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

Took me 32 years before affects of Agent Orange started taking its toll. Never too soon but can be too late so don't hesitate.

I ensured physical conditions I knew I had experienced during active duty (broken wrist, back injury) were noted in my retirement physical, then waited until conditions started impacting my lifestyle to make a claim (about 11 years). As other maladies developed that were determined to be associated with AO or my VA physician opined were service related, I submitted claims for those conditions.

When I got out in 1983 I was given a 10% disability and excepted that many years later sometime around 2006 one of the Veterans groups counseled me and explained what I should have done and could have done and help me do what I need to do I now carry an 80% disability much about retroactive

Wz 28 yrs before I wz even aware of my veteran status. (Wz honorably discharged 1971.) Took couple yrs more before I realized I'd sustained "injury" &, except for last few yrs spent trying to convince my late husband he wz entitled to service connection, hv spent last couple decades trying to convince Dept of Veteran Affairs my "disability" is service connected.

I enlisted in the Air Force in 1970 and at some point in 1972 I woke up one morning and both knees looked like basketballs. I couldn't walk, my buddies had to carry me to sick call and I spent the next 4 months in the hospital on my back while they drained my knees 2 or 3 times a day depending on how they were that day. Eventually they stopped swelling and I resumed a "normal" life. At some point during that hospital stay the Dr. in charge of my case offered me a medical discharge with 50% disability. I thought it was an insult and didn't want any part of it because no one in my family had ever taken a medical discharge and I wasn't going to be the first. Let me also say that the day I woke up with the basketball knees was the first day of having pain every day for the rest of my life. Over the years I've learned to live with it and tried to lead a somewhat normal life whatever that is and try to hide what pain I had because no one really wants to hear about it. When I got out I went to the VA to see if they could give me some treatment or medication, and in 75' what a joke the VA was. I sat for 12 hours and was told to come back the next day because the Dr. couldn't see me that day and I had made and appointment for 9 am 3 months before hand. That was the last time I had anything to do with the VA until 2012 when I went back because my brother in law said things had changed. Well here I am 8 years later, one knee replaced 8 operations total and 80% disability with unemployable. Now if some of you have a hard time with this because it was not a combat wound that's for you to deal with and I'm sorry you have issues. For me I have no issues with it and I sleep very good at night.

I guess to answer your question yes I did wait until I got out to file, over 40 years and I'm now collecting.

I ETS active duty in 1992. In 2008 received a letter from the VA asking me to come in check myself because my unit was near an Iraqi bunker blown by combat engineers (Desert Storm). Thank goodness all tests including depleted uranium checks came fine. I was then asked to go see the schrink, which honestly did not want to see, but they sold it to me how firefighters and police see one after action. I explained the VA Doctor about the nightmares, migraines while stressed, the sleep walking, and other symptoms. In 2019 I was awarded 60% PTSD. Maybe DAV did it, but here you have my story and then there are the other ones. Salamalecum!

I would highly recommend you address this prior to discharge. Weird thing to say, but I was lucky to get shot, In comparison to buddies who had to apply later. Being already in the system made a world of difference.

Try to do it before you get out. Its hell. And i was out 11 years before my first claim and its even harder then!

I was medically retired and did majority of my disability screening before I eas’d 8 years ago. I did recently get re-evaluated and added a few new ratings and also upgraded some existing ratings.

I went to the VA in Waco Texas in early 1970, I came home from Viet Nam in March 1969. Was told the ringing in ears would go away and not to worry about feet hurting all the time. Don't come back these are not big problem. Said I would never again so to a VA. My bother came home in June 1969 and went to Waco VA in 1971. Was told he had no problems. Many GI's had constant stomach pain. He spent most of his year living with the Yards in the highlands. Rod was Special Forces. He refused to return to the VA ever. Even with the cancer got to him he would not return. In 2001 I took a friend to the VA in Austin, Texas. While there I registered as a Vet. Two months later I took him back and while there I had a panic attack. A doctor checked me out and told me I had a heart mummer and would need medical help, But don't go to the VA. 2 months later I had open heart surgery. Went back to the VA and started to file claims. It was like pulling teeth from a chicken. DD214 was no help. What unit was I with, the had no record of it. Where was I stationed? Nope, not listed. Had to return to VA with a copy of my Commendation Recommendation, and my unit patches. Took all kinds of test and rated 10% for hearing loss in both ears. Got chewed out for not wearing my ear plugs. They did not believe we were not issued them.
Met with a American Legion VA rep and started a long drawn out process for Agent Orange problems. Took 3 more full physicals and 16 months to get hearing aids and then 100% disability. This was 2004.