# How do I find someone in the Navy?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-find-someone-in-the-navy/140433>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [December 4, 2002, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-find-someone-in-the-navy/140433 "2002-12-04T14:28:56Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\
**Post date:** [December 4, 2002, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-find-someone-in-the-navy/140433/1 "2002-12-04T14:28:56Z")

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I’m trying to get ahold of a friend of mine who is in the Navy, but have no idea where he is. Is there any sort of locator that I can use (without a security clearance)?

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**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\
**Post date:** [December 4, 2002, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-find-someone-in-the-navy/140433/2 "2002-12-04T14:46:49Z")

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From [http://www.bupers.navy.mil/services/ques/quesloc.html](http://www.bupers.navy.mil/services/ques/quesloc.html)

> [@](#):
>
> QUESTION  
> How to locate a shipmate or family member?  
> ANSWER  
> 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 may advertise for former shipmates in any of the many veterans’ organizations magazines.
> 
> Additional help may be available at the following link: [http://www.defenselink.mil/faq/comment.html](http://www.defenselink.mil/faq/comment.html).

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**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\
**Post date:** [December 4, 2002, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-find-someone-in-the-navy/140433/3 "2002-12-04T15:21:26Z")

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I’ve always found that hanging out by the Hudson River piers after midnight wo . . . Oh. Never mind . . .