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

30 days

It took me over 3 years to get my rating. It was a real struggle especially finding documents from the PI

I waited until 2004 to file for an Agent Orange claim. I could not prove "Boots On The Ground" and it was denied. When the Blue Water Bill was passed, I filed again in 2019. I finally received a response in 2021 that they could not find my Ship's Log" to verify where we were anchored. I found the Ship's Log at the National Archives in 5 minutes. I notified them where they were and that it did not matter where we were anchored because we were an AIRCRAFT CARRIER. We were sending planes and helicopters in and out of Vietnam daily. There is no such thing as a Plane Wash or Helicopter Wash so all the aircraft returned to the ship and spread the Agent Orange all over it. It took them a total of 4 years to finally deny my claim but gave me no reason why. My 29 years of Annual Physicals never showed any sign of Diabetes Type II, Neuropathy in both arms and legs, Tinitus or Heart Problems. Yet, exactly 1 year and 3 days after I Retired, I suffered a HEART ATTACK. Three days later, when I regained contiousness, they asked me how long I had been Diabetic. I told them I was not Diabetic. They said that it must have been hidden from me because Diabetes does not happen overnight, it takes years to develop. There is nothing in my medical record regarding any of what I suffered. Three days ago, I refiled my claim and it included the 42 trips I made into Vietnam but could not violate my 50 YEAR NON-DISCLOSURE AGFREEMENT to let them know that with my claim. They agreement ended in 2016 after I had originally filed my claim. I am waiting to see if it will take another 5 years for an answer. By then I will be 84, IF I LIVE THAT LONG.

Took me from 1972-2020. It helped to know a Senator in D.C. The DAV really helped me. Don’t go alone.

I was never told to file a claim until 27 years later when I went back to school.

I did mine before leaving active duty. It was a better way to do it. Here’s some information from the VA website.

Pre-discharge disability claim
If you have an illness or injury that you believe was caused—or made worse—by your active-duty service, you can file a claim for disability benefits 180 to 90 days before you leave the military. This may help speed up the claim decision process so you can get your benefits sooner. Find out how to file a claim through the Benefits Delivery at Discharge (BDD) program—and what to do if you have less than 90 days left on active duty.

You can still file a claim and apply for benefits during the coronavirus pandemic
Get the latest information about in-person services, claim exams, extensions, paperwork, decision reviews and appeals, and how best to contact us during this time.
Go to our coronavirus FAQs

Can I use the BDD program to get my disability compensation sooner?

You can use the BDD program if you meet all of the requirements listed below.
All of these must be true:
You’re a service member on full-time active duty (including a member of the National Guard, Reserves, or Coast Guard), and
You have a known separation date, and
Your separation date is in the next 180 to 90 days, and
You're available to go to VA exams for 45 days from the date you submitted your claim, and
You can provide a copy of your service treatment records for your current period of service when you file your claim
What if I have less than 90 days left on active duty?

You can’t file a BDD claim or add more medical conditions to your initial claim. But you can still begin the process of filing your claim before discharge.
Learn how to file a claim less than 90 days before discharge
Are there any other reasons I can’t use the BDD program?

You can’t use the BDD program if your claim requires special handling—even if you’re on full-time active duty, with more than 90 days left of service.
You can’t use the BDD program if any of these are true. You:
Need case management for a serious injury or illness, or
Are terminally ill, or
Are waiting to be discharged while being treated at a VA hospital or military treatment facility, or
Are pregnant, or
Are waiting for us to determine your Character of Discharge, or
Can’t go to a VA exam during the 45-day period after you submit your claim, or
Didn’t submit copies of your service treatment records for your current period of service, or
Added a medical condition to your original claim when you had less than 90 days left on active duty (Note: We’ll process the added conditions after your discharge.), or
Need to have a VA exam done in a foreign country, except if the exam can be requested by the overseas BDD office in either Landstuhl, Germany, or Camp Humphreys, Korea
Learn more about filing a pre-discharge claim while overseas

Discharged in 2000, 17 Years for First Rating of 50%

2 Appeals, 3 1/2 more years for 100% Full as well as Unemployability ( dual rated ). My delay was due to my type of discharge, which was overturned for VA purposes. Still waiting on the Navy to get onboard with my appeal there.

For those of us "older guys".. one of the big issues is that our records where SUPPOSED to be digitized. No, this is not someone complaining about the fire, just an FYI. Problem is, some of use where part of the test group for Shield/Storm presumptives, which pulled our medical records for review. In my case, my record was "lost" in Detroit.. then somehow found the day before my first C&P appointment. For 9 years, I had to fight the VA just to prove I was even in the military, when they had my files.. 4th floor people say "nope, we can't find you".. while some janitor on the 3rd floor goes "hey, this shelf looks good for this box of records".. there where over 40 guys in the same situation. I do however, have copies of my microfiche, and paper copies of some of my record, so the stuff that was missing (and there was a LOT!) was easily re-added with a few requests. It's still not all there, but it is what it is at this point. Not like I plan on going back in, even if they called, which I know they never will..lol

I have friends who retired that actually had their C&P evaluations done prior to discharge, and started their disability dates 30 days after they retired. Gotta love computers huh?

38 years

I did it while I was still in. It doesn’t take a whole ton of work. I recommend getting ahold of a veterans organization, like the DAV, and discussing it with them. They can represent you with the VA, get you the forms you need and review your medical records to help determine what you should claim. With the DAV’s help, all I had to do was fill in a few forms, go to 4 medical appointments and give the VA a copy of my DD-214 Member-4 (make sure it is the member-4 copy, they don’t ask for it specifically but it’s the one they need. If you give them the Member-1 copy, they will just continue asking for your DD-214). I had my determination 2 weeks after I retired.
If you wait to do it when you are out, you can make it harder on yourself. The VA has contracted clinics near the bases to do their exams. If you move to an area that doesn’t have contracted clinics or a VA facility, you will likely have to travel to get them done. The whole process spanned over 4.5 months for me, from doing the initial paperwork to finishing my medical exams.

My final year in service I was place on a medical board whether or not I could pass my physical or combat fitness tests. I was actually disabled while on active duty by the doctors at the Naval Medical Center and the medical board found me fit to retire. However, I filed my claim exactly six months before my EAS. The whole process took 10 months in order for my rating to come back complete. But, unfortunately due to COVID-19 I was never granted the opportunity to complete the Transition Readiness Seminar within the 18 month required timeline prior to EAS’ing from service. It made the whole transition process difficult, but with the aid from a few of my peers and Wounded Warrior Battalion I was successful. Retiring during COVID-19 was a nightmare with the command and service being little to no help.