Funding the Archival Project at my Work

The United States National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is an independent agency of the United States federal government charged with preserving and documenting government and historical records. It also works to increase public access to those documents. NARA is officially responsible for publishing acts of Congress, presidential proclamations and executive orders, and federal regulations. The agency often works closely with scholars to facilitate their studies. NARA is most famously known as the housing of the United States Charters of Freedom.

Hmmm....seems to me that since NARA now owns the military records stemming from 62 years from today's date (think of the 21 law for drinking and how you have to be this age to buy)...anyway----individuals interested in obtaining these records will have to pay a price in order to receive them. For the first time, nearly 1.2 million official military personnel files of former US Navy and Marine Corps enlisted personnel who served between 1885 and 1939 will be open to the public. This first opening also includes 150 "persons of exceptional prominence", including former Presidents, famous military leaders, celebrities, entertainers and professional athletes who served in the military and have been deceased for at least 10 years.

The archival Official Military Personnel File (OMPF) is a record in the legal custody of the National Archives and Records Administration; access to this record will be granted by providing a copy of the file. To obtain a record from such archive holdings can cost anywhere from .75 cents a page for a well known veteran i.e. Clark Gable, Elvis Presley to unknown individuals which can be a $15.00 charge for a separation document or $50.00 for the record (over six pages). I wonder how this will work and if not then I believe NARA will need to obtain appropriated funding for paying our salaries.