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

21 years

Discharged in 74 after serving in Nam from 66-70.
I was told I should file because of being wounded in combat.
Felt good when I got out so blew it off because I didn't feel I needed it.
In 76 I had an accident at work [back] and it was traced to my Nam service.
I was in bed for 2 year's.
Filed with the VA and was turned down.
Waited untill 98 when the pain got to bad and filed again using the DVA and recieved 10%.
Found a service officer in the VA who took all my record's [I had saved what I could] and recieved 80%.
Finally had a upgrade to 100% in 2004 and it was needed.
So I would recommend you file the day you get out, if you put it off they think you don't need it and will turn you down.
Because I waited to make my initial claim it took me 22 year's to finially get what was due.
Greg

I am rated at 40%. I didn't know that i was eligible for any benefits, because I was drafted in 1968 and only served for 22 months. Less than 2 months of service when i returned from Vietnam, I signed up for my rating in2012 when my cousin told ne to sign up for it. I have tinnitus, hearing loss and diabetes. Had it not been for my cousin, I would have not ever filed thinking I didn't have enough time in the service to be eligible. Thanks to her and her 21years of service, I went to the VA and filed for hearing loss. Thanks to the VA now I get to see Doctors for just about anything that ails me.

The first time I filed was after 6 yrs of being out of the AF. There was briefing we were mandated to attend before separating but it was very vague. Once I actual started doing some research and reached out to my local VA rep then I knew what I qualified for. I started out at 30% and quickly went up to 90%. Ive never had any problems getting ratings increased and will be filing for 100% since am told that I should qualify.

I waited about 45 years after getting out of the Army on a hardship discharge. I didn't know I could file for disability, I got 10% for tinnitus because I was an aircraft electrician and exposed to loud noises from being around aircraft. After a year of that I got another 10% for a foot injury from a barrel of oil falling on my right foot.
I have filed a claim for anxiety as a secondary to tinnitus. Now playing the wait and see game.

I contracted polio while serving at Chateauroux France in 1957. I was transferred directly from the Air Force hospital at Parks AFB in California to the Seattle VA Hospital in Feb. 1958. I have received 100% VA disability ever since.

32 years

less than three months same claim appealed for 17 years before va gave me my 100% rating. lived in my car and lived hard for years all to be approved only after using correct wording in appeals.

I was rated afte 25 years. I first filed in 96 when I got out and was denied. 25years later my service medical records appeared. Filed again and was rated. I didn't know i could file while active.

I got out in 2012 and it took me about 5 years to get my first rating in 2017 at 80%. I got my last increase in 2019 to 90%. I’m currently waiting on a higher level review decision for 100%, which, I should have received the first time. So, prepare for a long haul I’ve been waiting for almost 10 years to get the rating I deserve. I’ve had 8 operations. 4 on my shoulders. 1 on the right and 3 on my left and can’t pick up over 20 pounds repetitiously anymore. 1 hernia operation with 2 still inside me. 12 inches of my colon removed due to diverticulitis, 2 wrist operations, osteoarthritis, diabetic, high blood pressure, ptsd, scoliosis in the neck, bulging disks in my back, bone spurs in my feet, sleep apnea, and GERD! I served 4 years in the Marine Corps and 6 in the Army and national guard as an MP. I stayed in until they wouldn’t let me. My advice is file your claim as soon as possible and try your best to be patient!