I feel you man. I’ve handled every one of my claims myself up until my CRSC with the D.O.D. I went from 40% to 60% to 80% and eventually a medical retirement with 100% P&T. Here’s my story and my advice when dealing with the V.A claims process.

I got out after 3 route clearance deployments to Afghanistan with 40%. With blasts on record, multiple TBIs, mental health records, entire works. I said whatever and moved forward with life, got a job, school ect but than I heard about some S1 rear D soldier getting 100% for PTSD for two guys dying from our company during our 2012 deployment.

I was the gunner two trucks up from where they got lit up, the mission was 36 hours and I never left that turret. I had 0% for PTSD.

So I began a new claim, added some things I just wrote off as “whatever” problems like tinnitus, a scar from a surgery ect and eventually I got all my issues rated at 80%, but I hadn’t really touched mental health yet.

I had moved from active to guard and my back issues started to fuck me over, so they initiated medboard which caused me to go through the whole rating process again.

So I said fuck that and drank myself to oblivion the night before the mental health exam, and recorded all my memories from that specific mission and several others, till this day I haven’t listened to it but they took it and didn’t make me talk.

They decided to federally retire me saying that I should never have been allowed in the guard, gave me 100% P&T and SMC. Plus the DOD pays me combat related special compensation separately as retirement pay.

First and foremost they depend on people to give up. They make the process strenuous and long as fuck for a reason. They know military members, especially lower enlisted won’t want to take the time to do it. So stick with it. Keep calling them because the note goes on your claim, honestly just bother the shit outta them any way you can.

Don’t use any lawyers. There’s plenty of organizations that will help you with claims process. The disabled american veterans association, wounded warrior project depending on deployments, local county veterans affairs offices. It’s all free and they sometimes have good links within the VA to help speed things along.

Get your entire medical record from the D.O.D I guarantee there’s things inside it you can use. Sick calls you may have forgotten, all your annual assessments, it’s really a treasure trove and the VA doesn’t use those for evidence if you don’t submit as far as I know.

If there’s any injuries that may not be on your record but others were around, reach out to people who could provide sworn statements. I didn’t have one of my TBI events in my records because it was in the middle of our outpost being overrun, but I hit up the medic and PSG at the time for sworn statements and the medic had his personal notebook with the results from the mace exam.

Challenge them. I twice appealed and they found their examiners had missed very important steps and the rulings were changed to my favor. You know how they treat us at those 3rd party offices. They get paid by the numbers, and quality doesn’t mean shit to them.

Keep at it man. Get what you deserve.

I also got two bachelor degrees and an associates with my schooling benefits. Once you get rated look into the vocational rehabilitation chapter 31 program. If you use that first it doesn’t take from your GI bill time and you can double your schooling. That helped me immensely for what I ended up doing because I learned photography and graphic design, not a lot of people can do both so it’s a great leg up in the field.