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

I am 76 years old. I went into the Air Force after taking the contract exam for all the military forces. I spent 4 years in the service, 1966 thru 1970. I did a lot of TDY for schools the first 3 years. I made Buck Sgt. E4 at 2 1/2 years. Spent my last year in South East Asia as a Civil Engineer. I have always been in Construction. I became a Contract and Program Engineer/Manager for a very large Construction company doing projects all over the United States for the Federal government, BIA, and private concerns. I finally retired from work at 64 years old due to bad physical condition. I was given 100% disabled due to the chemicals in the herbicide Agent Orange used in the SEA. First I had a cabbage patch heart surgery earlier. Later 2 stents were put in my blood system. 2 days later the fire dept was called by my wife, I had been bleeding from my rectum in the shower and fell. The FD would not take me to the VA hospital. Closest hospital emergency room only. Removed a growth on my colon and 1/3 of my colon. I was knocked out 19 days before I could get out. First, in 2023, I had to have a corrida artery repair in my neck. In July to September this year, I lost over 100 lbs. I went to the emergency room at a private hospital, they did CTs, x-rays, blood tests, bone marrow tests, and a biopsy of of tumor in my stomach. They told me I had stomach cancer in and around my stomach. I am now in Medical Chemo through the VA Community Care Program. They say at least 3 to 5 years.

It took 18 years for my spouse to receive his full disability and when he did receive his rating VA made him pay back the 1 year salary that he received for take the option of the early out program for less that 20 years in 1995 with 17 yrs in. He understood that was a special program you received 1 year salary and upon age 60 when you received your retirement pkg you’d be prorated by % of rank to receive his retirement pay.
Never mind VA keeping the money until that military special program was paid back in full but when his retirement pkt arrived the military said he wasn’t eligible since he didn’t complete 20 years.
That program was on the books for 19 years and has disappeared and no one has any knowledge or information about it.

My enlistment ended in 1992. I first filed my first claim in 2021, so 29 years. I was a heavy equipment operator in the Marine Corps, so it was easy to get 10% for Tinnitus. I am now working on a claim for migraines secondary to Tinnitus and hearing loss (Noise-Induced Cochlear Synaptic Degeneration). The latter can take years to manifest.

Well the first thing I can say is that everyone is different as well as the filing for disability ratings. Some people don't have issues when they first get out but they develops years later and then there is those who have issues right off the bat that need to file as they are getting out of the service. Either way you should file what you have in your medical records like if you broke a bone years earlier (while in service not when you where in high school,) it might become in issue later on in life. Benefits Delivery at Discharge (BDD) program is the way I got my disability but with that being said it still took me 5 years to get all of my disabilities covered and now I am 100%.

i was contacted by the VA in new hampshire years after i retired and after meeting with the VA i was given 40% disability.

I recommend getting your paper work in as early as allowed
I also Recommend finding someone from the VFW, American Legion, or DAV rep
I truly believe the sooner you get the paperwork in the better
when I submitted my Disability Claim, it could take up to 3 years or longer, before you got a reply from the VA , not sure what going on today.

so when I went out to find someone from the American Legion , DAV, or VFW,
I ASKED AROUND , i spoke to my fellow service members who had retired or gotten discharged to find out who they would recommend to help me fill out my VA disability Claim
after talking to a few dozen fellow service members , I had found rep from the VFW, he had a outstanding Reputation of being outstandingly good at his job, so I used him.
I could have used the person from the DAV , he was ok, (Disable veteran's)
OR AMERICAN LEGION
, there Reputation were ok,
but the guy from the VFW EVERYONE WANTED TO USE HIM,
So that who I went with .
so I recommend talking to everyone you know who has retired or been discharged ask them what they did right, and what they screwed up on

I nor my fellow shipmates had any complaints going with the VFW
I had my Disability paperwork completed and submitted by him one year before my retirement date , best move I made.

even though it took the VA two years, before I got my answer, it felt like it cut my wait time by half ,
it did not, it still was two years,
but that 1st year I was still on active duty. so it did not bother me, I was still receiving my active duty pay,
so after I retired from service,
12 Mo later, I had my answer,
I also had a Lawyer that specialized in VA disability Claims ready to call , in case my claim was not approved
if I had waited till I was discharged or retired, I would have still waited two plus years,
but it would have been two plus years from Sept 01 2014 my retirement date.
I submitted my paper work in Aug 01 2013, received my answer on Sept 01 2015

if I had waited till I was discharged or retired, I would have still waited two plus years
but my Paper work would have been submitted on SEPT 01 2014,
I would not have received my 1st Check or answer until or after Sept 01 2016

anyway, once you find someone that knows what they are doing, and has a good reputation,
you need to get with him or her & set up some dates to file your Disability claim, once the paperwork is submitted, it a waiting game till they contact you to come in for your Physical and to verify what you are claiming . remember if it is not in your medical records, or PDR it never happen.

I recommend getting your sleep apnea test done before discharge ,
if you did not get a sleep Apnea test done while on active duty, you have 12 mo from retirement or discharge , after that it will be a hard battle to prove you had sleep Apnea while on active duty

unless the rules have changed you have exactly 12 mo from retirement or discharge to fix your PDR, OR Medical records after that good luck , after 12 mo, it is not imposable but very very difficult


so make sure your PDR IS UP TO DATE AND CORRECT ALONG WITH YOUR MEDICALE HISTORY , MAKE SURE everything is documented. if it not in your PDR OR Medical records it never happen!

if you went to a outside hospital for medical service make sure it is in your Medical Records, if it is not contact the Hospital get copies for your Military service medical records


if you want to look out for your fellow solders, or shipmates

then you might want to see what days are available for the DAV, VFW OR American Legion Rep

see what days are good for him or her to come out to your unit or station

make sure to talk with your command, and the personal that handles your medical records .

so they are available to get your medical records for your appointed time.

in closing
get orders to a TAPS CLASS

get a copy or make a copy for yourself, of your medical records & PDR .
make sure your PDR AND Medical records are up to date and correct
why you ask?
well a few years back when the VA WAS Backed logged by 5 years in some areas , on disability claims, they caught a bunch of VA employees destroying Military personal medical & PDR records
I READ A STORY ABOUT some hikers in AZ I believe check me on that,
FOUND A BUNCH OF Military personal and medical recodes dumped out in the middle of nowhere, a lot of VA personal lost there jobs over this .

so always make copies for your own records

remember what I stated early, if it is not in your PDR or Medical Records it never happen , WELL IMAGE THE HELL THESE PEOPLE ARE GOING THOUGH

I know we all are tough guys,
when you go get your physical at the VA , do not LIE!
WHEN THE Doctor ask you about your pain tell the truth
do Not say stupid things like I have Good days and bad days , the VA Doc will put down everyday is a good day,
be honest tell him about your worst day in pain, let him know that every day , please do not try to be a tough guy it will hurt you , so tell the truth

25 years

I waited 52 years. And I was NOT a CPL.

Some issues were in my medical record when I was in the US Army. I waited 23 years before filing. I didn’t file a claim for 23 years, because I did not want to take advantage of the system, when there were many veterans that needed the help “leg or legs and arm or arms missing, dent in there head, etcetera. I bulled through the pain and lack of sleep everyday, eating it and taking multiple over the counter pain meds. Waiting actually work against me in winning my claim. I filed my claim when I no longer could bear the pain; sitting in my easy chair at home, with tears in my eyes because of the pain, after taking all the over the counter pain meds I dared take. And it took me 9.5 years to receive my rating. The C&P board denied my claims in a way as to block me from appealing. After 2 years, my wife and I decide to stop, but the last denial, without out right saying it, called me a liar and implied I was trying to get something for nothing. After 9 years of filing, a Doctor at the VA helped me in a way that the board could not play games with me. So they sat on my case for 6 months, before sending the letter.

I filed after I left the service. I had the medical records department make me a copy of all my records so that I would have a copy. You should do that cause that way you can have all your medical history when you find a GP in the civilian world. After getting out I filed through the the VA and if you wish help with the filing you can use the American Legion or the DAV, They will ensure you have everything you need for the filing