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

I got out after Vietnam in 1969 and had a small amount of dental work done because the Army did not treat it timely. I next applied to use VÁ medical care at age 62 when it was opened up to Vietnam Veterans. Unfortunately in recent years I have illnesses linked to Agent Orange exposure so I applied in 2020 at age 73. Remember that the VÁ is very different now as a result of more wars and veterans being granted benefits.

I got out in 2009 September while I went to my first VA Disability Claim before I got out in August; I was given 30% and pretty much told I needed to file for stuff even if it was already present in my claim. The jackass they hired for the Hampton Roads area pretty much did around 50% of the Enlisted getting out or retiring like myself. The guy was a Nurse Practitioner and not a actual MD. I had to go back and file at least several more times over the course of a decade to get to 100% including Sleep Apnea giving me 50% of the new claim. Yet, they refused my PSTD claim even when I saw dead bodies and crash events aboard ships I was deployed on.

It wasn't until I was actually working for the VA RMC in St Louis did I understand how the system works. Which is whenI filed several appeals and also learned what was actually claimable in my case for various issues I had including Anxiety/Panic Attacks, Depression (PTSD) and other mental health issues. I finally got 100% over a decade later and continuing to file appeals and showing proof including going to Chiropractic Care, Physical Therapy and other things that provided evidence of Service Connected Injuries that should've been addressed.

Worse is they continued to screw over my spouse another Navy Veteran because of the fact they lost her records at the Chicago VA Regional Office because of them being sent there and shredded by incompetence of the VA employees of the time in Chicago's VA offices which is why a lot of folks were calling for digitalization at RMC and allow their records to go online to be reviewed and monitored vs paper copies. My wife should also be at 100% because of her back and other issues that are all service connected issues. But again the VA is "Deny until they Die" mindset doesn't help with getting her to 100% as she should have gotten nearly 5 years ago. Worse is they ignored they fact we had been married and should've been getting Dependent's Pension for me as her spouse.

Which is why I sometimes wonder if AFGE is actually good UNION or just another way to avoid from being fired for incompetence and gross negligence in any Government Jos. I know that state level employees pull the same BS; they going the AFGE to avoid being terminated. Yet the worst part is they love to hide behind various "Protected Classes" to avoid being seen as bad or unfit employees who should be fired as they're clearly not fit to work for the Government at their current jobs.

It's why I often wonder that should UNION meetings be held in Religious Institutions or is that a conflict of interest between church and state as well? Like hiring church members to a Federal and State Jobs when they clearly shouldn't be employed there to begin with. While the supervisors often times know their employees are not fit for the job but helped them by letting them know about the work and then giving them a bump to get their jobs as well. Then worse is the Union Stewards are also part of the same religious group and make sure that any criticism of sub-par performances are glossed over and a blind eye to avoid said church member is allowed to stay on rather than let go to find work elsewhere.

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.