Did you wait till you were out to get your disability rating? If so, how long before you made your first claim?

As an Army Reservist, I couldn't get a med board, the unit and command kept denying me one, so I had to do it after I left. Unfortunately there were no records kept as a Reservist, so I had to provide my own records, including writing to other soldiers and asking them for statements saying that I had been injured while on duty, etc. It is a long drawn out process and can take many months, and there is no guarantee that they will approve anything anyway. As a Reservist who ETS's, you do not get an updated DD-214, you take with you whatever your last one was from active duty. It complicates the process and record keeping in many units is nearly non existent.

If you have a DD214 you can make a claim with the VA the day ofter you leave AD.
Make sure you have medical proof you can submit with your claim and you use a VSR (state veterans office,DAV VFW American Legion or any other VA VSO groups) and your claim will fly through.
If you do it yourself with no proof and the VA has to do all the work for you, the claim process will move thru the VA at a speed slower than the average speed of a garden snail.

Did it in 86 after I got out and the VA basically told me to pack sand. Refiled 30 years later, got 30% and and appealing since they totally ignored the original injury (ACL and MCL tears). Doing a fully developed claim on appeal and using a SO. Make sure you have a copy of your medical records or the VA will drag it out to eternity.

I ETS in 71 from Ft Belvoir. I was wounded in jungle warfare before AIT to Vietnam and received treatment while there at 3rd Field Army hospital. I went to the VA in Roanoke VA aster leaving the service and all they offered me was physical Rehab for a torn shoulder blade that I received cortisone shots for and a jammed up neck and head wound. It took me 45 years to have anyone address what I was told was Athletes feet , turn out to be a severe fungus same crap I had on my face resulting in a no shave profile. The meds. I took killed the fungus and killed all my toenails . they grew back and I ended up with a neck fusion and fused back and replaced hips. My Medicare and part B as well as my supplemental took care of the cost even though I had a hip and back fusion done at McGuire VA in Richmond. A hip and neck was done outside of the VA before the ones in the VA. I also ended up with Coronary Heart Disease and had to have 3 stints installed in my arteries. Again my insurances paid even while I am in the VA because I have the Insurance I am 100% disabled through the VA after almost 50 years I was granted the disability. I will say my experiences with the McGuire Army Hospital has been great . I recently had to have my left thumb and wrist worked on and the right needs the same treatment but I will deal with the pain. I understand if I don't have any insurance I am covered . I do get my prescriptions for free so I don't need a Part D. I also had a upper dental partial payed for by the VA but I am watching to see if my insurances contributed to the cost. The new VA works because many of the Dr. and nurses are ex service and know when they are being played and will step up to help.

I applied 2 months after I was injured on June 26, 2007 (National Guard but on Title 10 orders). I finally got rated 70% in December 2019. I still have issues pending and I am also filing for Unemployability.

It is better to start the process a year out, while serving. In that regard it is usually a matter of a month or two when your benefits kick in. If you wait until you ETS or retire it could be many months before you receive full benefit.

My father in law has been getting successive ratings from his service in the late 60s. He probably started 25-30 years after the fact.

My advice is get it all claimed when ETSing. It makes things much easier on separation filing claims than waiting years later and trying to find evidence for a claim.

Well you cant claim a disability rating while actively serving unless you have an approved MEB.

It would be kind of chaotic if you could receive a disability rating while actively serving.

I went to get rated for my hear loss which ultimately was determined to be military connected. It took the VA almost a year and a half. They "Couldn't find my medical records." I think it was more a convenience thing. I didn't get a copy of my health records when I got out. Why? I thought I was ok and I was just ready to leave.
I was rated at 0% but they still have to provide me with hearing aids and batteries for life. The 0% rating was because, "It isn't bad enough yet." It won't be long until I can't hear with my left ear at all. It makes it rough being a high school teacher when I have to ask students to repeat themselves because they don't talk loud enough (strangely enough in the hallway I can hear these same students; have big mouths there!) or, what they say doesn't come through clear.