SF 813, VERIFICATION OF A MILITARY RETIREE’S SERVICE IN NONWARTIME
CAMPAIGNS OR EXPEDITIONS

• REPLY LETTER WHEN PERS RECORD NOT LOCATED
• GENERAL
• RULES, NOTES, AND GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS
• AIR FORCE SOURCES
• ARMY SOURCES
• NAVY & MARINE CORPS SOURCES
• COAST GUARD SOURCES
• UNABLE TO VERIFY CREDITABLE CLAIMED CAMPAIGN
1. AIR FORCE
2. ARMY
3. NAVY/MARINE CORPS
4. COAST GUARD
• CAMPAIGNS/EXPEDITIONS
• APO'S

Usually when a record is not found ("negative") MPR forwards the request to the service department.  However, DO NOT forward SF 813 negatives to the Air Force or Coast Guard if the retirement date of the AF or CG member occurred fewer than five months ago.  Instead, return the SF 813 to the requesting office.

The chart below tells what to do and which pattern letter to send, depending on retiree's branch of service and how long it has been since the retirement date.  NOTE:  Always make sure you have a current registry search before referring or returning a request for an AF or CG record.  New records may be retired to NPRC and added to our system at any time.

The SF 813 (formerly OPM 813) is used to verify the non-wartime campaigns and expeditions of military retirees and fleet reservists.  The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) credits this information toward civil service employment for reduction-in-force and leave accrual rate purposes.  Under the Dual Compensation Act of 1966 (PL 89-554), the military retiree or fleet reservist requires one of the three following conditions:

1. Active service with a disability retirement, when the disability was caused by either of the following:
   1. instrumentality of war
   2. injury/disease received in the line of duty, as a direct result of armed conflict

   This information can usually be found on the retirement order or other military documents found in the military record.  If this information is requested, and cannot be found in the record, loan and transfer the record to the appropriate service branch headquarters.

2. Active service performed during a war period, which can be verified by the separation document (See Rule #1 shown below).
3. Inclusive dates of active participation in a non-wartime armed conflict, which is referred to as a campaign or expedition.

The SF 813 is specifically designed to respond to OPM for information as shown in item #3, above; however, the “Remarks” section of the form may be used for other information if necessary.  OPM policy prohibits the release of a completed SF 813 to the retiree.  If the retiree’s address is shown in item 9 of the form, inform the requester that the form MUST be resubmitted with the address of his/her federal civilian personnel office.

Question:  Why does OPM consider the Korean “War,” Vietnam “War,” and Persian Gulf “War” non-wartime campaigns?  They are considered campaigns because all were fought without an official declaration of war by Congress.

Question:  What is the difference between a military campaign and a military expedition?  A campaign is a connected series of military operations launched to accomplish a long-term strategic objective within a specific area, and a military expedition is a single military operation launched to accomplish a given objective in a foreign country.

RULES TO REMEMBER:

RULE #1:  DO NOT verify campaigns before April 28, 1952.  Service between December 7, 1941 and April 28, 1952, is always creditable as WWII participation, and is verified from the retiree’s separation document.  Write in “See separation papers” in Remarks, section 7, and provide a copy of the separation document(s).

RULE #2:  It is the responsibility of the retiree to furnish OPM a complete list of campaigns for which the retiree is requesting credit.  If the form does not list specific campaign(s) or dates, return the form and indicate that this information must be provided to this Center.  Your responsibility is to verify those campaigns shown on the SF 813.  You may, however, verify additional campaigns if discovered while verifying a campaign claimed.  DO NOT attempt to verify all campaigns for a retiree’s entire career unless the campaigns are claimed on the OPM Form 813.

IMPORTANT NOTES AND GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR ALL SERVICE DEPARTMENTS:

There are three basic steps to servicing the SF 813.

• Review the form to be sure that it is filled out correctly and that the return address is a personnel office, or at least obviously an office and not the home address of the retiree.
• Verify whether each claimed campaign/expedition is creditable.
• Find documentation that verifies that the retiree participated in the creditable campaign(s)/expedition(s), and the dates of the retiree's participation.  Use the OMPF and if necessary/appropriate, seek assistance from the service department and/or additional documentation from the retiree.

Different procedures apply among the service departments, especially regarding which OMPF source documents and any other resources to use to verify campaign participation and what to do/how to get help when you can't verify one or more claimed creditable campaign(s).  These procedures are described below.

1. FIVE REPLY PHRASES FOR ANY BRANCH OF SERVICE

   The five phrases below (labeled a., b., c., d., and e.) can be used, if necessary, for any branch of service. Phrase a. and/or b. may be written in the Remarks box on the form, or in a reply letter. Phrases c., d., and/or e. are entered on the SF 813 in the FOR RECORDS CENTER USE ONLY area, on the line next to the respective campaign(s). Continue in the Remarks box if necessary.

   1. If a previously completed SF 813 is in error and you are now providing the correct information, write "The OPM Form 813 completed on (the date of that reply) was in error. The attached SF 813 cancels and supersedes our previous reply."

   2. If the form does not specify a campaign/expedition, but instead says something like "Air Force" and contains the retiree's entire career dates in the from-to boxes, write "The form must show specific creditable campaigns in which the retiree participated."

      • If you are working with an Army record, don't write anything on the form until you are sure that you won't have to send it to HRC-St. Louis for them to issue the reply.  (See Army Instructions)

   3. If a foreign medal rather than a campaign is listed on the SF 813, write "This is a foreign medal, not creditable."
   4. If an operation listed on the SF 813 is not considered a campaign (no campaign medal issued), write "Not considered a creditable campaign."
   5. If the form indicates a legitimate medal that is not associated with a creditable campaign/expedition, such as National Defense Service Medal, write "This is a medal, not a creditable campaign."

2. GUIDANCE FOR SPECIFIC BRANCHES OF SERVICE

   To verify participation in a creditable campaign/expedition, appropriate source documents from OMPF's, along with websites or any other resources, are listed below. This section also describes situations that apply only to the respective service departments.

   NOTE:  For Army and Air Force service only, if you cannot determine the overseas location and the APO # is apparent from the record.  (See the APO list.)  Note that service in Berlin may be difficult to identify.  If reenlistment occurred overseas, check the DD Form 4, Enlistment Contract, to identify the APO, and then refer to the APO listings.

   1. AIR FORCE

   AF Form 7 or 11
   AF 707, 909, 910, 911 (TDY Comments)
   AF 77a
   AF 1712
   PCS/TDY Orders
   DD Form 1351-2 (travel voucher)
   Decoration/Award Citations
   Report of Individual Personnel (RIP) before/or after 1975
   Letter of Evaluation (AF Form 77)
   Enlisted/Officer Evaluation/Appraisal Reports
   DD Form 214/215 & Any Discharge Certificate

   2. ARMY

   Primary source documents:
   DA Form 2-1
   DA Form 20
   DA Form 24
   DA Form 66
   ORB (Officer Record Brief)
   DD Form 214

   Secondary source documents:
   OERs
   NCOERs
   Award orders
   Flight records

   Service in Japan from 4/28/52 to 7/27/54 is creditable as Korean service if the record indicates that said service was in support of Korea. Korean Service Medal must have been authorized for that period. Service in Japan prior to 4/28/52 is verified as Army of Occupation (Japan).

   Service in Korea from 7/27/54 to 10/1/66, and Germany after 5/5/55, is not creditable under the Dual Compensation Act of 1964.

   Desert Shield/Desert Storm "OASIS" database: We have recently been advised informally by HRC-STL Veterans Support Branch that they DO NOT USE the database compiled by the Defense Manpower Data Center that contains dates of service in Southwest Asia (Desert Shield/Desert Storm). The instructions below called "Unable To Verify Creditable Claimed Campaign" provide alternative guidance if you have a problem with claimed Army participation in Desert Shield/Desert Storm.

   3. NAVY and MARINE CORPS

   Navy Retirees:  Review appropriate SRB page(s) and write on scratch paper all ships or activities (units) to which the service member was attached during campaign.  Then list the "to" and "from" dates of assignment to the ship/unit.

   Primary Source Documents in a Navy Record:

   History of Assignments, page 5
   Transfers and Receipts, page 12
   Administrative Remarks, page 13
   Enlisted Performance Record, page 9
   Navy Occupation and Training History, page 4
   Fitness Reports (Navy Officers)

   When you have identified the retiree's ships/units, check the Navy's website entitled OPNAV NOTE 1650, Unit Awards and Citations Master List, for each ship or unit: http://neds.nebt.daps.mil/o1650.htm.  The listing is alphabetical--first ships, then units.  Units are always abbreviated and may or may not be abbreviated in the SRB.  After you find the ship or unit, look at the columns showing start and end dates.  Find the set(s) of dates which include service member's time with ship or unit.  There could be several sets of dates.  (Remember, you are verifying dates for personnel attached to ships moving in and out of various foreign waters and planes flying over various foreign airspace.)

   Next, check the unit award column (left of start and end dates).  Did the ship/unit receive a campaign medal for the period member was with the ship/unit?  If the answer is yes, you will credit the retiree with campaign participation.  The Navy website lists ALL unit awards, not just campaign awards.  Remember, only campaign participation is creditable on the SF 813. Only the following awards represent campaigns:

   Navy Occupation Medal	Not listed in OPNAV NOTE 1650. Refer to the campaign books in the NPRC library if the SF 813 refers to these medals.
   China Service Medal (Extended)
   Korean Service Medal
   Vietnam Service Medal
   Southwest Asia Service Medal

   ALSO, check the remarks column for a code if the unit received an Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (AE) or Navy Expeditionary Medal (EM). These medals have been awarded for more than 30 campaigns or expeditions. You must check the remarks code to identify the specific campaign/expedition. The code is a letter designation ("A," "B," "C," etc.). Never consider the remarks code without also considering the medal. Example: The remarks code "G" when paired with the AE Medal signifies the Quemoy and Matsu Island campaign, but when paired with the EM Medal signifies a Persian Gulf campaign. A simple formula to follow when using the table at the end of this section is: REMARKS CODE + MEDAL = CAMPAIGN.

   By now you should have determined

   1. the unit which the retiree served with during alleged campaign period
   2. campaign medal, if any, received while a member of the unit
   3. the specific campaign for which the medal was awarded.

   ALWAYS REMEMBER!:  The dates shown indicate which ship or unit earned the campaign medal; they may or may not be the dates which earned the retiree the campaign medal.  DO NOT transcribe dates from the website onto the SF 813 without comparing them with the service member's dates aboard the ship or attached to the unit.

   Example 1) The retiree served with a unit from 9/1/66 - 4/1/68, and unit received the Vietnam Service Medal for the period of 7/16/66 - 3/25/68.  You would record the campaign participation dates as 9/1/66 - 3/25/68 on the SF 813.  You could not credit the retiree with campaign participation before 9/1/66 because he was not attached to the unit until 9/1/66.  You could not credit the retiree with campaign participation after 3/25/68 because the unit was not in Vietnam after 3/25/68.

   Example 2) The retiree served with a unit from 12/4/89 - 2/3/91, and the unit received the Southwest Asia Service Medal for the period of 1/1/91 - 3/24/91.  You would record the campaign participation dates as 1/1/91 - 2/3/91.  You could not credit the retiree with campaign participation before 1/1/91 because the unit was not in Southwest Asia until 1/1/91.  You could not credit the retiree with campaign participation after 2/3/91 because he was not attached to the unit after 2/3/91.

   Example 3) The retiree served aboard a ship from 5/12/65 - 12/1/66 and ship received the AE for service in the Dominican Republic for the following dates:
   7/14/66 - 7/17/66
   7/21/66 - 7/22/66
   8/6/66 - 8/8/66
   8/15/66 - 8/17/66

   Here the retiree was aboard ship for all dates; therefore, you would credit him with campaign participation for all dates.

   Navy Service Member Attached to a Marine Corps Activity:

   If a Navy service member participates in a campaign while attached to a Marine Corps activity, check the OPNAV NOTE 1650 website for Marine Corps units (enclosure 5).  If unable to verify, forward the request and record to the Navy Liaison for advice, using NA Form 13098, Routing Slip.

   Marine Corps Retirees:

   In most cases you will find the dates of campaign participation in the retiree's service record. Review NAVMC 118 (9), Combat History and NAVMC 118 (17), Sea and Air Travel - Embarkation Slips.  There is also information available on the Navy website.

   Marine Corps Service Member Aboard a Naval Vessel:

   If a Marine Corps service member is aboard a Navy vessel for a reason other than transportation, this is creditable service.  If unable to verify, forward the request and record to the Marine Corps Liaison for advice, using NA Form 13098, Routing Slip.

   4. Coast Guard

      Take the dates of campaign participation from the retiree's service record.  Review CG 3307, Administrative Remarks, and the Enlisted Personnel Data card for dates.

      There is also information available on the OPNAV NOTE 1650 website (enclosure 8)

      .

3. UNABLE TO VERIFY CREDITABLE CLAIMED CAMPAIGN

   Sometimes you cannot verify one (or more) of the campaigns claimed on the form (even though it is a creditable campaign).  There may be no documentation at all in the record, or you may not be able to verify the dates because either the "from" or "to" date cannot be determined.  Take the following action, depending on the branch of service:

   1. Air Force.  Do enter the date(s), month(s), and year(s) of any campaign/expedition for which you can find sufficient documentation.

      DO NOT LEND THE REQUEST/RECORD TO ANY AIR FORCE FACILITY to ask for help with any claimed campaign(s) that you cannot verify.  Instead, write the following on the form next to the claimed campaign(s) under FOR RECORDS CENTER USE ONLY:  "no record of participation" or "cannot verify complete dates."

      Then prepare a form letter using the "813 Requests" category and the "Cannot Verify-More Info Needed" letter.  Suspend the case.  If the requester responds to your letter by providing additional documentation that is still inadequate, respond that we are still unable to verify the campaign and close the case.  If the requester sends nothing but complains about not receiving credit, see your coach.

   2. Army.  If there is at least one campaign/expedition that you cannot verify at all, or you cannot verify the complete dates, you will need to send the request/record to Human Resources Command-St. Louis.  HRC will check their resources for the missing information and THEY will fill out the SF 813 and issue the reply, whether or not they can verify what you could not find in the record.  Therefore, do not write anything on the SF 813, even for any other claimed campaign(s) that you are sure about, such as if you found documentation or you know that the campaign/expedition is non-creditable.

      On the transmittal to HRC, indicate which claimed campaign(s) you cannot verify, along with any that you have identified as non-creditable.  Also, if you have already found verification of one campaign or more, you may provide the name(s) of the campaign(s) and the dates on the transmittal form.

      Notify the requester and update CMRS to show that the record has been charged out to HRC

      .

   3. Navy and Marine Corps.  Provide the date(s), month(s), and year(s) of any campaign/expedition for which you can find sufficient documentation.

      If there is any campaign/expedition that you cannot verify at all, or you cannot verify the complete dates, use NA Form 13098, Routing Slip, to send request & record to the appropriate LNO for advice.  Suspend the case, but this is not a recharge.  The LNO may provide advice that will enable you to verify the claimed campaign/expedition, or will tell you that no additional information can be found.

      If the LNO cannot help you to verify one or more of the claimed campaign(s), you will need to return the SF 813 to the requester.  On the SF 813 under FOR RECORDS CENTER USE ONLY, write either "no record of participation" or "cannot verify complete dates" next to any claimed but unverified campaign(s).  Then prepare a form letter using the "813 Requests" category and the "Cannot Verify-More Info Needed" letter.  Suspend the case.

      If the requester responds to your letter by providing additional documentation that is still inadequate or sends nothing but complains about not receiving credit, you should seek advice from the LNO, through your coach or ET.

   4. Coast Guard.  Provide the date(s), month(s), and year(s) of any campaign/expedition for which you can find sufficient documentation.

      If there is any campaign/expedition that you cannot verify at all, or you cannot verify the complete dates, write the following on the form next to the claimed campaign(s) under FOR RECORDS CENTER USE ONLY:  "no record of participation" or "cannot verify complete dates."  Then prepare a form letter using the "813 Requests" category and the "Cannot Verify-More Info Needed" letter.  Suspend the case.

      If the requester replies to your letter by providing additional documentation that is still inadequate, respond that we are still unable to verify the campaign and close the case.  If the requester sends nothing but complains about not receiving credit, see your coach.  At this point do not send the record to the Coast Guard, but if appropriate, a call for advice may be made to Coast Guard Personnel Command in Arlington, VA (202-493-1661).

http://www.opm.gov/employ/veterans/html/vgmedal2.asp.

You must first review the SF 813 for claimed campaign(s).  Next, look in the OPM list for the campaign(s).  Example:  veteran claims Laos as a campaign and the table shows Laos campaign dates as 4/19/61 to 10/7/62.  These are the dates which you must verify.

Note also that service in Japan from 4/28/52 to 7/27/54 is creditable as Korean service, if the record indicates that said service was in support of Korea.  Korean Service Medal must have been authorized for that period. Service in Japan prior to 4/28/52 is verified as Army of Occupation (Japan).

Following is a numerical listing of some APO's that you will find helpful.  You must be aware that this information was received from AR-PERSCOM when that agency transferred the Army retiree records to NPRC.  The information from which this list was compiled includes hand-written notes and information that was apparently compiled by AR-PERSCOM clerks over a period of years.  THIS LIST IS BY NO MEANS COMPLETE.  If you cannot locate the APO for the specific date(s) you are seeking, you must submit a request to ORU (Organizational Records Unit), and that unit will provide the requested data.