Hello folks! I'm giving serious thought to the military but I'd like to know, do medical documents carry over when you transfer from one military branch to another? Like, if I started in the Coast Guard but then wanted to switch to the Air Force, would they have access to my medical records?
Absolutely, your medical records will carry over if you transfer from one military branch to another. The Department of Defense maintains centralized medical records for all service members, regardless of the branch in which they serve. This ensures a continuity of care and allows any necessary medical information to be available to your healthcare providers. If you were to move from the Coast Guard to the Air Force, your medical history would follow you and be accessible to the Air Force's medical personnel.
More specifically, these records are stored in the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS), a computerized database of military sponsors, families and others worldwide who are entitled under the law to TRICARE benefits.
Hence, in your hypothetical situation of transferring from the Coast Guard to the Air Force, your medical records would indeed be accessible to the Air Force. Having centralized medical records ensures that no matter which branch of service you're in, your medical history is accessed and monitored, ensuring your health and readiness for duty.
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