How long have you been waiting for your VA Claim?

I initially started to post a suggestion for each person posting on this thread - but I think I'll go this route.

Folks - don't deal with the VA on your own. Too many of us do this and end up as so many of you are describing. Find a Veteran Service Organization (VSO) of your choice (i.e. - VFW, DAV, etc.) speak to one of the VSO's Service Officers and sign a VA Form 21-22 to permit your selected VSO the authority to look at your file within the VA while it is being processed. Sometimes it's a simple thing - like signing a form 5103 and mailing it in that's holding things up.

A couple of words of caution - (1) expect your claim processing to take time. (2) getting a lawyer will not make things any better unless your claim is in the queue for BVA, etc. (3) never give the VA original copies of military records - give them copies. (4) Don't be afraid to challenge VA findings - use outside doctors and the VA's own DBQ forms for help your case. (5) you can challenge the VA decisions ad naseum - take advantage of it.

I can't answer all the questions you have - mostly because I don't have your case file in front of me. What I can provide is some specific suggestions and tactics on what to do. If you have specific questions, please do NOT put them here on the forum. PM me and I'll get with you and make suggestions. Again, I don't have all the answers, but I'll bet I can find someone that does....... even if you might not like the answers

So Listen up Warriors if you have been putting off putting in a PTSD Claim Please take the time to do so NOW. It will indeed take a while and in the future your situation is likely to get worse. I urge you to file a claim and get some help. Don't let them do the frontal Lebotomy, but get the claim in and seek Counseling and some financial asstance if you are having difficulty finding work due to your hypersencitivity to Caos and disorder. I have Mild to medium PTSD and with Large volumes of Prayer, water, and Christian Music I can drive the roads without the feeling that I need to look at every item on the road as an IED or the need to return fire upon @$$holes that tailgate me. I'm getting better, and the images in my head are also on my Library of HDCAM tapes of the battlefield that I was shooting on. I can't watch them without feeling the rush of adrenalin that brings me back to seeing everything that the camera didnot capture. when I watch it it takes me a few hours to ramp down into a low state of Situational Awareness. So from the Gunner, Go file a Claim for your VA Benefits especialy for your PTSD.
How Copy??

Wow. I consider myself among one of the lucky ones after reading this. I filed with the help of AmVets January this year, retired April 30, had my follow ups in July and am receiving my first check from them with a 70% rating.

I too kept a copy of medical record and brought it with me to my follow ups. The computer does not have everything on it from your record so carry that in hand with you to every appointment.

On a side note, if you have the opportunity to share anything with those that you know that are getting out, have them do a sleep study! If you can prove that you had sleeping difficulties while serving, you may have sleep apnea. I was diagnosed with it and stop breathing 27 times an hour, had a machine issued to me and sleep like a champ now.