wrong.
What if my claim was previously denied because records were missing?
VA’s 2026 announcement encourages Veterans who were previously denied because their records could not be located not to assume they are ineligible, and says they can file a new claim or reopen an existing one at VA.gov.
The right procedural path depends on the earlier decision—its date, the issue claimed and whether there is new evidence—so this guide cannot choose one for you. Review VA’s current decision-review options or work with an accredited representative, who can look at the actual decision. VA says accredited Veterans Service Organization representatives assist with claims for free. The Veteran Resources directory has official VA, Georgia, South Carolina and Augusta-area starting points, and VA’s accreditation search confirms whether someone advertising “claim help” is actually authorized.
Is NA Form 13075 still current if the PDF shows an expired OMB date?
A copy of NA Form 13075 downloaded from some websites prints “OMB No. 3095-0039” with an expiration date of 07/31/2026, which is now in the past. That does not mean the form is void or that you should ignore a VA request.
The Office of Management and Budget approves federal forms for a set period, and agencies periodically renew the approval and repost the form with a new date. In June 2026 the National Archives began renewing this information collection—which includes NA Form 13075 and NA Form 13055—and in August 2026 it said it had submitted this collection to OMB to continue using it with no changes. VA’s August 2026 fire-record guidance still uses both forms. If VA sent you a current development packet, complete the form and follow the instructions VA provided, rather than relying on an old copy downloaded elsewhere. This article does not offer a legal opinion on the Paperwork Reduction Act; the practical point is that the form remains in active federal use.
How to send sensitive military-record information safely
NA Form 13075 asks for a Social Security number or service number, birth information, addresses and family details, plus your signature. Treat it as sensitive.
Use only official channels: respond through the address, fax number or portal in the packet VA or the National Archives sent you, or through your VA.gov account or accredited representative. Do not upload a completed military-record form, a DD214 or an SSN to an unknown “records help” or “reconstruction service” website, email or social-media message, and do not pay a private company to complete or submit these forms. If a message claims to be from VA or the National Archives and something feels off, verify it independently first; our guide to spotting fake VA messages and websites explains how to check a sender and reach the agency without using the contact details in the suspicious message.
Bottom line
NA Form 13075 is the National Archives Questionnaire About Military Service. VA and NPRC use it to locate a record or reconstruct basic service information when a file cannot be found or may have been affected by the 1973 fire. It is not a disability claim, and it is not proof that your records burned. Complete the packet VA sent as fully and accurately as you can, keep a copy, respond to any follow-up request instead of ignoring it, and remember that a missing record does not by itself end a claim.
VA and National Archives procedures and form versions can change. This guide was checked against current federal sources on September 3, 2026. Rely on the instructions in your own VA notice and the latest official guidance for any filing decision.
About this update: The CSRA Women Veterans Resource Guide is an independent informational publisher, not the Department of Veterans Affairs or another government agency. This article does not determine eligibility or replace instructions from the responsible official source.
Questions or corrections? Contact us.
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