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

Almost 30.

I was awarded 50% disability from the VA for Type 2 diabetes for exposure to Agent Orange in Viet Nam 25 years after I retired and 47 years after Viet Nam. One thing to keep in mind is that there is a 6 year statute of limitation for claims against the Federal Government. So, you cannot make any back claim for a period longer than that for disability or retirement unless there is a statutory exception to the general statute of limitation for your situation.

Any service member can start the VBA disability rating prior to discharge or retirement, but the rating will only have a start date of the day after discharge or retirement. Having a complete paper copy of your medical record is helpful, especially if you served during the time period before medical records went electronic. My initial rating was 30% and then after filing a second claim and highlighting specific documents that were there to begin with, I was reheated to 90%. Don't settle with a first rating if you think things were overlooked. And for those reading this who are still serving -- GET EVERY MEDICAL ITEM DOCUMENTED. Stop taking OTC meds. Go to sick call and get it documented. If it's not documented in you service medical record, then it's not compensable.

I never thought to get rated for tinnitus and vertigo., but after hearing that A guy I worked with was rated for hearing loss I tried. He was in the Air Force and when he mentioned it I asked how he had hearing loss, he said he was in the band and was next to the drummer. I said I should try because I did a real job in the Navy working between Two 70,000 HP steam turbines. My first rating for tinnitus took 36 months the second for vertigo took 72 months. From the time I first filed. I filed in 1999 or 2000. I got out of the Navy in 1980 so I waited about 20 years.

My wife started naging me about my hearing loss. Then I called my old crew up and asked them if they had hearing loss. After that, with the evidence I needed and support, I made my first claim. 2/3 How Battery.

It depends on you. I retired in 2018 (20 year service). I had a lot on my medical file. You can’t file until your leave is over. But you can see a VA Rep and get things moving along so when that day comes all they have to do is submit your packet the day after your Retirement and it ETS date. After it was all said and done it took about a year to get my ratings.

Sgt. Sockwell, I waited till I was medically discharged. I actually fought tooth and blood so I could get medical waiver to serve out my current contract at the time. I almost got it done. It wasn’t one large medical problem I had it was a bunch of like medium medical problems that were quickly turning into bigger and bigger ones. When I broke my back and still serving that’s what I wish I had filled a claim on the moment it happened. I was probably like most I waited till most of my medical problems were far behind what was the beginning part of them. (I hope im making sense)I guess I was what you would call a dreamer, thinking that if medical problems and bills got to bad that the DOD would automatically help me. Now it’s been well over 10yrs since my claims have been accepted and taken care of. It boils down to time, the younger you are when you get injures the more you think there’s plenty of time to do whatever I need. Now in my mid 50’s and basically alone I think
YES I WISH I COULD HAVE CHANGE HOW MUCH EARLIER I COULD HAVE STARTED MY CLAIMS.

But will always hang head high and never give up hoping for better

Within 1 year of discharge I had my first VA encounter for medical treatment and that went on for 6 months. I didn't reconnect with the VA until 41 years later when I filed a disability claim re: Agent Orange. Having that initial encounter got me a VA File Number which made the rating process that much easier.

When I went through ACAP (now known as SFL-TAP), I was told to get/find a Veterans Svc Org rep. I linked up with a guy from the Military Order of the Purple Heart and he told me to bring him a copy of my medical records after I had my retirement physical, which I did. Her actually took the time to go through my records and filled out my paperwork. He told me to mail it to the VA and that the officer wouldn't start until the first day after my last day in the Army. Three months after my last day, I had an appointment for my CR&E physical, 3 months after that, got my rating of 100%. Long story short, get everything together now and don't wait until after you get out. Secondly, if you can get your records to make a copy, do so. It will pay dividends in the long run. The two best moves I made.

Are you still active Soldier? If you are, Best solid advise for you is to get your physical done before you ETS. Get your claim started before hand. Request copies of you medical records at the hospital. If this was the only post you been to and only with one unit, you should have no issues of getting them. Go to the medics and get copies of anything they have, especially if you deployed and had any type of injury or illness that was treated over there. Then take your butt to Staples or the other place and burn 2 more sets of copies for you. You take your one set of records to go thru and highlight your injuries and illnesses. On a pad of notebook paper you want to write those down with date and where. This is the packet you turn in at the Hospital to the VA claims department. It all should be pushed up months before you ETS. Once you ETS, it takes longer by having to get a Rep thru the VFW, DAV, American Legion etc. They are reviewing records of the Soldiers who deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan as a priority over Vets from Desert Storm and earlier conflicts. It'll take approximately 90 days to 6 months after you ETS until you hear something. And you be back dated I believe to your ETS date and backpay.