WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Representative Peter Meijer (R-MI) today joined 112 of his colleagues in sending a bipartisan letter to David Ferriero, Archivist of the United States, urging the National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) to resume full staffing capacity to address the massive backlog of veteran requests for records and services, including requests related to burials, emergency medical treatments, and retirement benefits.
The NPRC is responsible for an array of veteran services. For some veterans, there may not be an alternative service for accessing military records required by various federal and civilian agencies. Some veterans have reported difficulty in receiving documents needed to obtain VA medical care or disability compensation. Despite a declaration on the NPRC’s website that emergency requests associated with medical treatments will be processed, hundreds of thousands of veterans report a backlog to receive the records needed to access medical care for health issues.
Additionally, veterans and their families often request replacements for military service medals when they bury a loved one, find that the medal has become tarnished, or when the medal is destroyed or lost. Normally, this request is filled within a reasonable timeframe, but now, veterans and their families might wait up to 18 months.
In early January, the NPRC reverted to a 25 percent in-person staff presence, leaving many veterans with unfulfilled requests. As the NPRC continues to cite health precautions for not being fully staffed, our veterans suffer from health issues that need immediate attention.
Excerpt from the letter:
“We write on behalf of our constituents and veterans across the nation who are being severely impacted by the unacceptable delay in responding to requests for assistance by the National Personnel Records Center (NPRC), an agency of the National Archives and Records Administration. In your October 2021 letter to Congressional leadership, you restated your commitment to eliminating the backlog, restoring the NPRC’s pre-pandemic response times, and re-instating on-site staffing reduced in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead, on January 10, 2022, NARA officials communicated that the NPRC has reverted to a 25% in-person staff, leaving even more veterans in the same position they were almost two years ago. We ask that you immediately bring NPRC back to full capacity and inform Members of Congress on your plans to operate in a timely manner.
“The most glaring discrepancy is the neglect of the NPRC in processing critical request for copies of DD-214 forms. The NPRC’s website declares that 45% staffing would enable it to resume service on routine requests for DD-214s, yet many veterans remain unable to access this form. DD-214s are essential for a myriad of critical services. For example, some veterans have been unable to obtain the VA home loans due to long delays in receiving DD-214s. More significantly, veterans have been denied their appropriate retirement pay levels due to not being able to demonstrate their military service for federal retirement consideration. We all know that our veterans put their lives on the line to protect our freedoms. While the NPRC employees have yet to miss a paycheck, the veterans they serve have been denied access to documents that have a significant impact on their financial livelihood.”
The full text of the letter is available here.
Rep. Meijer has consistently advocated for the NPRC to address these issues and ensure that our nation’s veterans are receiving the respect and care they deserve in a timely manner. He previously joined his colleagues in sending similar, bipartisan letters in April and September of 2021, urging the NPRC to increase staff capacity and address the unacceptable backlog of veteran requests.
Original source can be found here.
