Your records will be kept at one or more of well over 100 different government records repositories, each of which will have its own processing procedure – and processing times. The time in which the Government will provide our on-premises researchers with your “chart” will vary from facility to facility. We can obtain many records the same day. (Same Day – our receipt of your Request Form by 10 am Eastern.) But some facilities will require a little more time. However, in well over 95% of cases, we will deliver a certified copy of your DD214 to you within 7 business days. One difference in records facilities which will affect the amount of time in which your record is returned is the type of record maintained by that facility. More recent military records (generally from about 1995 and forward – but will vary by branch of service. See chart below.) are kept in digital format and these facilities can generally return the record to our researchers same day. All we need is access to a computer at the facility, and the record can be accessed by any number of persons simultaneously. Older records are kept in physical format, i.e. paper, microfilm and microfiche. The request has to first be entered into the Government’s computer system, and then a “puller” assigned to retrieve the record off the shelf. Depending on how quickly the request can be entered into the system (are there few or a lot of requests to be entered that day), the efficiency of the data entry clerk, how quickly a “puller” is assigned to retrieve the record, the “puller’s” workload and efficiency, the record’s physical location within the facility, and how thick the chart in which to manually locate the separation document, and then to copy it – all are variables that will effect retrieval times. And, since only one person can access one physical record at one time, if the record is off the shelf, it cannot be accessed until its return. For records facilities which hold records in physical format, they will prioritize requests based on exigent circumstances, emergencies, etc. Funeral requests, for example, can be fulfilled generally same day (if submitted before 10 am Eastern), sometimes next day. You should indicate any immediate need on your Request Form for the Government’s consideration. We have a Record Retrieval Estimator on the individual service description pages. You should take these Government internal delays into consideration when you place your order.