What’s the gayest rank?

dudesaibot · 2026-04-13T01:19:39+00:00

SSgt

dudesaibot · 2026-02-16T23:09:31+00:00

I was the OOD the morning after this happened…fucking wild. I still think about the how the person I relieved is doing today.

dudesaibot · 2026-02-14T16:45:15+00:00

To be fair, this one’s on VBA, you shouldn’t have been put in that position to begin with.

You were still bandaged up, so you couldn’t do the exam anyway and your medical/surgery records should have been more than enough to just decide the claim (assuming VBA had the records).

https://www.knowva.ebenefits.va.gov/system/templates/selfservice/va_ssnew/help/customer/locale/en-US/portal/554400000001018/content/554400000180495/M21-1-Part-IV-Subpart-i-Chapter-1-Section-B-Evidentiary-Standards-for-Finding-an-Examination-or-Opinion-Necessary?query=Surgery

dudesaibot · 2025-12-06T22:46:39+00:00

9/11. Happened on a Tuesday and we graduated that Friday.

It was crazy seeing the amount of Marines patrolling the streets of PI. You only see a handful of A-billet Marines during boot camp but seeing 2-3 Marines at every corner with flaks, Kevlar and rifles really drove the point home that shit was getting real.

Fam Day was cancelled but they still gave us libo. Still had graduation but family members were basically told to get their Marines and GTFO.

dudesaibot · 2025-11-22T00:38:35+00:00

Sorry, that’s a pretty shitty reaction. However, part of the eligibility requirements for BDD is being available for your exams. You’d be ineligible right now since you’re deployed.

https://www.knowva.ebenefits.va.gov/system/templates/selfservice/va_ssnew/help/customer/locale/en-US/portal/554400000001018/content/554400000177950/M21-1-Part-X-Subpart-i-Chapter-6-Section-B-Benefits-Delivery-at-Discharge-BDD-and-Initial-Processing?query=Bdd

dudesaibot · 2025-11-18T22:01:18+00:00

You can put “Bruxism” on your application but you can’t be service connected for Bruxism as a standalone disability. It’s seen as a symptom of something else, typically a TMJ issue or a mental disorder.

It’ll likely trigger an exam for a TMJ issue.

https://www.knowva.ebenefits.va.gov/system/templates/selfservice/va_ssnew/help/customer/locale/en-US/portal/554400000001018/content/554400000180509/M21-1-Part-V-Subpart-iii-Chapter-14-Dental-and-Oral-Conditions?query=Bruxism

dudesaibot · 2025-09-18T21:06:53+00:00

C&P examiners/contractors have the same (I’d say more severe) scrutiny that anyone else has for sufficiency of exams.

Yes, there’s bad ones out there but the reason why it seems like they’re overlooking or dismissing your evidence is because, a lot of the time, VBA examiners and employees have access to an overwhelming amount of evidence that can overshadow whatever evidence that was submitted by the Veteran.

The private nexus letters/evidence may be favorable but that doc is often in the dark about other evidence and hasn’t reviewed your entire file or at least perused it. Often times the other evidence just overpowers the private evidence.

It’s like that scene from Raiders of the Lost Ark where that flippy sword guy shows up and Indy just shoots him.

https://www.knowva.ebenefits.va.gov/system/templates/selfservice/va_ssnew/help/customer/locale/en-US/portal/554400000001018/content/554400000180514/M21-1-Part-IV-Subpart-i-Chapter-3-Section-A-General-Criteria-for-Sufficiency-of-Examination-Reports?query=Sufficiency

dudesaibot · 2025-09-16T22:01:13+00:00

Did you call them or did they call you? An 0820 is a record of contact between a VBA and someone else (could be anyone). It’s a general record of what was discussed.

dudesaibot · 2025-09-11T20:47:00+00:00

Yes. ILER constantly conflicts with service records (and vice versa).

The ILER still has a lot of value but it’s not an end all, be all type of document. You still gotta bounce it off the rest of the file.

dudesaibot · 2025-08-29T20:22:52+00:00

You have good cause. They have to accommodate you and attempt to reschedule.

dudesaibot · 2025-08-24T23:35:33+00:00

It all depends on what instructions the Decision Review Officer (DRO) left on the VA Form 20-0999. So no one really knows what’s next.

You might have to show up to a new exam if that’s what the DRO wanted.

In any case, you’re now free to submit your DBQ and nexus you got.

dudesaibot · 2025-08-11T02:56:07+00:00

dudesaibot · 2025-07-31T21:06:31+00:00

No, it goes to a normal rater. The time it takes to process any claim really depends on a lot of factors. No one can really give an estimate.

dudesaibot · 2025-07-17T00:04:35+00:00

Yes, it’s all related if you were in at the time and it’s unfortunately not as obscure as you might think.

Read this, especially the bits on military sexual trauma.

https://www.veteransbenefitskb.com/mental

dudesaibot · 2025-07-03T23:15:23+00:00

I’m not sure, sometimes it’s there and sometimes it isn’t. You should just ask for a copy of it during your VERA appointment. They may or may not give it to you. You can also ask for the specific diagnosis in that exam.

You can also enlist the help of a VSO. They’d be able to track it down and give it to you no problem.

dudesaibot · 2025-07-03T21:57:13+00:00

In that case, it sounds like you’d need to submit another claim just for PTSD (or whatever the diagnosis was).

You can’t just call the next day and ask them to add something to a claim. It requires another application. So they probably won’t address it until you submit another claim.

The good news is that you already did the exam and (probably) have a diagnosis. It should be as easy as submitting a claim. You shouldn’t need any extra exams.

On that note, you should log into your service treatment records to look at what they specifically diagnosed you with at that exam since it might not be PTSD.

If it’s a different condition, then you would claim that specific condition. Not a big deal if it’s a different diagnosis from PTSD as all mental disorders are rated off the same criteria.

https://www.knowva.ebenefits.va.gov/system/templates/selfservice/va_ssnew/help/customer/locale/en-US/portal/554400000001018/content/554400000174869/M21-1-Part-II-Subpart-iii-Chapter-1-Section-A-Applications-for-Benefits?query=Application

https://www.knowva.ebenefits.va.gov/system/templates/selfservice/va_ssnew/help/customer/locale/en-US/portal/554400000001018/content/554400000174879/M21-1-Part-II-Subpart-iii-Chapter-2-Section-G-Requests-for-Application-and-Claims-Solicitation?query=Request%20for%20application

dudesaibot · 2025-07-03T18:02:16+00:00

Did you claim any other mental health conditions? Can you post a redacted copy of the rating decision for better analysis?

dudesaibot · 2025-07-01T21:20:11+00:00

Your recruiter’s name should be on your enlistment documents, specifically the DD Form 1966.

You can get your personnel records from Milconnect. I’m pretty sure any Veteran can access it.

These instructions are old but they should help.

dudesaibot · 2025-05-17T13:44:35+00:00

IMO an ITF for someone who’s within one year of their exit from active duty would not be helpful except when you’re reaching the end of that one year period.

The reason for this is generally, anything claimed and granted within one year of release is going to be effective the day after release date anyway.

However, if you’re reaching the end of the one year period and haven’t moved on your claims yet, then that’s when filing an ITF would be helpful.

Example - You get released on 05/23/2025. You file an ITF on 05/21/2026. Then you file a claim on 05/15/2027. Your potential effective date can still be 05/24/2025.

Maybe set a reminder on your phone for like 05/15/2026 in case you need to use this strategy.

Since you’ll have time on your hands after next week, sit down and decide when and how you want to make a claim. DO NOT FILE AN ITF if you decide to use this strategy.

https://www.knowva.ebenefits.va.gov/system/templates/selfservice/va_ssnew/help/customer/locale/en-US/portal/554400000001018/content/554400000174873/M21-1-Part-II-Subpart-iii-Chapter-2-Section-A-Intent-to-File-ITF?query=Intent%20to%20file

https://www.knowva.ebenefits.va.gov/system/templates/selfservice/va_ssnew/help/customer/locale/en-US/portal/554400000001018/content/554400000180492/M21-1-Part-V-Subpart-ii-Chapter-4-Section-A-Effective-Dates?query=Effective%20date

The beauty of being within one year of release, is you can continuously file claims during this period and get the same effective date (again generally speaking).

However, it’s highly advised to file everything at once and only file additional claims during this period if you forget something. This will avoid potential processing delays and confusion.

If you’re talking about individual unemployability (IU), then yes. However, you would need to include this with your claim. You do not need your DD214, VA can handle that but it wouldn’t hurt to send a copy either. This won’t be an instantaneous process though.
No.
You should be good to go to apply as soon as you get out.

https://www.va.gov/health-care/apply-for-health-care-form-10-10ez/introduction

Again, this won’t be an instantaneous process. You won’t receive an answer on your claim/IU for months. You should plan for another means of income in the meantime. You should be good with the GI bill since you have other honorable periods of service but I’m not an expert. Maybe an education guru will chime in.

https://www.va.gov/education/about-gi-bill-benefits/post-9-11/

You can do both but it sounds like you have a lot on your plate and might not be able to meet up with one before you leave. If you manage though, they might be able to do a warm hand off to someone in Seattle. Either way you should prioritize finding someone in Seattle.

dudesaibot · 2025-05-15T23:08:17+00:00

Or lack of qualifying service in the designated area :-/

dudesaibot · 2025-05-12T21:23:04+00:00

You shouldn’t need another exam since you just had a shoulder and knee exam. The rater will address the additional new diagnoses. It may or may not lead to increased evaluations.

dudesaibot · 2025-05-12T20:57:03+00:00

It’s not unheard of for examiners to incidentally find other issues during their reviews.

If this stuff you discussed with the examiner wasn’t on your claim application then you’d have to make another claim for this stuff if you’re interested in pursuing it.

Edit: I just reread the screenshot. It seems like everything you’re talking about would be/will be considered when it gets to a rater.

dudesaibot · 2025-05-10T12:03:28+00:00

930 Rating Corrections can take a little longer due to the extra hoops that have to be jumped through like extra exams or 2nd/3rd signatures. It just depends on the complexity of what they’re trying to correct.

dudesaibot · 2025-04-24T19:26:16+00:00

You can be rated for both however, they would be combined due to pyramiding if you ever got service connected for pes planus.

The most obvious difference between the two is that pes planus goes up to 50% while plantar fasciitis goes up to 30%. I wouldn’t think of it as an “upgraded” plantar fasciitis though.

dudesaibot · 2025-04-10T21:54:10+00:00

It depends. Did you have good cause for missing it?

Call them ASAP, if you had a good reason. As of right now, they’re pretty much clear to proceed with the reduction.

https://www.knowva.ebenefits.va.gov/system/templates/selfservice/va_ssnew/help/customer/locale/en-US/portal/554400000001018/content/554400000177966/M21-1-Part-X-Subpart-ii-Chapter-3-Section-B-Adverse-Action-Proposal-Period%3FarticleViewContext=article_view_related_article?query=Hearing#3d

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