How do you recover awards you lost?

2016-01-11T19:56:49-05:00

Over the years I have seen and heard people who were awarded awards but lost the documentation. It ranged from I got out and lost the box when I moved and now that I am back in I cannot find it to the unit gave me the award but I never got the paperwork to my unit never permed it and I lost it somehow.

Obviously you cannot wear it if you do not have it in your permenant records. So how can they "recover" these awards?

Response by CPT Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 11 at 2016 8:14 PM

2016-01-11T20:14:35-05:00

I know that units get a copy of orders and so does the Admin entity that serves that unit but I have never seen anyone ever attempt to reach out to them. I don't know if really anyone keeps the DA Form 368. Iperms is the best hope you have but I doubt that if I didn't have my copy of my early awards I wouldn't be able to get a copy of them.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 11 at 2016 8:16 PM

2016-01-11T20:16:39-05:00

unfortunately you might be out of luck in that case. Im not aware of any way of recovering these documents unless you hunt the person that approved it and see if they be willing to sing of on it again.

Response by COL Jon Thompson made Jan 11 at 2016 10:47 PM

2016-01-11T22:47:38-05:00

Throughout my career, I have kept an "I love me" book with all certificates, awards, orders, etc. I recommend that everyone do something like that as I have copies of all award certificates and DA638s. Another source is if the SM DD214 as awards should be annotated there. Finally, you can request copies of your official military records through Army HRC. Now if the unit never gave you the paperwork, that might be different.

Response by LTC Jason Mackay made Jan 11 at 2016 10:57 PM

2016-01-11T22:57:58-05:00

You need to differentiate between the certificate and the 638. Both should have the Permanent Order number on them. The 638 has it on backside bottom (27b) from the orders authority. The certificate should have it typed on the bottom somewhere, usually under the signature block. Either one is a substantiating document.

Places where awards are supposed to go, and there is a potential place to find them:
- official OMPF (certificate), which can be requested after ETS. Your S1/G1 is supposed to do this upon approval of said award...yeah doesn't always happen. If it does, someone is always compelled to scrawl your SSN obtrusively as possible with a sloppy, lazy elypse vaguely drawn "around" the SSN. While you "technically" have it, it looks crapptastic in a frame.
- there are 4 copies of the 638. One of those copies is retained by the approval authority, That becomes the permanent orders you should be able to get it from them. 1x Unit, 1xOMPF, and 1x individual. Have seen as many as 3x individual. It doesn't get you a certificate if you lost it. Some S1s make a black and white copy.
- Enlisted members (or the S1 on their behalf) are supposed to submit the certificate and 638 when placing in the Official personnel file. Officers typically only need the certificate for iperms.

Unit Citations are easier. Take your ERB / ORB and search the 4x Data Bases on the HRC website. They are linked to DA General Orders that announce them.

Response by LTC Jason Mackay made Jan 11 at 2016 11:11 PM

2016-01-11T23:11:40-05:00

LTC Private RallyPoint Member what award can you not find? It makes a difference where you can ask.

Response by 1SG Todd Sullivan made Jan 11 at 2016 11:43 PM

2016-01-11T23:43:26-05:00

If they actually were awarded it, the unit and the BN S-1 is a good place to start, but it maybe a lost cause.

Response by PO1 William "Chip" Nagel made Jan 12 at 2016 5:49 AM

2016-01-12T05:49:00-05:00

While the Long Form may have disappeared they should be annotated in your DD214 and always make it a habit when you move into a town put your DD214 on file at the county seat that way if you misplace your DD214 you can always go to the county seat and get a copy.

Response by Cpl Robert Clark made Jan 12 at 2016 8:48 AM

2016-01-12T08:48:36-05:00

http://www.archives.gov is one place to start. VSO's and the VA can help as well.

National Archives and Records Administration

Response by SSG Matthew Hamrick made Jan 12 at 2016 9:05 AM

2016-01-12T09:05:00-05:00

You are talking about those who got out and came back in. The DD214 will have all the awards for when they got out and when they come back in the DD214 will be what they use for their awards.

Response by TSgt James Potter made Jan 12 at 2016 10:17 AM

2016-01-12T10:17:34-05:00

If the award was listed on your DD214 when you got out, isn't that good enough?

Response by CW2 Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 12 at 2016 10:36 AM

2016-01-12T10:36:11-05:00

I can't ever imagine losing an award for several reasons, and they're all due to personal responsibility from the Soldier that received it. Allow me to explain.

1. The Soldier should never allow their official record to get out of whack. If you get an award, the first thing you should do is make a copy and write the SSN or whatever in the upper right corner and give it to S1. Technically they should do this on their own but they never do in my experience. If it doesn't hit in 2-4 weeks, upload again or contact the S1. Just having an iPERMS that is hot garbage and missing files is unfathomable to me.

2. I scan all aspects of every award the night I get it, and post it in my Google Drive cloud (or respective service). No excuse to not have cloud storage for important things like this, especially since you can get GB upon GB for free. If we are talking WWII that is obviously a different circumstance. Houses burn down, documents get lost, hard drives crash, but the likelihood of your cloud storage disappearing AND your hard drive crashing AND your house burning down in the same event are probably on odds with the Powerball.

Response by SPC Tanya Cummings Boozer made Jan 12 at 2016 10:44 AM

2016-01-12T10:44:23-05:00

This is where I would start. http://www.archives.gov/veterans/military-service-records/index.html

Takes 3 minutes to complete. I finally just did it myself, as we were awarded a couple medals after I ETS's 23 years ago. They will send you a complete replacement set, no charge, the first time.

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Response by SCPO Larry Poffenbarger made Jan 12 at 2016 1:23 PM

2016-01-12T13:23:46-05:00

Back in the 50s we didn't have all this fine electronic storage. And yes, paperwork can get lost or destroyed or just not completed by a lazy YN. I have two awards that were presented to me and about 150 other members of the can I was on and have no documentation at all. I've talked to a few other shipmates from the same can and they're in the same boat. Hard to go back and correct something from sixty years ago.

Response by MAJ Ken Landgren made Jan 12 at 2016 4:37 PM

2016-01-12T16:37:57-05:00

I know this is not right, but I went on an Intrinsic Action tour. I lost the award but I had certificate, so I wore the medal.

Response by SGT Joe Sabedra made Jan 12 at 2016 7:00 PM

2016-01-12T19:00:40-05:00

It should be listed on your DD-214

Response by SGT Leon Riege made Jan 12 at 2016 7:20 PM

2016-01-12T19:20:42-05:00

dd214 if it aint on there you didnt get it

Response by PO2 Nick Burke made Jan 12 at 2016 9:28 PM

2016-01-12T21:28:56-05:00

I found out at my last command that I was supposed to have gotten a couple of unit awards from both my previous commands. 1st I caught grief for not wearing them. Then I got more for trying to verify and get them. It turned out they never bothered to forward them. Some how it was my fault! Good thing my CMC had a good no BS policy! POed the new LTjg off tho.

Response by SGT Tim Fridley made Jan 12 at 2016 10:37 PM

2016-01-12T22:37:58-05:00

All of those records are in the archives in ST. Louis MO all you have to do is go to their website and fill out the request.

Response by COL John Hudson made Jan 13 at 2016 9:03 PM

2016-01-13T21:03:19-05:00

The process is easier than you think. Go online to "eVetRecs" or call them at [login to see] . You can check them out at: " https://www.archives.gov/veterans/military-service-records/index.html "
Or, go straight to: " https://vetrecs.archives.gov/VeteranRequest/home.html " The process is pretty intuitive and straightforward. ALL of your military records should be there, unless your Unit Clerk slept on the job every day. Any award you have earned or been awarded should be there, and you can print out the award order. Don't know if that includes the citation but you can ask them. Hope this helps.

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Response by SSgt Michael Cox made Jan 14 at 2016 11:26 AM

2016-01-14T11:26:34-05:00

When I was in the Air Force they would pin the medals on me and then take them back and put them in the drawer for the next time someone needed it in the presentation. But we never received our personal one. I ended up going to Archives.gov and ordering mine. In my case though I had asked for my DD-214 the year before and when I did instead of making a copy for me someone sent me the original instead so I had to have one of my U.S. Senators help me work with the Archives but normally you wouldn't have to.

Response by SPC Tanya Cummings Boozer made Jan 15 at 2016 1:20 PM

2016-01-15T13:20:46-05:00

CPT Maurelli, this is where I would start. http://www.archives.gov/veterans/military-service-records/index.html

Takes 3 minutes to complete. I finally just did it myself, as we were awarded a couple medals after I ETS's 23 years ago. They will send you a complete replacement set, no charge, the first time.

Start Your Military Service Record (DD Form 214) Request

How to Request Military Service Records, Military Personnel Files, Veterans Records, Discharge Papers, Separation Documents, DD214, or Prove Military Service

Response by SFC Ronald Burris made Jan 18 at 2016 5:31 PM

2016-01-18T17:31:38-05:00

HI, the awards should be listed on your DD 214 when you were discharged. Hope this helps.

Response by SFC Ronald Burris made Mar 2 at 2016 3:17 AM

2016-03-02T03:17:42-05:00

Do you have them listed on your old DD 214? IF it wasn't permed you may have to write back to the organization where You received the award so they can go to the Records Holding Area to get a copy of your award. They are held for 25 years at Records Holding Area and then sent to HRC.

Response by MSgt Eric Arvidson made Apr 26 at 2020 10:16 AM

2020-04-26T10:16:30-04:00

Personnel records can provide your DD214 and all your relevant records.

Response by CPL Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 28 at 2020 10:59 PM

2020-10-28T22:59:48-04:00

I'm having issues with my s1 right now, they state my dd214 is not enough proof for my awards as a prior service soldier. They refuse to add any award or campaign ribbons to my erb because of this. So my awards sections right now is blank. Contacted my old unit and they said they couldn't find any records of my awards being processed, the national archives just gave me stuff I already had. So I don't know what else to do or what to tell them in order for them to add those awards to my erb.