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

In answer to your question. File now. It took me 2 years. Trust me, file now.

Male or Female? I want to be respectful.

At the time of my separation I was being treated for a condition. When I asked what do I do, they told me to take it up w/the V.A.. Within a week or two of separation, I went to the VA to file a claim and was awarded a rating almost on the spot. All my other claims took a helluva lot longer, especially the appeals, 5 years, 9 years and 15 years and counting.

I was out for 34 years and luckily got rated in short order, (for VA). 30% rated still appealing for service connection on an aggravation issue. And i have other claims in process (going back and forth through the VA mine field. More issues I"ll bring up with them after I get these settled as I don't want to delay the process on the ones I have already been examined for.

You can make your claim prior to departing service, but your package will not go before the board until your ETS date. My VA examinations were scheduled during my terminal leave. As a result, I received my rating 4 months and 8 days after my retirement date. My suggestion is to get all the paperwork submitted prior to your ETS so you can sit back and just wait for the results of the board.

A side note, there was a VA nurse at the base medical whose job it was to review medical records and help to submit the claim. Remember a 0% rating is on an issue is still rating, and any complications associated with the issue can be treated by the VA so claim everything. Also, when you are being examined by the VA realize that a lot of muscle/skeletal issues are rated on range of motion. While you were in, you were probably used to pushing through pain to complete an action. In the Navy we were required to touch our toes during our semi-annual PT test. I would push through my lower back pain to complete the exercise. During the VA exam, I was told to touch my toes, I stopped when the pain started and did not push through. The doctor measured the angle I had achieved, and as a result I was sent for an xray which showed mild spinal stenosis in my lower back, resulting in a 10% rating. If I had succeeded in touching my toes, I would not have received that rating.