(2) A request for an award or upgrade of one of the above decorations must be submitted on a DA Form 638, Award Recommendation, with supporting documents and witness statements, through your Congressman for consideration by the Army Decorations Board. The witness to the act completes a DA Form 638, or, the applicant can complete this form.

Decorations, medals, badges, citations and campaign ribbons; If your DD-214 has been lost or destroyed, you can obtain a new copy through the Veterans Affairs website. You’ll need to create an account and confirm your identity before you can request your DD-214. Request for approval of an award of a Commonwealth and/ or Foreign Order, Decoration or Medal to a Canadian Citizen. PDF Version (83 KB) Footnote. Donor Country: Proposed order, decoration or medal. Requests for the issuance or replacement of military service medals, decorations and awards should be directed to the specific branch of the military in which the veteran served.

Awards and medals are issued when the originals have been lost, destroyed, or rendered unfit for use through no fault of the person to whom they were given. >NPRC has responsibility for providing verification of entitlement for some awards for the Army and Air Force; however, NPRC does not furnish the actual awards. For Air Force awards, NA Form 13059, Transmittal of And/Or Entitlement to Awards is prepared and forwarded to the Air Force Personnel Command for issuance of the awards. Army awards requests are created on line and submitted electronically to the U.S. Army Tank Automotive and Armament Command for issuance of the awards.

OTHER THAN HONORABLE DISCHARGE

Individuals who were discharged under other than honorable conditions are not entitled to any medals earned during the less than honorable period of service.

An other than honorable discharge may be characterized as Bad Conduct Discharge, Dishonorable Discharge, Undesirable Discharge, or Under Other than Honorable Conditions Discharge. For medals issuance purposes, a General Under Honorable Conditions Discharge will be processed in the same manner as an Honorable Discharge.

When a veteran had only one period of service and the entire period is other than honorable, no medals will be issued. Respond using the pattern paragraph Medals-Entitlement & Eligibility for Issuance-Medals Request for Under Other than Honorable Conditions. Provide a list of awards earned for purchase from civilian dealers.

If a veteran had more than one period of service, and at least one period resulted in an honorable or general under honorable conditions discharge, he may be issued only the medals earned during the honorable period(s) and a list of the medals earned during the less than honorable period provided.

AIR FORCE, ARMY AIR CORPS (AAC) and ARMY AIR FORCE (AAF)

The Department of the Air Force is responsible for servicing requests for awards earned by members of the AAC or AAF who served prior to July 1, 1948.

When requested, copies of any information pertaining to awards and commendations should be furnished. Normally, four copies of the NA Form 13059 are prepared and dispatched as follows:

Original and one copy should be sent to Randolph AFB, Attn: DPPPRA
One copy should be sent to the requester
One copy should be retained in the record

The National Personnel Records Center does not process requests for replacement of certificates of decoration. Most requests can be satisfied with a copy of the award citation, or order. If a requester insists on having a certificate of decoration replaced, refer the inquiry and the record to HQ Air Force Personnel Center, Attn: HQ AFPC/DPPPRA, 550 C Street West, Suite 12, Randolph AFB, TX 78150-4712. Congressional inquiries are referred to HQ Air Force Personnel Center, Attn: HQ AFPC/DSXI, 550 C Street West, Suite 45, Randolph AFB, TX 78150-4747.

If the original certificate is found in the record, it should be sent to the veteran or the NOK.

If the veteran requests his awards be listed on his separation document, a DD Form 215, Correction to DD Form 214, Certificate of Release or Release or Discharge from Active Duty, should be prepared.

DETERMINING ENTITLEMENT TO AF, AAC and AAF MEDALS:

If the veteran/NOK has requested “medals,” the following service record documents should be used to identify those medals to which the individual was entitled:

Report of Separation
AF Form 7, Airman’s Military Record
AF Form 11, Officer’s Military Record
AF Form 1712, Uniform Military Personnel Record
Service record book, orders citation, etc.

An excellent source for information about Air Force unit awards is available at the following website:
http://www.afpc.randolph.af.mil/awards/

When the service record was lost in the fire and a computer search fails to identify a B or R file, ask the requester to submit a copy of the separation document. If the requester does not have a copy, check the VA Index for possible VA claim number. If positive, run BIRLS and procure the separation document. Complete NA Form 13059 upon receipt of the separation document.

If the request is for a specific medal and documentation is not found on in the military personnel record, request a search of the Awards Card File. The cards have been alphabetically consolidated for surnames A through G. Searches involving surnames H through Z must be conducted by the specific medal. The file contains awards for the years 1939 through 1963. Provide the veteran’s name, service number and denote the specific medal veteran is requesting. A list of the medals in the card file is located in NPRC 1865.110. If an entry is found for the veteran, OR will provide a copy of the card or transcribe the award info on NA Form 13105.

NOTE: The majority of the awards found in the card file are personal awards, such as the Purple Heart Medal, Bronze Star Medal, etc. However, some unit awards are also included. The unit awards are arranged by the number of the unit, from 1 through 83, such as the 1st medal Group or the 83rd Military Police Group. There are no numbers higher than 83. Some units are listed by alpha, A through W. (e.g. Western Pacific Command). When the request concerns a fire-related record and you have not been able to locate a copy of the separation document, you may submit a request to OR for a search of the Awards Card File.

POW Medal for AF/AAC/AAF: Applications should be submitted on DD Form 2510, Prisoner of War Medal Application/Information. However, other forms of correspondence are acceptable if all of the required information has been provided and proper authorization is received. The Department of the Air Force is responsible for determining eligibility for and issuance of the medal. The veteran/NOK must provide the complete name, service number, date and place of birth, branch of service, dates confined as POW, and the unit of assignment when captured. Additional information that may be helpful is place of imprisonment and disposition after release or escape. The request, with all enclosures and NA Form 13059, should be forwarded to Randolph AFB, Attn: DPPPRA, alongwith copies of the following:

Separation document or equivalent
FAR showing POW dates
Any evidence in the service record which pertains to POW status (e.g. telegrams,
casualty reports, etc.)

IF UNABLE TO DETERMINE ENTITLEMENT TO MEDALS (AF/AAC/AAF):

This Center has limited authority concerning the determination of eligibility for awards. NPRC 1865.110 contains a list of awards for which NPRC cannot determine eligibility. AF Regulation 900-48, Awards, Ceremonies and Honors contains information about these awards, in addition to DoD Manual 1348.33M.

Forward the request, all records of search actions, and loan and transfer the record to the following:

If former member of the AF Reserve:

Headquarters
Air Reserve Personnel Center
Attn: DSMR
Denver, CO 80280

If a former member of the Regular Air Force:

Headquarters
Air Force Personnel Center
Attn: DPPPRA, Suite 12
Randolph AFB, TX 78150-4714

If a former member of the Army Air Corps/Army Air force, prior to July 1, 1948:

Headquarters
Air Force Personnel Center
Attn: DPPPRA, Suite 12
Randolph AFB, TX 78150-4714

If the requester is seeking an Aeronautical Badge (i.e. Pilot, Navigator/Observer, Flight Surgeon, Flight Nurse, Air Crew Member, or Parachutis

Award Decoration Request