How to Find Someone in the US Army

Posted by Grace Mitchell on December 31th 2012 under

What Type of US Army Records are Available?

The various military units within the US army keep detailed records, and many of the older records from various wars and conflicts have been made available through the National Archives. Here are some USAR records you might find through the National Archives:

Other Military Records Available at the National Archives

The National Archives is a treasure trove of US army records, but also for other military branches and historic military units no longer active, including:

Although the majority of the National Archives military records for the US army and other branches must be researched in person or requested by mail, there is free access to a searchable online database through the National Archives website that allows you to search for records using the following methods:

Why Military Records are Important in a Genealogy Search

Finding a relative who was in the US army or other branch of the military can be exciting and eye opening. Reading an ancestor’s military records gives you a different view of that person, a separate identity from just learning his birth place, residence, and marriage records. Learning how your ancestor participated in a conflict, what was accomplished and where he served is important to a well painted family tree.

Simply adding someone’s name and dates of birth and death to the family tree might help fill in the blanks, but delving deeper into who that person was, what they did during life, is how you fill out that family tree with more than just bare facts.