Backlog of VA records requests stemming from pandemic finally brought under control. Image: Jonathan Weiss/Shutterstock.com
By: FEDweek StaffA backlog of requests by veterans for military records needed to establish eligibility for benefits — one of several backlogs across various agencies that spiked during the pandemic and which became a focus of congressional scrutiny — has been cleared out, the National Archives and Records Administration has said.
That backlog, largely attributed to building occupancy limits at the National Personnel Records Center in St. Louis, reached above 600,000 in early 2022. While the facility never fully closed, “the pandemic restrictions caused on-site production to be significantly curtailed,” the announcement said.
“To eliminate this backlog, the NPRC team deployed technology improvements, added staff, expanded work hours and contract labor, and made numerous building improvements to support additional work capacity. NPRC also entered into multiple agreements with the Department of Veterans Affairs to expedite the digitization of NPRC holdings, which will continue going forward,” it said, adding that employees “have worked overtime and across weekends and holidays to achieve this goal.”
It said the center now is now able to respond to most routine requests in less than a week and to respond to other types of requests within 20 days.
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