Navy Information and Resources

Finding a Former Navy Shipmate or Friend
Due to personal privacy issues, finding someone who is presently in the Navy or a former sailor is not the easiest of tasks. But a good starting place is the information listed below.

If you happen to know of other methods, links, etc., please send me an email so that I can update this page. Any and all feedback will be most appreciated.

Active duty

The Navy's World Wide Locator is a service established to find the present duty station of active duty personnel, and is for official business use only. Family members, active duty personnel and Navy retirees may also use this system. To do so, you must have the service member's full name, Social Security number, grade or rank, and, if possible, last known duty station. Write to:

World Wide Locator
Bureau of Naval Personnel
Pers-312
5720 Integrity Drive
Millington, TN 38055-3120

Retirees and those who have left the Navy but are not retired

To locate retirees, limited service is available through the World Wide Locator (address above). Correspondence will be forwarded, if possible, to the retiree as addresses are not releasable by law under the Privacy Act. Also, many times the address is not known. You may also place a locator notice in the Navy's retiree newsletter Shift Colors or may advertise for former shipmates in any of the many veterans' organizations magazines

Naval Reserve Personnel Information

NAVRESPERSCEN is the custodian for the Inactive Manpower and Personnel Management Information System (IMAPMIS) data base. IMAPMIS maintains records of Navy Selected Reservists, members of the Individual Ready Reserve (IRR), Fleet Reserve and Naval Retirees. Due to privacy concerns we can not release the member's address. However, we may be able to assist you; if the person you are looking for falls into one of the previously mentioned categories, follow this procedure:

  1. Enclose a check or money order for $3.50 for each member researched payable to the US Treasury. Please do not send cash.
  2. Enclose a stamped envelope with a letter to the member you are looking for, with only the individual's name on the address side of the envelope. No return address on the envelope. Naturally feel free to put an address and phone number inside the envelope for your shipmate to contact you.
  3. Provide us as much of the following information as possible: The member's full name including middle name or initial, rate or rank, date of birth or approximate age, date they entered or left the Navy, and in the case of officers, their designator. Address the letter to us at:

    Naval Reserve Personnel Center (N33)
    4400 Dauphine Street
    New Orleans, LA 70149-7800

Links

Shift Colors!

Bureau of Naval Personnel Web Site

Navy Online

Naval Reserve Force Homepage

Department of Veterans Affairs

Bureau of Naval Personnel Homepage