The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) has eliminated the pandemic-related backlog of veteran records requests at the National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) in Saint Louis, MO.
“The National Archives plays a critical role in ensuring that our veterans and their families have access to the records they need for the benefits they’ve earned. Clearing the backlog of record requests at the National Personnel Records Center has been my top priority and I am proud that we’ve gotten this done,” said Archivist of the United States Dr. Colleen Shogan. “I want to recognize the hard work and dedication of the National Archives staff. They have worked overtime and across weekends and holidays to achieve this goal and ensure we meet our obligation to those who’ve served.”
NARA accumulated a large backlog of requests for military service records due to on-site building occupancy limits during the COVID pandemic. While the NPRC never fully closed during the pandemic because of the need to respond to emergency records requests, such as those required to support medical emergencies, funeral services, and shelter for homeless veterans, the pandemic restrictions caused on-site production to be significantly curtailed. A backlog of over 600,000 requests was accumulated, which NARA has been working to clear over the last two years.
Read the full press release here: https://www.archives.gov/press/press-releases/2024/nr24-10
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