How Long does the Process Take?

Almost all routine requests are completed within 7 business days. Since we are dealing with government agencies, and lots of variable factors, there are exceptions. Some National Guard records take longer than 7 business days–the specifics depend on the year of discharge, state you were discharged from, and physical location of the record. If you have incomplete or inaccurate information, this can cause the process to slow down. If you served prior to 1970 and do not have the serial/service number, for example, this can cause the process to slow down while we search for that number, and finally, if your records are fire-related–were burned in the 1973 fire at the National Archives, this can cause a considerable delay in the research process. We will always give you an honest assessment of how long the process will take, and will keep you informed as the search occurs, but again, well over 95% of all requests are completed within 7 business days.