If you would like to speak with someone in Sen. Husted’s office about military and veteran-specific issues, please call the Columbus, Ohio office at (614) 369-4925 and request to speak to the military and veteran outreach coordinator.

Military records

An electronic request for military records of veterans and next of kin is available here. Individuals who are not a veteran’s next of kin must fill out a Standard Form SF-180.

Individuals can also submit letters of request for military records by mail or by fax. Letters should include the veteran’s complete name as used during service, service number or social security number, branch of service, dates of service, and date and place of birth, especially if the service number is not known.

Individuals seeking a correction to a military record can also fill out and mail DD Form 149.

Military Personnel Records: 
9700 Page Ave.
St. Louis, MO 63132-5100
(314) 801 0800
(314) 801 9195 (fax)
E-mail: mpr.center@nara.gov
Status check: mpr.status@nara.gov

Civilian Personnel Records:
111 Winnebago St.
St. Louis, MO 63118-4126
(314) 801 9250
(314) 801 9269 (fax)
E-mail: cpr.center@nara.gov

Medals

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. Additional information about requesting military service records is available here.

*Note: Service members are entitled to one replacement set of military service awards/medals at no cost to the service member.

Mailing address for the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps National Personnel Records Center:
1 Archives Dr.
St. Louis, MO 63138

Mailing address for the Coast Guard Personnel Service Center:
4200 Wilson Blvd., Suite 900 (PSC-PSD-MA)
Stop 7200
Arlington, VA 20598-7200

Health benefits 

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) offers a wide array of medical benefits. Each package is unique to individual veterans. Goals for the care of every veteran include:

• Treat illnesses and injuries
• Prevent future health problems
• Improve the veteran’s ability to function
• Enhance the veteran’s quality of life  

Detailed information regarding these benefits can be found here.

Veterans can apply for benefits here.

• Veterans can apply for benefits via mail by printing this form and mailing the completed application to the Health Eligibility Center.
• Instructions for completing an application for VA benefits is available here.

Factors such as a veteran’s income level, disability rating, and military service history help the VA make decisions regarding costs. Most veterans need to complete a financial assessment when they enroll to determine whether they qualify for free VA health care. 

• The assessment can be found here.

• Information about potential costs of care is available here.

Health Eligibility Center:
2957 Clairmont Rd., Suite 200
Atlanta, GA 30329

Suicide prevention

The Veterans Crisis Line provides support for all active military veterans and their families 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The line is confidential and toll-free and can be reached by phone, online chat, or text. It connects veterans in crisis and their families with a qualified, caring VA responder.

Dial 1 (800) 273 8255 and press 1, chat online link or send a text message to 838255.

Education

VA education benefits help veterans, service members, and their qualified family members pay for their college tuition, find the right school or training programs, and access career counseling. Resources for veterans who want to use their earned education and training benefits include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Montgomery GI Bill (MGIB) assists military members and veterans with their education and training needs.
• Post-9/11 GI Bill helps veterans pay for school or job training. Veterans may be eligible for this option if they served on active duty after September 10, 2001.
• Veteran readiness and employment help veterans with service-connected disabilities explore employment options and address their training needs.

• Education and career counseling guide veterans, at no cost, who are pursuing education after their discharge.

• VA education benefits are available for veterans’ dependents and survivors.

More information here.

Military discharge

Veterans who would like to request an upgrade of a military discharge from the appropriate review board can find the form here. Once completed, the form must be mailed to the veteran’s respective military branch.

Army:
Army Review Boards Agency
251 18th St. South, Suite 385
Arlington, VA 22202-3531

Navy and Marine Corps:
Secretary of the Navy Council of Review Boards
Attn: Naval Discharge Review Board
720 Kennon Ave. S.E., Suite 309
Washington Navy Yard, DC 20374-5023

Air Force:
Air Force Review Boards Agency
SAF/ MRBR
550-C St. West, Suite 40
Randolph AFB, TX 78150-4742

Coast Guard:
Commandant (CG-133)
Attn: Office of Military Personnel
US Coast Guard Stop 7907
2703 Martin Luther King, Jr. Ave., S.E.
Washington, DC 20593-7907

Form:

DD Form 293 – DD Form 293.pdf

Compensation

The VA provides compensation of monthly benefits to veterans in recognition of the effects of disabilities, diseases, or injuries suffered or aggravated during military service. The program also provides monthly payments to surviving spouses, dependent children, and dependent parents.

The three most common forms of disability among veterans are:

Disability:

Disability compensation is a monetary benefit paid to veterans who are disabled by an injury or disease that was incurred or aggravated during active military service. These disabilities are service connected. Details regarding the online application process are available here. Veterans may also print and mail the application, VA Form 21-526EZ or call the VA at 1 (800) 827 1000 to have the form mailed to them.

Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC):

DIC is a tax-free benefit payable to a surviving spouse, child, or parent of service members who died while on active duty, active duty for training, or inactive duty training, or to survivors of veterans who died from service-connected disabilities. More information regarding eligibility for dependency and indemnity compensation can be found here.

Special Monthly Compensation (SMC):

SMC is an additional tax-free benefit available to veterans, their spouses, surviving spouses, and parents. The calculation tables associated with the special monthly compensation benefit can be found here.

Pension

The VA offers two pension benefit programs, for veterans and for their survivors.

Veterans

The VA helps veterans, and their families cope with financial challenges by providing supplemental income through the veterans pension benefit. Veterans pension is a tax-free monetary benefit payable to low-income wartime veterans.

Survivors

The survivors pension benefit, which may also be referred to as death pension, is a tax-free monetary benefit payable to low-income, surviving spouses who are not remarried, and/or unmarried children of deceased veterans with wartime service.

The pension eligibility outline can be found here.

Intent to file

The VA has an online portal that veterans can use to file claims, either through eBenefits or the VA portal.

Veterans who prefer not to file a claim online may fill out this form and turn it in at the nearest benefits office.

Forms:

VA Form 21-526EZ – VA form

Intent to File – VA Intent to File

VBA-21-526EZ-VBA21526EZ-ARE

Additional resources

• Ohio Department of Veterans Services (ODVS): The ODVS provides care and service to Ohio’s veterans. Veterans can find information and resources from the ODVS here.
• Homeless veterans: National Call Center for Homeless Veterans at 1 (877) 424 3838.
• Female veterans: Women VA Hotline at 1 (855) 829 6636.

• Service Women’s Action Network: The Service Women’s Action Network supports women currently serving in the military and female veterans here.

• VA home loans: Information on VA home loans is available here.

• Life insurance: The VA’s life insurance programs were developed to provide financial security for veterans’ families in view of the extraordinary risks involved in military service. More information about these programs is available here.

• Burial flags: A U.S. flag is provided, at no cost, to drape across the casket or accompany the urn of a deceased veteran. More information about burial flags is available here.

• Burial in a national cemetery: Information to determine whether a veteran is eligible to be buried in one of the 131 national cemeteries across the country is available here. Direct inquiries of this nature can be made to Fort Snelling National Cemetery at (612) 726 1127.