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

You can and should start the process within 6 months of getting out. They prioritize these claims. I retired last year in October, but started my claims process in June. I didn’t get my first check until January and didn’t get an accurate rating until June of this year. Still working on getting dependents corrected (that have been in DEERS since birth). And stay on top of it, the VA managed to both overpay me and underpay me at the same time. They back paid me too far for time while I was still in and underpaid because my dependents were not added.

I applied through the VA about six months after getting out of the Army.

I filed immediately upon separation. VA denied my claims. I did not file again for 20 years, claim was service connected at 0% compensation. Claim reviewed six months later and upgraded to 10%. A year later, a VA Regional Director called me and told me my record had been denied in error and to resubmit all my paperwork, bot from Active Duty and since I'd retired. I did, and about six months after that, I was re-rated at 50% service connected. So that's where I am at, 29 years after leaving active duty and filing my first VA claim.

I retired in NorVA in late 1999 and filed my VA disability after retirement. A year later, after many phone calls to check the status of my claim, I finally went in person to check. I was told that they had lost my paperwork and that I would have to resubmit. Disappointed, I gave up. A few years later, I moved with my family to Utah to attend college. Six months later, after relating my story to another veteran at school, he suggests that I reapply at the VA center in Salt Lake City using the services of a VSO. I honestly don't remember which organization I used but within six months I had a 30% rating and was approved for Vocational Retraining services. At that time, if you received a retirement pension, the money the VA paid you was tax free but was deducted from your pension. The vocational program paid more than my Vietnam Era GI bill so that was a bonus.

The day after I was discharged I called the VA & asked them to review my medical records. A few months later I had a rating of 30%.
However it too 10 YEARS to get my unemployable rating.

I was out less than one year.

I left service in 1983 and filed in 1990 the first time, I now am on my 4th iteration, this time with help from TVC in Texas. They helped me put it together, with much more proof of my problem.

Yes. Make a complete copy of medical records keep originals. Give the copy to you SO service officer, VFW, DAV or other Veteran Service. They will file. If you apply while in service you will be considered healthy and claim denied.

I started my claim 2 weeks prior to my ETS before I started terminal leave. Thankfully I did because it still took 3 months before I got my rating of 100%

I came off of AGR on 11 MAY 2011 and remained in the Guard until Retiring in May of 2020. I filed my first claim on 13 MAY 2011, and it was only 10 months until I received my first disability payment.